upgrading the cpu

Ok my dad has this laptop
http://www.ecomelectronics.com/prodinfo.phtml?id=1605&ref=froogle

Is there any way to upgrade the cpu in there? Everyday now I'm afraid he'll throw the machine out the window cause it's so slow !

Also, assuming there is a way to upgrade the cpu, which ones would be supported? Is there any possibility of one of them extreme core 2 duos?

Finally, could someone link me to the cheapest place I could find core 2 duo cpus?

Thanks guys

PS If I find a way to up the cpu, then he said I'll be a hero!

 

You won't be putting any core 2 extremes in a 14" laptop, that's for sure.

 

What about like 2.2 or 2.4ghz?

 

How slow is it? It could be loaded with excessive processes and malware. Try some software remedies before loading new hardware into it.

 

Ditto what Charr said. Also, upgrading to 2GB RAM will make a much larger difference than upgrading the CPU. If the notebook has a 4200RPM HD, replacing it with a 5400RPM HD is another possibility. Most likely the notebook is worm-infested and no hardware upgrade will overcome that. Time to learn how to clean it out.

 

Or a 7200 RPM hard drive, that would be even better. If it's slow as in loading the OS and program et. al., it's probably the hard drive you need to upgrade. 1 GB RAM could also be the problem. The Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz should not be the bottleneck. An anti-virus and spyware scan sounds like a good idea.

 

Thanks guys He's already cleaned the disk and everything and upgraded to 2gigs, but he hasn't tried upping to a 7200rpm drive, so that's what we'll try next (today, actually). But, just so I know, could we upgrade to a faster cpu (ie 2.2 or 2.4ghz) or is the cpu soldered to the motherboard and can we change the clock rate (or is there any other issue that would be involved)?

 

We took a few looks at how dramatic the slowdown is on the machine is, and we're convinced that the slowdown is not caused by a 5400rpm drive (which is what we have; I checked). So everything comes down to the cpu again. Although it might be fast enough for word processing and email checking, 1.6ghz just doesn't seem to cut for computer programming and other cpu intensive operations (which is what my dad uses his laptop for). I've looked at the toshiba disassembly guide, and it seems to me like that indicates that the cpu is upgradeable. Am I correct in thinking that, cause then we'll pretty much order a 2.4 ghz cpu today

 

bumpity bump

 

bumping to the power of 2

 

The processor is powerful enough.
What kind of work your dad does? (which software he use, etc)

I have a similar laptop than yours, and it's fast enough to play games (Doom 3 - Far Cry), work with photoshop, video editing, multitasking, etc...

One times, I've found(and other users had the same thing), that running on battery was faster than running on AC.
The Power Scheme of Windows(on Vista) was broken, so I needed to reset the power Scheme since when the computer was on AC the processor was never able to go through full speed... It was sticked to 1GHZ.

Try a test with SuperPI: Tell us how much time it takes to run a 1M test.
http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=36

 

Thanks for the message, I'll research the power settings

 

Ah...you didn't mention programming and CPU-intensive programs in the opening post. Now it makes sense why the CPU would be a bottleneck. I can see that happening, as in CPU-intensive programs even my T7500 is a bottleneck at times (probably would happen with a 6 GHz Core 2 Duo as well, just to a lesser degree). Yes, a 2.4 GHz CPU should help - by about 44%. Just make sure you stress-test it and monitor temperatures while doing so to make sure the heatsink can handle it. If it stays below 85, even 90, you're good to go, but if it goes above 90 and then looks headed for a hundred, your heatsink might not be powerful enough.

Also be careful not to bend any pins - I've read that can be an issue when changing CPU's. Good luck with the upgrade. Make sure you print off a guide beforehand.

And, since you mentioned Extreme processors, I should make note that they do have a 2.6 GHz T7800 non-extreme that should work (always wouldn't hurt to check with Toshiba first to make sure the motherboard supports it). Though it's probably quite a bit more expensive than the T7700.

 

Thanks, I'm glad it wasn't something software wise, cause my dad's pretty adamant about switching the processesor. But to be sure, the cpu would fit in the slot right? Would the BIOS support it and everything?

Also, because you do do cpu intensive stuff, do you think 2.2 would be enough? Cause he's kinda worried about dropping 350^ dollars on something that might not work.


EDIT: Sorry for not clarifying my dad's occupation, and any confusion that might have caused.

 

Looking at the link in the first post again, you ought to check the exact processor model. With 1.6 GHz, it could be either the Core 2 Duo T5200, or the the Core 2 Duo T5470. Which one it is matters a lot in the upgrade - you're right that the connections are different.

The T5200 uses Socket M, and if that's the model it is, your best upgrade options are the T7600 (2.33 GHz) and T7400 (2.16 GHz). The T7600 especially can be pricey due to its being the best upgrade possible.

The T5470 uses Socket P. In that case you can upgrade right up through the T7800 at 2.6 GHz, including the T7700 (2.4 GHz) and T7500 (2.2 GHz).

The BIOS should support any chip that fits in the socket, but to be on the safe side, calling Toshiba for confirmation wouldn't hurt. Upgrading the BIOS to the latest version offered by Toshiba also would be a good idea.

The T7500 (2.2 GHz) should be enough to notice a significant difference, as should the T7400 (2.16 GHz), should you have a Socket M processor. It is true that at $75 upgrade (minimum, usually) for the T7700, and more for the T7600, it's best to think twice before blinding upgrading. But I went for the T7500 when its upgrade price was that of the T7700 today, and I don't regret it.

Also should note that Artic Silver cooling compound should be applied to make sure the CPU doesn't overheat. I haven't done a CPU upgrade myself, so I'll leave that to the experts and the CPU upgrade guides.

 

Ok, so my dad has socket M, sadly, so we'll probably look into either the 2.16 or 2.33ghz cpu. Thanks, you've been a major help!

This wouldn't be complete if I didn't have a final question, though: Is there a general (or specific, if there is one) guide to switching out the cpu in a laptop?