T61 cpu upgrade

[zz7]

Hi,

I have a T61 (7659) with a T7300 cpu and m/b no. 41W1487. I applied the middleton BIOS to allow the T9300 cpu.

Since Win 7 x64 boots fine, I noticed a hiss sound coming from the cpu area when the machine is on battery. The sound goes away when I plug it in the power cord.

Is this normal? Do I have to install different Windows drivers for the new cpu?
I also noticed that Lenovo's system update application now freezes at startup. The problem is resolved when I put back the original T7300 cpu.

Can I fix this behaviour? Or even with the patched bios the cpu upgrade is not possible?

Thanks a lot.

[RealBlackStuff]

This sounds more like a bad CPU, which has probably been overclocked by the previous owner.
Return it for a refund.

[zz7]

Thanks for the quick reply.

So are you suggesting that ANY Meron-based motherboard can work with T9x cpus, with the help of the patched BIOS?

I dont want to pay for another cpu which I wont be able to use.

I also noticed problems with the T9300 in DOS, for example with HirenCD applications, which means 'my' problems are not limited to Windows... I suppose you are right about the overclocking...thing.

[Cigarguy]

I have and many others have ran the T9300 with Merom T61 perfectly fine after flashing Middleton's BIOS. As RBS said, you've got a faulty CPU OR the T9300 was not installed properly.

[RealBlackStuff]

No, I'm not suggesting that.
But any T61 (Merom-designed) mobo with Middleton BIOS can run a Penryn.

[miro_gt]

none of the above ^.

Core 2 Duo CPUs are famous for making the CPU whine, i.e. the sound that you hear. It's more obvious on some models laptops while less on others, and differs with each model CPU, but it's there with all. Much like I can hear it from my wide T61 more than my standard T61. Long ago I've researched it and remember that the sound is caused by the C3 sleep state of the CPU. If it bothers you a lot then you can try playing with the registry that deals with the CPU states, buts this requites deeper OS knowledge. I've never bothered changing those, but if you want to try then I can pull out the registers that control the CPU, or at least some of those.

here's something else - depending on what type battery you use, the sound will change as well (i.e. 4 cell vs 6 cell vs 9 cell)

also, overclocked or not, a CPU either works or doesnt. And if not installed correctly then it will not work for sure. If it's bad then it will also not work. Dont return it, the next one you get will have same symptoms. Also you can run Penryn chips without flashing Middletons BIOS, but in this case you'll have to press ESC every time the computer boots, or else it will just restart itself due to the "thermal sensing error". However, this BIOS does much more than eliminating the need to press ESC on start up, so it's highly recommended to run it. I do, on all T61 computers that I support, 6 total.

[zz7]

you said: "..also, overclocked or not, a CPU either works or doesnt".

Do you mean that if the previous owner overclocked it or did something worng, the cpu won't start up at all? Like a black and white situation, Or will it result in an unstable system when some of its parts were put to work, sort of speak (like a case of faulty ram module).
The thing is that its not the sound i am most concerned about. In Windows I have problems with the display in IE for example. I see random black blocks instead of text, the Lenovo update application crashes constantly, the Acronis disk manager from a HirenCD usb wont start at all...

Can the above justify that assumption that the cpu is useless?

I dont think I have made a mistake with the cpu replacement, since I have done a similar task with a T410 (clean up , change of thermal paste etc), and further more when I put the original T300 back, the machine works without problems.

So I assume that there is something wrong with the T9300

[Cigarguy]

In all my years working with computers (my first was an IBM XT 8008 cpu) I have never heard of this "famous" whining error. In one iteration or another I have worked on hundreds of Core 2 Duo and have NEVER heard a CPU whine. On the desktop side, I have been a fanatical OCer and have applied a little to much voltage to more than a handful of CPUs but I have never heard it whine. I've had more than my fair share of OCed CPU or CPU with HSF not properly installed that would overheat or can't take the heat anymore and would display symptoms as OP describe.

By "not correctly installed" I meant that OP may have inadvertently not properly apply thermal paste or not have the HSF properly seated. He wouldn't be the first to bend these relatively flexible HSF out of shape, applied to little or to much thermal paste, or simply forgot to reconnect the fan. This is not in the realm of impossibility and would be something I would check after a CPU swap and new CPU is displaying symptoms as OP describe. It could also be an overheated GPU, which is cooled with the same HSF assembly. If the system is stable enough (doubtful) I'd run Prime 95 and keep an eye on temps with HWMonitor. If it's due to heat issues then this test should tell you.

