Upping the Ante: Upgrading a Toshiba L305-S5955

Hello everyone!

Looking at upgrading my friend's laptop for a birthday gift. He currently owns a Toshiba L305-S5955 with the following specs:

Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
Intel Celeron 900 2.2 GHz processor
2 GB DDR2 RAM
160 GB hard drive
DVD±RW DL drive
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M
802.11b/g Wireless LAN
TruBrite TFT LCD display at 1280 x 800

Looking at upgrading the following:
- Processor
- Memory
- Hard Drive (thinking of doing a SSD + HDD caddy)

In regards to the processor upgrade I've read a couple of threads here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/461990-toshiba-l305-s5955-processor-upgrade-options.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/661735-upgrading-cpu-old-toshiba-l305.html
http://forum.notebookreview.com/hardware-components-aftermarket-upgrades/465157-processor-video-card-upgrade-toshiba-l305-s5955.html

Reading through the information it looks like the Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 and Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 are confirmed to work with this particular laptop. Though, I would like to do a higher upgrade at all possible; goal is to shoot for at least a Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 or higher.

Memory-wise I have this picked out: G.SKILL Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBSQ Laptop Memory - Newegg.com. It seems that this particular chipset (from what I read) can only go up to 4 GB of RAM, otherwise I'd love to do 8 GB.

Lastly, I'm for sure going to do a SSD + HDD caddy setup. For the SSD I'm debating between the Samsung 840 250 GB or the Intel 520 180 SSD. I've heard good things on both but apparently the Samsung uses unproven TLC flash memory which could be worry-some in the long run. As for the hard drive, going with a standard Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB hard drive.

My questions are:

Has anyone had/has this particular laptop and was able to upgrade the processor to Core 2 Duo P9XXX series?
Is it possible to upgrade the computer to 8 GBs of memory?
Are there any additional upgrades I could do that I'm missing? Or any criticisms in my upgrade paths?

 

I'm not sure how much sense it makes to upgrade a 2009 $350 notebook? Even as a gift?

In order of most bang for the buck:

RAM - 8GB minimum (anything less and the following suggested upgrades are minimized).

O/S - Windows 8 x64 Pro (especially if thinking of using an SSD).

SSD - This one is easy - but depending on the use the system is expected to see (storage sub-system wise), you'll need to consider that at least 25% should be set aside as spare area (source: AnandTech and myself) in addition to the ~25GB Windows needs by itself as 'free space'. A Crucial M500 in the 480GB range for ~$300 available in a few weeks is my top suggestion at this time.



While the system may not be able to take advantage of 8GB RAM (and with requiring DDR2, that is going to be very expensive right now), it is recommended to check for yourself if it works in that system or not (don't go by manufacturers spec's that are currently outdated).


Notice that a cpu is not even in the running in my list... that is because for it to fit/work you will be getting at most a 30% increase in performance which is not enough (imo) for the work and risk involved in replacing the cpu.


I hope some of this helps.


Good luck.

 

There are no guarantees, but the T9300 cpu should work fine seeing how its socket P and works on 800MhZ FSB (though you have to make sure you updated the BIOS beforehand).
Might be wise to check in the Toshiba section of the forum and inquire about BIOS update to see if the said cpu microcode is supported (and if not... up to which one it does support it).

I'm afraid that your friend might be limited to 4GB RAM - depending on the chipset in that laptop (you hadn't written what it is). If it has a GL40 chipset, then 4GB might be its maximum (unless there are examples of people who did 8GB upgrades - I personally do not, and 8GB for DDR2 So-dimm is quite expensive - I got away with $100 for it a year ago, its in the range of $150 now).
The RAM you picked seems to be fine though seeing that it has a low CAS, and high FSB (should provide a boost for IGP performance-wise).

As for the SSD +HDD combination... its a sensible approach, but in that case, I'd sooner have a 128GB SSD for OS/programs (seeing how its enough for such a use, but I can't comment on individual brands and their potential 'shortcomings').
WD Caviar blue 1TB HDD in a caddy seems like a good option storage-wise but might be a bit of an overkill (perhaps 500 to 750GB instead to lower the cost?).

