HP Pavilion ZV6000 CPU

I want to increase the lifespan of my aging zv6000 a bit, and I've decided to pick up some more ram for it (2GB) and perhaps install a new CPU, too.
(Athlon 64 3200+, 768MB DDR Ram at the moment) My question is this:
Is it possible to use an AMD Athlon 64 4000+ (San Diego) socket 939 in the ZV6000? I know it uses a desktop CPU, but the supported iteration seems to be Venice. If it wouldn't work, does anyone know where I can find the Venice chips? My search has yielded few results thus far. Thanks for any help.

 

Staryoshi,
I have a ZV6233nr and I too want to revive the power of my laptop. I did some research too. In fact I also just bought 2GB of RAM and a AMD Athlon 64 4000+ processor. The RAM worked but the processor failed to work. The maintenance manual says this laptop series can use :
AMD Mobile Athlon 64 4000 396878-001
AMD Mobile Athlon 64 3800 396877-001
AMD Mobile Athlon 64 3500 396876-001
AMD Mobile Athlon 64 3200 396879-001
Mobile AMD Sempron 3200 396881-001
Mobile AMD Sempron 3000 396880-001
HP does not sale these processors any more. But if you look it up on HP’s site it is described as:
AMD Athlon 64 (Venice) 4000+ processor - 2.4GHz, 1MB cache, 2GHz FSB, Socket 939.
The processor I just got that did not work is:
AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego 2.4GHz 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor.
So I think you are on the right track. It needs to be a Venice chip. I did try updating my Bios for my laptop, that did not help. My Bios had no options for processor selection. I too am at a lost. I am convinced that this upgrade can be done.

 

Not quite. Venice has 512KB L2 cache and San Diego has 1MB. Either should work... unless the problem is that the BIOS doesn't recognize the latest E6 stepping, which is the most likely explanation, but you could be right.

 

That's the problem I ran into, AMDpower. HP offers zero support as far as ordering parts for the ZV6000 series anymore Believe me, I thoroughly browsed their site and product manuals. It's a shame that I can't find any of the Venice processors anywhere.

 

I agree its a shame, HP is great in a lot of aspects, especially prices but lacks in other areas.

 

Try eBay. They're desktop CPUs that (probably) have the protective aluminum lid removed. You can leave the lid in place and the CPU should still fit. Removing the lid is possible, some hard-core watercooling geeks will do that, but it's easy to break the chip. I would avoid the E6 stepping unless you know that the BIOS has been updated to recognize it.

 

Thanks guys for your valuable and needed expertise.

I did some more research on these chips. I think Brianstretch is right. It was one of my worries. The Athlon 64 chip had many models. From the first to the last:
1 Clawhammer (130 nm SOI)
2 Newcastle (130 nm SOI)
3 Winchester (90 nm SOI)
4 Venice (90 nm SOI)
5 San Diego (90 nm SOI)
6 Orleans (90 nm SOI)
7 Lima (65 nm SOI)
The Venice chip happened to be the one HP used for our laptop. Not all of these chips will work with our laptop. Some had different speed, clock, instruction set, power, etc. The Venice I read had CPU stepping of E3 or E6 (or both don’t know). The Newer San Diego had E4 or E6 (?). If our firm ware was written for E3 only we cannot use the San Diego.

I also have been researching alternative firmware. HP firmware is no longer updated past 9/2006 on my laptop. I have PhoenixBios F.1c which is a OEM firmware from phoenix not supported any more.

Obtaining a Venice chip might be the only way. I currently have about 60% willpower to beat this thing.

 

Get a San Diego and plop in this thing. I can speak from experience that Vista 64-bit runs like a charm on it (except no fax modem drivers). This was with a 3200+. I can only imagine a 4000+ will fly on it.

If you haven't already, put 2Gb of RAM in it too, since you'll already have the laptop apart.

 

I have a zv6000 with a 3500+ that is of the newcastle variety (130nm) so it is not just Venice that is on these.

 

WOW! I guess great minds think alike. I've been thinking about this for about a week or so and I finally found this forum discussing exactly what I want to do AND within a weeks time of when I started thinking about it! Amazing.

Anyway, hi all. Newbie here to this forum. Like the way the discussion is going but have a few simple questions. How does one tell which model I have (Venice, San Diego, etc), do you have to use one of the ones that AMD Power listed or can you use a mobile chip that is dual core, provided the socket is the same (not sure...haven't researched to see if they even make one), and can you use a completely different BIOS, one that might be for a different chip or do you have to use the one for that "package" setup?