However the best evidence that I can give that the T9300 is not working as it should is this: "further more when I put the original T300 back, the machine works without problems" Yet interestingly enough it did "work", just not work as it should nor is it a simple on/off. This too I have experienced but have never heard it whine. Maybe I have just been super lucky or I'm blissfully ignorant.

[miro_gt]

google "cpu whine", it's that simple.

And IBM XT used 8086 and 8088 CPUs at 4.7 and 8MHz respectively, not 8008. Mine was with 8088, I overclocked it to 12MHz via one jumper and tried installing the 8087 co-processor, which didn't make much of a difference, heh, long time ago. Just sayin that I've been there too, but no need to post experience.

if there was a problem with the thermal paste then the CPU would simply slow down and lock itself at its lowest multiplier (i.e. 6x in most cases). It would also slow down if it receives signal that another part of the computer has heated up too much. If the CPU were to keep heating up then the whole system would shut down. So temperature problems do not lead to symptoms such as those posted here.

But what OP posted next leads me to believe that there may be other problems such as with the GPU and/or memory. So is this an nVidia or Intel GPU laptop? Strangely enough, I've seen such issues caused by other peripheral devices such as wifi card or a modem card. Yet it's been posted that the system boots just fine .... ?! Drivers maybe? Also is the system overclocked?

looks like an interesting case nonetheless

[Cigarguy]

Guess I've been lucky and never had a whiny CPU......girlfriend on the other hand....

If I did I would definitely consider that a defect and would definitely return it.

[Radioguy]

Guess I've been lucky and never had a whiny CPU......girlfriend on the other hand....

There's a thermal paste/makeup joke in there somewhere...too much, too little, etc.

[zz7]

Thanks for the replies guys.

The machine is the Intel GPU model. The display problems occur in Windows and non-Windows environments, eg. DOS, Linux livecds... Most probably the hiss sound is just another symptom.

So the quesiton is... Is this a damaged T9300 cpu? How can I tell for sure? The IntelBurnTest application also refuses to startup.

[Cigarguy]

After eliminating all other variables, if the old CPU works fine and the new one doesn't, then that's pretty much cut and dry to me. The T9300 is the problem.

[Pawelek]

I agree with miro_gt. Whining is connected with some ciricuits on the motherboard (especiallt coils). The new CPU tends to work in different environment than your T7300. The voltage can be different when battery is on. Of course replacing your current T9300 with the other one can make a difference as there were 3 or 4 VIDs versions (cpus work with different voltages) - depending version you get, but still we cannot assume that for sure.

[ajkula66]

The new CPU tends to work in different environment than your T7300.

Care to elaborate on this statement?

[Cigarguy]

Whining is connected with some ciricuits on the motherboard (especiallt coils). The new CPU tends to work in different environment than your T7300. The voltage can be different when battery is on. Of course replacing your current T9300 with the other one can make a difference as there were 3 or 4 VIDs versions (cpus work with different voltages) - depending version you get, but still we cannot assume that for sure.

Huh?

If that is true then the problem is with the MB not the CPU.

[zz7]

I noticed lately that I can hear the same sound even with the stock T7300 cpu, when on battery. After further 'googling' I learnt its a common issue, at least for T61s. So its not related to a cpu.

The solution is to disable "CPU power management" from BIOS. Do you guys know of any other proper workaround for this? I suppose disabling this will affect the machine's performace even in AC. (for example, beacuse of this, the assesment test for the Windows Experience Index refuses to run).

I have already installed the 2.29-1.08 middleton bios.

[Pawelek]

With different environment I meant the current voltage of T9300 CPU. My T43, T61 and even T420s make some whining noise - it is connected with power management schemas for different mainboard element (eg USB ports, WiFi cads); it occurs especially when on battery when the power differs to the AC one.

@zz7 -> try to disable USB ports power management, it sometimes helps. What is more you can play with CPU's volatges using rightMarkClock - you have to make some tests, maybe you will get satysfing results.