Question(s) about p505-s8980

I’m thinking about keeping this 2 year old notebook as a trade, but was wondering has anyone modified the default setup for this model? Modified being the T6600 processor, adding Bluetooth and or is a second hard drive possible with this model? I might look into upgrading the screen to 1080p, but for now the 760p (HD+) is not all that bad.

 

The T6600 processor could be upgraded with one of the faster Penryn chips- the P8x00, P9x00 and T9x00-series should be an easy swap.

The display could be a little trickier- it has a massive 18.4" display but the resolution is only 1680x945. I'm not sure that a suitable 1920x1200 18.4" display would be easy to find...

But the biggest issue would be the Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics processor. It would be the most limiting factor, no matter how fast the CPU is or how nice of the high-res display is....

It doesn't seem worth the expense and effort, IMO.

 

Thanks for the response allfiredup!

I was not trying to turn this into a gaming laptop, LOL!

The GMA 4500HD is only an issue if you're trying to game, which I'm not trying to do with this laptop. I just like the notebook, although it is practically useless for everyday use because of the keyboard. The notebook is virtually silent, which is what I really like about it when using it at night. This notebook would be used only with movies, since it has such a great set of speakers that brings stuff to life.

I do agree it's not worth the expense, but not because of the GPU. If this unit had a better keyboard, I would be all over it!

I guess I'll have to get over how beautiful it looks, and realize I have no use for it.

 

After a few days with this laptop, I've decided to keep it. I’m such a sucker for big screens and old laptops that actually have bass!

I've ordered a backlit keyboard for it already, now I need an x9000 and another 4GB stick of DDR2 6400 RAM. Avatar (Blu-ray) plays exceptional on this laptop or on the TV through HDMI port using non Toshiba Corel WinDVD.

If anyone can recommend a decent TV Tuner, then by all means do. I prefer express slot over USB, thanks!


I meant to say x9100, not x9000!

 

Let me run this by you, since you threw it out there.

P505 motherboards are interchangeable, with only little if any modifications to the case itself. I can get a p505 motherboard w/ATI 4650 for $200 and under. I use a 90 watt power adapter anyway, so that’s not a problem. The only thing I would have to get extra is a heat sink and fan combo for the dedicated GPU.

The case designs are identical for these models, just some have extra ports; which will be perforated or outlined on the cases without the extras. And since my display is compatible with 7 other p505 models, including the 8945 in which the system board is from; I see no problems with this exchange whatsoever.

What do you think?

Do I have proof this will work? No. But I can just about guarantee that if I purchased the motherboard I will make it work! Now I wasn’t planning on turning this into something it’s not, but now that I think about it; why not?

 

I can't think of a reason that the motherboards wouldn't be interchangeable. At $200+ it's a pricey proposition, but the ATI HD 4650 definitely has more muscle than the Intel GMA 4500MHD. The question is whether you will actually utilize the additional graphics capability? And if you are intending to play games or other graphically demanding tasks, will the ATI HD 4650 be enough to handle it??? It was a nice mid-range GPU a few years ago, but it falls short of the newest entry-level GPUs.

Then there's still the matter of upgrading the processor. Even if the motherboard included the original CPU, it would be the slightly weaker P7350 (2.0GHz) vs. the T6600 (2.2GHz) that you already have! I priced all of the T9000 and P9000-series processors on Ebay and the prices are pretty steep on the P9000 models and on the fastest T9000s. The T9400 (2.53GHz, 6mb L2 cache, 35W TDP) looks like the best bargain, with several under $70.

You'll end up spending at least $300 for the motherboard, fan/heat sink, and processor....at least! =) On the plus side, you should be able to sell the T6600 and motherboard to offset some of the cost.

 

No allfiredup, I wouldn't need the extra GPU power. Plus, it would defeat the purpose of having a silent system for night time. I've seen a few extreme 9100's going for $150, I think that will be the only thing I'll add besides the RAM. This was good fun, thanks for the feedback!

+rep for you my friend!

That could not be further from the truth!

I had to completely disassemble the laptop, just to get to the processor. And if the others are like the one I have, it’s a chore because of the insulation tape. I know why the notebook is silent; everything is insulated and taped up.

The actual CPU heatsink that also doubles for the GPU is small, so I doubt if I'll add anything other than what's already there. A faster CPU or GPU for that matter will not make things better for the purpose of which the notebook will be used. I'll assemble the notebook to the state of how it was before the disassembly, and then leave it alone.