Toshiba A65 processor upgradable?

Hi there

I recently got an A65 notebook, S126 to be more exact. It's not for major usage, mostly business stuff. But the celeron still bothers me (had no choice but to get this).

I have seen other A65 models with P4's on them ( http://www.compuhq.com/toa6p4325160.html ), which means same chassis and chipset (I always see the ATI chipsets on these). the HT 538's btw are brand new to market right?

Anyway, given this and the massive blowhole in the back I am presuming that I can just pull off the bottom and swap processors, no?

I can do so with my ECS since I bought it barebones, but not sure about the ready-mades like this one.

Thanks for any help or advice!!

Sincerely,
jason

 

It does look like the A65 series does have a removable CPU, but it's not located on the top of the systemboard. You have to remove the entire top-cover before you can access the screws to remove the heatsink & fan. Generally, you'd pretty much have to disassemble 50% of the unit before you can access the CPU. As long as the cooling system can handle the P4 CPU, and the voltage/wattage is the same, you should have no problems.

-Vb-

 

Hi Jason,

How do you like the Toshiba A65-S126 overall? I am considering purchasing one for basic use. How long does your battery last? That is my main concern in buying one, as the battery seems to only be rated at about 90 minutes...

Thanks for any comments and details you can give me about the unit in general. Feel free to email me: [email protected]

James
CompTIA A+ Certified
Microsoft Certified Professional

 

Hi

The A65 isn't bad. Work installed win2k on it so it's not as demanding as winXP was. I HIGHLY recommend however installing your own winXP on it, since the default OS toshiba gave was terribly slow IMHO.

Get a 256 meg stick of RAM for it, 256 alone isn't enuf.

the battery shows about 90 mins to 2 hours w/ normal usage

for basic work though it's fine. keep your startup apps low also using "msconfig"

Anyway, if you want more battery keep an eye out on circuitcity.com, they sometimes have crazy rebates on the hp with a mobile AMD XP2800 that lowers the price to 700 or so. every sunday they release the weeks' bargain. it's too ba dI didn't know about this BEFORE hand!

jason

 

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the response!

My main draw to the Toshiba A65 is that I can get it for $799 with no rebates. For that price, the features really look great. I have checked all of the other major manufactures, and none of them can come close at that price. I like the Dell brand a lot, but their low end stuff has become so limited feature wise. At least the Toshiba has a parallel port and S-Video out.

How do you think the build quality of the Toshiba A65 is? Have you been able to get more than 2 hours out of the battery?? Also, are the USB ports 2.0 or just standard 1.1?


Thanks for any additional help, any details are appreciated!

James
CompTIA A+ Certified
Microsoft Certified Professional

 

hey again

where the heck do you get it for 800 w/ no rebates? I got mine for 850 after rebates, too bad eh?

USB slots are 2.0.

Build quality is pretty good. I can compare actually since I have a new inspiron 5150 I just got for my sister, and an ECS G733 I got myself early this year.

This is probably anal on my part, but the monitor doesn't wobble on the dell as it does on the toshiba.. go to any store and check it out for yourself..still pretty stiff though. The k/b is solid and easy to type on, but the fav is the 5150. then again, the 5150 k/b came warped in the middle hah.
let's see.. I can never hear the fan unless the cpu is at 100%, and at that it's not loud. the G733 is bad in all aspects. The cover is softer than others.. easy to push in from the top, so something to watch out for. All in all I'm pretty satisfied with it, especially for so cheap!

One thing to keep in mind, it uses the atheros super-g wireless chip.. I didn't realize this was the 108mbps type, and I ended up with a 54mbit G access point.. owell, still fast and easy to configure.

It's also pretty light for a 15" laptop too, that kind of surprised me. Whether or not this is good is up for discussion, but it helps.

my best advice to you is to go to your nearest bestbuy, circuitcity, compusa, etc, that has the a65 or similar models and try it out.

In regards to the battery life, I use it plugged in a lot, so I don't really know.

jason

 

oh btw

one cool thing I forgot to mention, and that I didn't see in any review, is this has a wireless on/off switch on the side. pretty handy.. kind of annoying if you forget it's off, but still like it.

jason

 

Hi Jason,

Just wanted to post a follow-up. Went to look at the A65-S126 machine again today and decided against getting one. I guess I am just used to IBM's business class ThinkPads, as the Toshiba just didn't seem sturdy enough for me. The screen hinges were loose and had a lot of flex. I would be using the machine for some business work and I just don't think that the Toshiba can hold up to every day use.

Apparently, the price is also back up to $999 too, a big jump from the $799 I was quoted yesterday evening. Must have been a pricing error or special promotion.

Thanks for your help! Maybe I can find a lightly used IBM ThinkPad.

James
CompTIA A+ Certified
Microsoft Certified Professional