 

Your upgrade "paths" seem fine. While I can't speak for the BIOS on this laptop, socket P on that system supports up to a Core 2 Quad, physically. Sometimes you can upgrade the memory beyond the manufacturer spec, but Crucial shows 4 GB max as well, so unless somebody knows definitively whether you can go beyond that, you will either need to do some trial and error or stick with 4 GB.

The hard drive should be an easy one though, and a SSD + HDD is always a good bet!

 

The socket P on that laptop probably cannot support up to C2Q (especially if the CPU fsb supports up to 800MhZ - seeing how C2Q are 1066Mhz FSB).
Mine is PM45 and a Socket P, but a Q9100 doesn't work.

 

Thanks for the advice tilleroftheearth; the reason why I'm choosing to upgrade instead of getting something new is due to the sentimental attachment with this laptop. This was the gift given to him by his mother who had recently passed away. To respect that (and also my friend had recently started complaining that certain things ran slow but refuses to get a new laptop) I decided to some research and see what I could do.

Memory-wise I believe I'm stuck due to the GL40 chipset, but with 4 GBs DDR2 at least I'll double that. I'll be sticking to Windows 7 Ultimate for the OS - unless there is a huge performance gain going from Windows 7 to Windows 8 with an SSD. Going from the Cinebench R10 benchmark results the Celeron 900 scores 2101. If I went with a Core 2 Duo T7500 or higher I'd be making 50%+ gains in performance and a dual-core processor.

Plus, I'd like to think I'm pretty handy with tools. I recently torn-down my 2010 Sony VAIO Z which is not a walk in the park. =P

Yep, that's what I'm worried about. I'm hoping the BIOS for the laptop is able to support the T9300 or higher. I wanted to see if I can get some proof before buying processors off Amazon and/or Ebay. I might have to do some trial and error. Good idea with checking on their forums though - I'll venture over there and see what I can dig up.

Yeah, RAM-wise I think I'm stuck with 4 GBs (which is still double). You're correct, the chipset is the GL40 which according to Intel's website is limited to 4 GBs. I guess it's a blessing in disguise since like you said, pricing for 8 GBs DDR2 sticks hovers around $150-$175.

Good call on the caddy hard drive - after thinking about it I realized that he doesn't really utilize a lot of space on his laptop. I'll probably bump down the caddy hard drive to 500 - 640 GBs.

Still debating on the SSD drive between Intel and Samsung.

Thanks for the reminder of the BIOS =) That would be awesome supplying a Core 2 Quad but going off Deks' post it probably wouldn't work due to the different CPU FSB speed.

 

Either way, the T9300 or T7500 (speed wise, there's 300MhZ difference between them) should provide a size-able increase in performance from the CPU alone over the existing Celeron.

If you are getting a CPU from ebay, then you can try seeing if the seller accepts returns, and could provide you with a T7500 if the T9300 doesn't work (though I repeat, there's really no reason it shouldn't).
Top rated sellers on ebay are good source and I hadn't had issues with them in any way.

On SSD, Intel might have a better track record, but if the Samsung is cheaper or could be get for the same price, then get that (but both firms usually make sure to put out various firmware updates that get rid of potential bugs/problems in general).

Make sure to do a clean Windows install on the SSD (preferably x64) and of course thoroughly clean the machine from dust (plus do a proper application of the CPU thermal paste) before you put in a new CPU.

 

In order of bang for buck:
-SSD
-RAM
-Processor

The GL40 chipset is finicky. See the large discussion thread here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...es/334009-gl40-chipset-cpu-compatibility.html
I suggest a Pentium Dual-Core CPU, which is essentially a lower-tier Core 2 Duo. Try the T4200, T4300, T4400, or T4500. Great value for the money.

I'm of the opinion that computers should run operating systems they have full device driver support on. So I'd not upgrade to Windows 8 if the notebook wasn't sold with it.

