Planned upgrades for ZBook 15

Hello guys

Some months ago I bought a refurbished ZBook 15 G1 (dual-core version) and I gotta say it's one of the most solid pieces of hardware I've ever used! However, there's always room for improvement

My unit came with a 2.5" 128GB SSD. I've already installed the following upgrades on it:

- 250GB Samsung 860 EVO mSATA SSD
- 2TB Seagate HDD

Migrating my OS was a breeze and quite fast. I'm currently planning to upgrade my ZBook 15 G1 with the following components:

- 8GB RAM module, for a total of 16GB (8+8)
- Nvidia Quadro M2200 GPU (from a K610M)
- Intel Core i7 4702MQ (from a 4600M) scratch that

However I have a bunch of questions for those of you more experienced at this than me:

- Will this machine take 16GB RAM modules? I was quite upset to find out my motherboard only has two RAM slots. The QM87 chipset is designed to support up to 32GB. According to HP, each slot can take up to 8GB, but this community is known for running their devices way above the manufacturer specifications, so I'm hopefull someone has tried already
- Installing a card which has 'HP' as sub-vendor should to make things easier, right? I'm looking to buy the M2200 GPU from a seller who claims the card was pulled from a ZBook G3 (I thought the M2000M was the highest GPU config for the G3?). This is the newest Quadro MXM 3.1 Type A card I've found that won't require an eDP display. I've been considering the GTX965M but I'm not fully aware of the consequences (as in, what features are to be lost in the transition from Quadro to Geforce).
- Is the 4702MQ a worthy upgrade from my current 4600M? I know the most noticeable difference will come from the higher core count, but I've been told thermal throtling will negate any performance improvements when dealing with demanding tasks on mobile quad-cores, this is why I'm looking at this low TDP CPU.

EDIT: I've recentrly learned that the 4702MQ can't do VT/d, which is a bummer. The 4700MQ doesn't support that either, according to Intel ARK. Seems like it's a 4800MQ or better for me, too bad these cost a fortune compared to the 4702MQ I was offered (less than $50)

 

AFAIK it won't run 16GB modules. It would run 32GB, but only on a quad-core board, which has 4 slots i.e. 4x8GB.

As for GPUs - you'll have to double check around, but I think that you need DELL GPU, or at least to be flashed with DELL vBIOS. And yes Maxwell (M2000M(I think M2200M as well) and GTX 965m) is the last that doesn't require eDP.

Good luck with your upgrade.

 

Thanks for your input

Okay, 16GB should be enough for the time being, though I really wanted this thing to be as future proof as possible with all 4 slots

I know the Zbooks come with "dual-core" and "quad-core" motherboards. Are they any different besides the RAM slot count? Would my "dual-core" board take a 4900MQ? I've decided to upgrade to that one because of the 2mb cache bump.

 

You should be able to run the 4900MQ, can't say it with certainty though. It was the case with previous models (dual-core boards running quads) and yes - the missing RAM slots was the only difference. Be advised that if you're going to use it, you'll need quad-core heatsink and thermal paste. I think that you'll be able to test/try it with the stock heatsink.

 

Okay, I didn't know this was a thing, but makes perfect sense. I'll google that to learn about the differences. Thanks again.

EDIT: an initial googling reveals no model variants for the heatsink spares, it seems there's only one model. HP Part Surfer doesn't list anything specific to dual or quad-core configurations when related to heatsinks, it only mentions different models for different GPUs (see attached pic) which, after googling the specified part numbers, all look identical.

Perhaps such difference used to apply for the older EliteBooks or other Zbook models. I remember reading about heatsinks with dual heat pipes somewhere, I think it was on an 8770W modding thread.

 

I've edited my post. You should be able to try it with the stock heatsink, but you'll definitely need the quad-core heatsink in order to use it. Use the service manual, there should be listed both heatsinks.

 

I've also edited my previous post with some info on my findings. I'll get to reading the manual right away.

EDIT: I (think I) realized HP might have different part numbers for heatsink spares designed for different GPUs because the thermal pads are included and they must be positioned differently for each GPU model, accomodating for the differences in location of heat-producing components such as the VRMs and VRAM chips.

 

You are right, it is one-piece and after a quick search I couldn't find difference between the three. That's from the pictures I've found. It might be the different pad layout as you suggested. In any case, I hope that the CPU would run cool. You can always undervolt it if it goes too hot.