Upgrading CPU in a laptop

[Funyuns101]

So I got this IBM Thinkpad X21 from work... it's only 700mhz on P3-m
so i was wondering whether it'd be possible to upgrade it somehow to like 900mhz or so. (if i can find one)

i haven't been able to find out an answer as i don't have the original manual or anything.
the x22 runs an 800mhz cpu so i was just wondering whether someone here would know.
the series goes up to the x24 which runs the p3m 1.13ghz

thanks in advance~

 

[firewolfsm]

i have no clue...

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Funyuns101
So I got this IBM Thinkpad X21 from work... it's only 700mhz on P3-m
so i was wondering whether it'd be possible to upgrade it somehow to like 900mhz or so. (if i can find one)

i haven't been able to find out an answer as i don't have the original manual or anything.
the x22 runs an 800mhz cpu so i was just wondering whether someone here would know.
the series goes up to the x24 which runs the p3m 1.13ghz

thanks in advance~

As long as it is not a Tualatin CPU then I suspect you should be able to. If the laptop's motherboard will support only 800 MHz a 900 MHz cpu may still work but it will only run at 800MHz. A benefit to a faster processor running at a slower speed is it will run cooler with higher stability.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: Funyuns101
So I got this IBM Thinkpad X21 from work... it's only 700mhz on P3-m
so i was wondering whether it'd be possible to upgrade it somehow to like 900mhz or so. (if i can find one)

i haven't been able to find out an answer as i don't have the original manual or anything.
the x22 runs an 800mhz cpu so i was just wondering whether someone here would know.
the series goes up to the x24 which runs the p3m 1.13ghz

thanks in advance~

Well based on what youve told me i would imagine that you could upgrade to a coppermine? 1.13ghz cpu as a max. I think coppermines came out in 1.13ghz flavour for the mobile sector, not entirely sure as the desktop line were recalled. Anyways you can upgrade to the fastest coppermine cpu you can get, but the fastest PIII's the tualatins will most likely not work in that. Im not 100% certain on the matter as mobile cpu's are different from desktops, also the cores may have different names, so coppermine/tualatin may not apply.

As for physically upgrading the thing.... well good luck, i managed it once with an advent laptop, which i latter destroyed trying to find the hard drive, never realised the darn thing was on top of the floppy disk.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Soviet

Originally posted by: Funyuns101
So I got this IBM Thinkpad X21 from work... it's only 700mhz on P3-m
so i was wondering whether it'd be possible to upgrade it somehow to like 900mhz or so. (if i can find one)

i haven't been able to find out an answer as i don't have the original manual or anything.
the x22 runs an 800mhz cpu so i was just wondering whether someone here would know.
the series goes up to the x24 which runs the p3m 1.13ghz

thanks in advance~

Well based on what youve told me i would imagine that you could upgrade to a coppermine? 1.13ghz cpu as a max. I think coppermines came out in 1.13ghz flavour for the mobile sector, not entirely sure as the desktop line were recalled. Anyways you can upgrade to the fastest coppermine cpu you can get, but the fastest PIII's the tualatins will most likely not work in that. Im not 100% certain on the matter as mobile cpu's are different from desktops, also the cores may have different names, so coppermine/tualatin may not apply.

As for physically upgrading the thing.... well good luck, i managed it once with an advent laptop, which i latter destroyed trying to find the hard drive, never realised the darn thing was on top of the floppy disk.

Even the slowest Tualatin CPU's would not work since they use a differant electrucal schmatic than the Coppermine CPUs on the same 370 pin socket.

 

[Funyuns101]

so basically, i should just get a coppermine cpu and try it out?

 

[pkme2]

If your cpu is upgraded, next comes more RAM to go with WinXP, plus whatever.

On a P3, I would recommend Linux Ubuntu, or Fedora Core 4. You can still get excellent service out of that laptop. The O/S and Open Office software are free, and you can use that lappy for many uses, and give it an extended lease on life.

 

[Ionizer86]

Aren't X series thinkpads' CPU's soldiered down to save the space that the socket would otherwise take up?

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Funyuns101
so basically, i should just get a coppermine cpu and try it out?

As long as it is a Mobile version, I would say yes. These days they do not cost much so there is little to lose and if it does not work out, just re-sell it on ebay with a "buy it now".

 

[vegetation]

Keep in mind that your cpu fan will kick on and stay on a lot more often with a faster coppermine chip. A 1ghz coppermine gets a whole lot hotter than a 700mhz chip.

 

[Googer]

The TDP if I remember correctly for the 700 and 900 MHz chips are about the same.

 

[vegetation]

Originally posted by: Googer
The TDP if I remember correctly for the 700 and 900 MHz chips are about the same.

Nope, it's not. I did an upgrade from a 700 to 900 long ago and the few extra watts translated into a heck of a lot more fan cycles. Those old p3 systems do not have large heatsinks as today's models.

 

[Chaotix]

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
Aren't X series thinkpads' CPU's soldiered down to save the space that the socket would otherwise take up?

I'm pretty sure this is correct.


Ask the guys here:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewforum.php?f=3

and they would tell you for sure.