 

For my .02, I upgraded my L305 to T7500 but didn't test with T8100 but fairly sure it should work and won't cost to much just going T8100 if that is easier upgrade. And I upgraded ram to 4G of which 3.5G is available and HDD upgraded to 160G. And that was with Windows7x64 sp1 O/S and that loaded fairly well without any problems but I did update the BIOS before hand before starting this upgrade though. So check with Toshiba site and make sure you at least update the firmware/BIOS before doing all this change. At least that way they will at least have the latest updates to that laptop. It won't game with other gaming rigs but at least performance wise will be alot better then the celeron currently in there.

 

Good point, yeah the difference of the T9300 or T7500 are minimal. But, in the grand scheme of things either one would whoop the Celeron's butt. Thanks also for the heads-up on ebay sellers, bought a couple of things here and there but have not purchased a bare mobile CPU.

I've leaning towards Intel SSD's at the moment, particularly the 520 series due to their proven tank-like/bulletproof reliability vs the Samsung 840 drives. Though I've owned drives from both companies (sporting an Samsung 830 in a desktop and a Intel 320 in an HTPC) and either one would be an amazing choice in terms of speed.

Excellent thread! Thanks for the link - I'll take a look when I get some time off work

Thanks for the suggestions on processors too - I remember reading a thread in another forum stating that someone had confirmed that the T4200 and T4500 worked in the L305.

I agree with your opinion with future operating systems - though with Windows 8 in particular I find it works best with a laptop that has a sort of touch input / interaction.

Sweet, thanks for the insight. Question for you: I haven't dug up on any service guides on disassembling the L305 but it looks pretty straight forward. Was disassembling pretty easy?

Yeah, goal is to at least get this laptop with more "modern" hardware. The Merom and Penryn architecture definitely isn't top of the line now. But they are still hold their own quite well and are great for everyday tasks.

 

I particularly agree with Charles here. I have some experience with Pentium D and Pentium Dual core, and even though I have a system that runs on the former without a hitch, the Dual Core is based on the Core2 CPUs; a 1.86 GHz Core2 has been shown to outperform a 3.6 GHz D.

 

I wouldn't go for anything less then T7500 as that will give a larger benefit from the Celeron and price wise would be more worth the money as well. It was kinda involved and required a complete disassemble of the laptop to get to the CPU as it was hidden and not accessible just by removing the base covers. That was the frustration for me was to change the CPU you had to take apart the laptop to just get to the CPU not like HP or Dell or Gateway where you can immediately get to the CPU to change it. Having a true Core 2 Duo T7500 or T8100 - I would go with a T8100 as that will better serve the laptop for a long time to come. But once you do it you will understand and if you take it apart again it will be easier since you will know the process to do so. So that is why you should do the CPU upgrade to a T8100 IMO and keep it at that and the rest memory and HDD or SSD would be easier to upgrade those components instead. But if they can live with a HDD I would keep the HDD and just get a larger HDD unless you want to spend little more and get a SSD either way a newer HDD or SSD give them larger space to store as well. But just for making them happy I would stick with HDD still cause HDD still has the advantage in storage capacity if they should use it to store photo or personal pic and stuff they create and still have room left over. SSD are good but limited in space and if you get larger SSD the prices are still more expensive compared to HDD for the same capacity but I will leave that up to you to decide what they plan on using their laptop for but considering the age and improvements your doing. HDD will still suffice for me.

 

Sorry to revive an old thread. Got some excellent advice from you guys. I had another question for ya'll as well:

Does anyone know if this laptop is able to support a better WIFI card with Bluetooth? I was looking at the Intel 6235 + Bluetooth 4.0 but I can't find any information if the chipset is compatible with this wireless card (Intel GL40). If that fails I can always get a Bluetooth USB dongle =P

 

From what I saw, it looks like that model uses a standard PCIe NIC - in which case, you should be able to upgrade that fairly easily (the USB dongle would be a bit simpler though).