Samsung Q320 CPU upgrade

Is it possible to do a processor upgrade on this notebook?

and if it's so, is there any guide on how to do it?

I'm planning to swap the original T6400 for a P8700.

Thanks in advance!


UPDATE April 09 - 2010:

I finally got it all !

As I promised, I've made a complete guide to upgrade CPU on this notebook. I must say it took me months to figure this out, but I'm happy to share this with all.

This guide is provided in HD video form in the following youtube link,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2uLV4VdCcE

Hope it helps everyone!

 

no replies is there any general guide on replacing a notebook processor?

 

I would like to know the answer too. I have not found any Service Manual out there for the Q320

 

Service documentation for Samsung notebooks is hard to find. Hence no one is offering any links.

You probably need to dismantle it all to get at the CPU. If you get there, then the CPU will be in a socket and therefore swappable.

John

 

I see.. is there any chance that the cpu is soldered to the mainboard (FCBGA6)?

 

The SP series of CPUs are soldered in order to reduce the thickness. There might be a BGA option for the mainstream mobile CPUs but it is rare to see them used.

If you look around the internet you will see that there are many CPU options for the Q320 (P7450 and P8700 here, T6400 and T6600 here, .... ). That is a reliable indicator that the CPUs are not soldered but are dropped in the socket on the motherboard during assembly to meet the individual country specifications. And when Intel shuffle their product range it is easy to change the offered CPUs.

John

 

Even though I've upgraded CPUs countless times on desktop PCs, I've never done it on a laptop so its good to have any useful information. Thanks for the advice.

If I can get hold of that P8700, hopefully I'd share any info about the upgrade process (actual upgrade, benchmark, battery performance).

 

Hi there, Did you manage to upgrade the CPU? I have a P8700 and thinking of doing the same thing and just wondered if you encountered any issues? Ill take some piccies when i do mine for future reference.

 

I'm currently trying to disassemble it, screws are quite tightened so I haven't manage to get inside yet. When I get the right tool I'll report back.

 

Well i attempted mine and had the same issue, the screws on mine fraid really easily. Make sure you use alot of pressue on top and especially on the ones where the battery sits. Also there are 2 screws hidden under the keyboard which i didnt see, and ended up snapping the plastic

It is indeed a socket, bottom top left hand side of the motherboard where the fan is located. You need to remove the whole motherboard to gain access to it. Make sure you remove all the connectors on the motherboard, there are a couple hidden on the underside which again i didnt see and snap they went.

After dropping the cpu into the socket, reconnecting and repairing the damage i caused, went to boot but no output was being given, even though the fans were spinning up and the lights were all on.

Checked for an alternative bios but they appear the same as in the P8700 models. So i suspect i have a duff cpu, so im going to give it a test in another machine. Hope this helps you somewhat.

 

Well, I must say I didn't success either but for different reasons. Opening this notebook is a very difficult job without a service manual.

For all readers, be very careful while attempting to access inside this notebook, its very, I repeat, VERY easy to damage it.

I couldn't get inside because it was impossible for me to figure out how to open up the part where the AC power connector is located. It seems to have a kind of lock or something. So I'm walking away on this for a while until a service manual or some clear directions appears on this.

 

EUREKA! I've unsuccessfully upgraded my Q320 processor! LOL

I have managed to solve all the puzzles to get inside this notebook, not without consequences (I have to replace a broken bluetooth module). Successfully replaced original T6400 with my new P8700, but it won't boot, no beeps, light blinking or anything. Power led lights up, dvd drive sounds, but no boot

I'm going back to my T6400 to assure that the problem is not related to incorrectly assembling back my notebook.

Once I clear all this up, I'm posting all the important directions and advices to successfully get inside this tricky laptop.

Thanks for tuning !

 

Hey, great news! Would you please post pictures on how to do this? A lot of people would be so grateful!

 

Is the screen on this laptop Matte or glossy if I might ask?

 

Screen is glossy.

 

Exactly what i got, tried cpu in another laptop and works fine.... but doesnt matter anymore, dropped my Q320 down a flight of stairs and its completely fudged, smashed screen!

Have a Dell XPS M1730 now..... i miss my ittle Q320

Anyhow, as promised, some pics of mobo + heatsink that may or may not help. Really hope you get somewhere with this!

http://img710.imageshack.us/i/cimg3963.jpg/
http://img16.imageshack.us/i/cimg3964f.jpg/
http://img171.imageshack.us/i/cimg3968.jpg/
http://img682.imageshack.us/i/cimg3966b.jpg/

 

Did anyone get anywhere with this? I'm interested in upgrading a Q320 with a T4200 to a T6400 - Pentium Duo to Core 2 Duo - but I don't want to risk opening it up if the result will be that it doesn't work...

Cheers,

David

 

After fiddling with this for months, I can say I've managed to successfully upgrade this laptop CPU from T6600 to P8700.

Much snappier after the upgrade, but I can't give any directions for now because I still can't find a way to reconnect the laptops keyboard (it gets disconnected when you open it).

So if anyone has any directions on this (its different from any keyboard disassemble guide I've stepped onto the Internet), I'll happily post a step by step CPU upgrade guide.

 

You probably haven't figured out how to close the latch on the socket for the ribbon cable. If the Q320 is like the other Samsung notebooks then this has a toggle action: Make sure it is open, push the end of the cable in, then push down to close and lock. Normally the keyboard is flipped over while the cable is connected and then it is turned the right way up and clipped into place.

John

 

I finally got it all !

As I promised, I've made a complete guide to upgrade CPU on this notebook. I must say it took me months to figure this out, but I'm happy to share this with all.

This guide is provided in HD video form in the following youtube link,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2uLV4VdCcE

Hope it helps everyone!