upgrading GPU if possible

hey all, i have a Toshiba Satellite A505-s6965 and i was wondering if i can upgrade my GPU or is it soldered to my motherboard. Also i wanna upgrade my CPU i have the 2.0ghz p7350 Socket P can i just upgrade to any socket P cpus? thanks for your help.

 

Pretty sure GPU is soldered onto the motherboard. P7350 should be a PGA CPU, you should be able to go to any 1066 FSB Core 2 Duo (provided Toshiba did not whitelist CPU's in the BIOS).

 

so this would work
Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 2.80 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1066MHz FSB Socket P Mobile Processor
??? Amazon.com: Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 2.80 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1066MHz FSB Socket P Mobile Processor: Electronics

also how do i find out if the cpu's are whitelisted???

 

I don't see a reason why it shouldn't work.

 

So now the real question 2.8ghz or 3.06ghz?? Would I notice a real difference?

 

Depends on the task, what are you planning to use (as software/games etc.)?

A 2.80ghz should be more then enough for most users, althrough, if you want a huge performance increse in boot time, loading of stuff, then you should also consider a SSD drive. IF you are upgrade to do CPU intensive stuff, you go with 3.06Ghz.

So, come with a little more info, and I'll guide you thorugh.

 

What are you doing with this notebook? Specific programs you run, etc.

 

just be able to run battlefield 3 smoothly on low settings

 

would like to buy this 2.8

Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 2.80 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1066MHz FSB Socket P Mobile Processor give me your opinion

 

Recommended system requirements for Battlefield 3 is a Quad Core, but minimum requirements is a Core 2 Duo @ 2.00 Ghz... I think you'll be fine out of what I can find, but then again, I have never played any BF game on laptop/PC so, I have no idea how good the gameenigne is, maybe some one who have played this can answer.

 

I'm amazed that nobody has even raised the question of whether it is worth upgrading.

Yes, you most likely can upgrade the CPU in your laptop. But it would be a colossal waste of money. The reality is that CPU clock speed within a single CPU family actually makes very little difference to real-world performance. Most games are limited by the GPU, and not the CPU (this includes Battlefield 3). Most applications are limited by the storage device (HDD), and not the CPU speed. You will only get real-world benefits from a CPU upgrade in very specific situations (CPU-based video encoding, and CPU-limited games like Civilization 5).

If you are asking whether you CAN upgrade to a faster CPU, the answer is yes.

If you want to know whether it is SMART to upgrade to a faster CPU, the answer is no. The smart thing to do is to save your money, until you have enough to buy a new gaming-capable laptop. A gaming-capable laptop will start at around $1000, and go up from there.

 

Well min 2.5 duo, but recommended quad, but I think an overclocked 2.8 would work. I can play but I get huge frame drop. anyways can I change the p7350 on my toshiba satellite a505-s6965.

 

Your HD4570 will suffer. tremendously. 80 SP and a dual-core is just not enough for BF3. Maybe on lowest everything it might be 'playable' but I agree with the above poster, perhaps your money is better invested into a new computer.

Don't buy retail, damn $360 for that old CPU. Try ebay, you'll find much better prices if you decide to upgrade, don't be afraid of used CPU's if it's from a reputable seller.

 

OK thanks everyone for your advise! now im going to look at the alien ware m14x. Would i notice a difference between i7 2.2 or 2.4? i know the alien ware is 90% show and 10% performance, but i need financing that's why.

can i overclock this cpu Intel® Core™ i7 2670QM 2.2GHz (3.1GHz w/Turbo Boost, 6MB Cache)?? or is this good enough for bf3 and bfbc2?

 

That GPU is not soldered to the motherboard. It uses an MXM connector but a specific board shape for the a505.

You can probably upgrade to this gt 230m: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toshiba-A50...deo_TV_Cards&hash=item3a6a4d9186#ht_927wt_952
Graphics performance is actually almost double the 4570.

Always remember that a having and working on a laptop you are already comfortable are 2 things that have their own value.

Edit: Looks like you could also upgrade the motherboard to one that supports the newer 1st gen i series CPUs. Probably would not be worth it, but considering the cost I don't think it would be worth it.
The gt 230m however is much more cost effective than buying an m14x, even considering the performance which really isn't too far behind the gt 555m (ati 4570 is ~2000 points 3dmark vantage P, gt 230m is ~4000 and gt 555m is a little under 5000).