Thinkpads Forum

I would like to upgrade the CPU in my T60P. I currently have the 2.0 GHz Yonah. I have two questions:

How can I upgrade and not lose my warranty status? I am wanting to resell my current cpu so just replacing it for a warranty service issue is not going to help. Also, it seems to me that if Lenovo provides instructions on their website, maybe a cpu swap does not void the warranty.

Finally, is it worth it to do so anyway? It seems to me that If I go from a 2.0 yonah to a the 2.33 GHz Merom, I will see a quite noticeable jump in speed. Can anyone speak to this?

Any change to a non-CRU (non-customer replaceable unit) voids the warranty. The CPU is not a customer replaceable unit.

I've read people concluded that upgrading T60 from T5600 1.8G to T7200 2.0 is waste of time and money because the improvement is almost unnoticeable for everyday use of a laptop.

I suppose you don't need the extra .33GHz if you don't do CPU crucial work.

Perhaps following post will help you:

A CRU is a service part that can be removed and replaced by the customer. The CRU ID, located in a service parts list, indicates the level of difficulty:

-CRU ID 1 identifies parts that are fairly simple to replace, requiring few or no tools.
-CRU ID 2 identifies parts that are slightly more difficult to replace.
-CRU ID N identifies parts that are not to be replaced by the customer.

One can look up CRU ID with N parts in HMM. FYI, CPU replacement would definitely be in CRU ID N bracket.

Look at my more detailed post:

Will installing RAM by meself void the warranty?

Just a piece of advise, a few weeks ago a member came here and posted that his machine is shutting down randomly even after replacement of motherboard by IBM under warranty twice, he sent me a pm and it turned out that he replaced his CPU himself which in my opinion was the cause of his problem. Now if you were to replace your CPU then just make sure you do it properly by applying adequate amount of thermal grease and following proper procedure.

I upgraded my T60p from a Yonah T2600 (2.16GHz) to a Merom T7400 (2.16GHz) and, at least to me, it appears a fair bit snappier, although I have never quantified it.

I think it's worth the upgrade for you (going from a T2500 to a T7600). You'll get the 0.33GHz increase, plus the additional 2MB of cache, plus VT support and 64-bit support. However, you will lose the warranty (unless you keep your old CPU in case you need to swap it back in for warranty purposes).

ryengineer wrote:Perhaps following post will help you:

A CRU is a service part that can be removed and replaced by the customer. The CRU ID, located in a service parts list, indicates the level of difficulty:

-CRU ID 1 identifies parts that are fairly simple to replace, requiring few or no tools.
-CRU ID 2 identifies parts that are slightly more difficult to replace.
-CRU ID N identifies parts that are not to be replaced by the customer.

One can look up CRU ID with N parts in HMM. FYI, CPU replacement would definitely be in CRU ID N bracket.

Look at my more detailed post:

Will installing RAM by meself void the warranty?

Just a piece of advise, a few weeks ago a member came here and posted that his machine is shutting down randomly even after replacement of motherboard by IBM under warranty twice, he sent me a pm and it turned out that he replaced his CPU himself which in my opinion was the cause of his problem. Now if you were to replace your CPU then just make sure you do it properly by applying adequate amount of thermal grease and following proper procedure.

not only that..but there are many areas where someone can mess this up. even a small static shock can cause all sorts of problems. Missing a screw, so fortg

efrant wrote:I upgraded my T60p from a Yonah T2600 (2.16GHz) to a Merom T7400 (2.16GHz) and, at least to me, it appears a fair bit snappier, although I have never quantified it.

That's exactly what I want to do. Was it easy to do? How much hotter does the machine run? I'll be keeping my T2600 for warranty reasons when I pop my T7600 in.

Thanks...

Crunch wrote:That's exactly what I want to do. Was it easy to do? How much hotter does the machine run? I'll be keeping my T2600 for warranty reasons when I pop my T7600 in.

Thanks...

Yah, it was super easy. The hardware maintenance manual describes in detail how to remove the cpu.

Don't think mine runs much hotter. I used Arctic Silver 5, which takes a while to reach optimal heat-transfer effeciency, so I would expect it to run progressively cooler as the AS5 sets.

Easy and worthwhile upgrade in my opinion.

There is a D.O.D. nuclear facility in our area and therefore an onsite support company that does warranty work for Lenovo.

How might I get them to swap my CPU out and also not have it cost me a fortune and also allow my machine to remain under warranty?