Sorry if these are too dumb questions...just thought I'd try and get as far as I can before I upgrade computers...maybe this time the Apple running both OS's.

Thanks again.

Minor

 

A utility like CPU-Z( www.cpuid.com) should display the codename of the cpu you currently have. HP basically used desktop socket 939 cpu's but didnt bother to add support for dual cores. The BIOS is specific for the system/hardware you cannot use BIOS from another system.

 

HP also hobbled the memory controller on this laptop. Even though the memory controller is on the CPU hp did something to the motherboard to disable dual channel when running 2Gb. It is a shame because with a few tweaks this could have been a workstation class box.

 

Well crap. Thanks for the answers. I'll get the CPU-Z and see what I have. It's a shame companies do this to laptops, but great they can't to desktops. If I could afford it, I'd get the high-end Apple ibook and run winblows on it...it's amazingly fast.

I don't suppose one could just get a new mobo and install it..one that would be able to run a dual core chip, and still work with all the other components of the laptop, could you?

Thanks again.

 

no, mobos are custom made to fit a specific form factor.

 

Hello to all u Ubers. I am also looking to upgrade my zv6000, and lo and behold I find you all the answer to most of my questions. I used to be semi-computer savvy, but have been out of the loop for a couple of years so I am once again ignorant and in need of assistance.

From what I have read so far, I can upgrade my proc to AMD to San Diego +4000 and 2 gigs of ram.

What will I have to upgrade if I do go with the San Diego? What possible issues may there be in regards to firmware/bios updates?

Is it possible to upgrade the integrated graphics other than maxing out the ram? I doubt it, but I would rather trust all of you over my level of knowledge right now.

Thanks to everyone who helps.
Please don't flame me...but if you do this is all I have to say:

I'm rubber and your glue
etc etc

 

A BIOS update which you can download from HP's support site is all that is recommended. Other than that you could also get the service manual for the notebook(if you need it) to help in dismantling the system.

The integrated graphcis is not upgradable. At most ifyou have the integrated version of the 200m you could upgrade to the dedicated version but it would require a motherboard change since the graphics card is integrated in it.

BTW, if you look through the first page therewere discussions about the SD 4000+ not being compatible with the system. I would keep that in mind before buying the processor.

 

Well I got CPU-Z and discovered I have the Athlon 64 3200+ and the Venice core. I guess, besides OC'ing, there's not much I can do.

D@mn HP!

 

I have searched the forums and there was mention of using the San Diego as an upgrade by RabidGeek, a notebook guru, over a year ago.

On the first page there were several posts about using the SD proc. AMDpower says that the L2 cache may have caused problems, and that Venice can be used, but only if the proc came from a HP notebook.

Brainstretch said that the SD should work, and Inteller said that he/she had plopped a SD +3200 in, and that a +4000 should work better.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

 

"I have searched the forums and there was mention of using the San Diego as an upgrade by RabidGeek, a notebook guru"

Hmm- you're right 50 posts and I am now a "guru". I'm afraid most of these are questions or snarky comments. Others such as "Miner" and "Vassill" and other are WAAAAYYYY more knowledgeable.

I never upgraded my processor personally (just got another lappy) so I'm still running my 3200+ newcastle. We zv6000/R4000 owners used to have an awesome website called notebookanalysis.com (which closed and now is just an ad page). I really don't know why AMDpower is having trouble with his San Diego 4k cuz if memory recalls- people were upgrading (mostly to the 3800+ for lower voltage or higher cache I can't remember) w/ no problems what so ever. Makes me wanna buy a new processor just to try.

"Is it possible to upgrade the integrated graphics other than maxing out the ram? "
I thought all zv6k's were dedicated like mine-128mg dedicated with extra 256 shared. Wierd, some "guru" I am..

 

There was a shared version available, but it only cost $25 less and you lost a USB & Firewire port with it........

 

My intention was not to say that someone was more knowledgable than another, just to say that there were posts that may or may not be used for direction.

Will any San Diego 3800+ be usable in the zv6000, or will I have to get a proc from a HP notebook?

I have the ATI mobility radeon express 200 series, how can I tell if this is the shared or dedicated series? I only have 512 ram...so this may be my most effective upgrade.

Thanks for all the quick responses. Once again, I do not intend to say that anyone knows more than another, please don't take it this way.

 

In your BIOS under Advanced: If you see a "SIDEPORT" or "SIDEPORT+UMA" setting, you have the dedicated version. If you only see "UMA", then it is the shared version.

As for the cpu, I can't really say if a San Diego would work or not. During the end of the model run, I believe HP was only using Newcastle, (Winchester)Venice & Clawhammer cored A64s.......