X32 - anyone ever done a CPU upgrade?

[cogitordi]

I upgraded the CPU in my T40 from Banias to Dothan and am very pleased with the performance.

I'm thinking about upgrading the CPU in my X32. It's a low-end Dothan and a surprisingly good performer to be sure, but if an upgrade is possible I'd like to consider it.

I understand that the CPU is soldered, so the only ways to upgrade would be a) swap the mainboard, or b) find a soldering-gun virtuoso.

Has anyone ever tried to upgrade the X32 CPU?

Do all the X-series Thinkpads have a soldered CPU?

[Harryc]

The fastest X32 CPU is a 1.6Ghz and it would require a system board replacement if you have some slower speed CPU presently. Yes all X series have soldered CPU's.

[charles.atcher]

X32 came in 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 Dothan flavors.

[dr_st]

A small correction there, Harry. Perhaps you thought about the X31. The X32 CPU can go as high as 2.0GHz (Dothan 400MHz FSB).

Although 2.1GHz 400MHz Dothans exist, none of them ever came on an X32 mobo, as far as I know.

[Harryc]

Thanks for the correction, perhaps I was thinking about the X31, but only the good lord knows why since I have owned a 2.0Ghz X32 before. At any rate, the OP is looking at a system board change for any of those CPU's.

[cogitordi]

Yes all X series have soldered CPU's.

Any idea why they make them this way? Is it better for reducing heat?

[qviri]

.

[dr_st]

I thought about lower cost, but I am not sure it is the issue. Is there really a difference between PGA and BGA cost to an OEM?

Cutting cost in X series doesn't really make sense though. The base price of these is higher than that of the T.

[charles.atcher]

Really, I'd say packaging constraints more than anything. That ZIF socket is at least 4 or 6 mm high.

[DPHMIN]

A small correction there, Harry. Perhaps you thought about the X31. The X32 CPU can go as high as 2.0GHz (Dothan 400MHz FSB).

Although 2.1GHz 400MHz Dothans exist, none of them ever came on an X32 mobo, as far as I know.

My X31 has a 1.7GHZ CPU. Is this the fastest for an X31?

[charles.atcher]

Yep.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:X31

[ZaZ]

Just a thought here, but if you're just doing every day stuff like Office and Internet, a faster hard drive, if you've not done so already, will probably give a more noticeable performance uptick than upgrading the CPU. It's unfortunate, but no one's making PATA 7200RPM drives any longer. The biggest you can get is the 100GB and it'll probably have to be used from eBay.

[qviri]

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