T520 CPU Upgrade Troubles

[CHP41]

I registered to make this post; I've read the rules and searched through the relevant posts and I haven't found anything that helped with my problem. I have done a fair amount of troubleshooting so far, and I'm hoping that someone can help me figure out why I am experiencing issues.

I'm in the process of upgrading my four-year-old Lenovo T520. A few weeks ago I installed more RAM (from 4GB to 16GB) without any issues. I'm currently trying to upgrade my CPU from an i5-2520M to an i7-2860QM.

The issue that I am encountering is that the laptop does not boot when I have the i7-2860QM installed. The power button flashes, but the screen does not turn on, and the laptop does not appear to boot at all. The laptop does not emit any beeps when turned on.

List of actions taken so far:

1. Disassembled laptop, removed i5-2520M CPU, installed i7-2860QM CPU, reassembled laptop, attempted to turn on, laptop did not boot (blinking power button).
2. Removed each stick of RAM and attempted to boot, without success. Removed both (all) sticks of RAM and attempted to boot. The laptop still failed to boot and did not change symptoms (i.e. did NOT emit a 1-3-3-1 beep sequence when failing to power on).
3. Disassembled laptop, removed i7-2860QM CPU, reinstalled i5-2520M CPU, reassembled laptop, attempted to turn on, laptop booted successfully and worked as before.
4. Updated BIOS to latest version (1.45) from official Lenovo website. Prior BIOS (1.25 version) were dated May, 2011. Release date of i7-2860QM is Q4, 2011. After updating BIOS, disassembled laptop, removed i5-2520M CPU, installed i7-2860QM CPU, reassembled laptop, attempted to turn on, laptop still did not boot (blinking power button).
5. Disassembled laptop, removed i7-2860QM CPU, reinstalled i5-2520M CPU, reassembled laptop, attempted to turn laptop on, laptop booted successfully and worked as before.

Diagnosis:
Per Lenovo support document (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/ht035729):
I'm either experiencing the "No beep, power-on indicator on, LCD blank, and no POST" or the "No beep, power-on indicator on, and LCD blank during POST" (I'm not sure which since the monitor stays blank).

I believe all the connectors are connected properly – the laptop turned on fine with the i5-2520M CPU both times after I reinstalled the old CPU, so I think I’m assembling it properly.

I tried removing the RAM DIMMs without any affect. The RAM is the same regardless of which CPU is in the laptop, so I don’t believe that is the issue.

I don’t see how the system board could be the issue, since the laptop boots fine with the i5-2520M CPU. If the system board were damaged, then I would expect it to fail when attempting to boot the laptop with either CPU. People stated in some threads that if the laptop did not give the 1-3-3-1 beep code when attempting to boot after removing all RAM DIMMs, then that meant the system board was dead, but I think that can be ruled out because of the success when booting using the i5-2520M CPU.

My speculation on potential causes / what I've thought of so far:
Here are the other possible causes I have thought of so far:
1. The Lenovo T520 / Lenovo CTO-4239 Motherboard does not support an i7-2860QM
- This is incorrect, according to the official hardware manual (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/docs/MIGR-76854 and search "i7-2860QM"). I also found a fair number of people on various forums indicating that they had successfully installed an i7-2860QM or similar CPU in their Lenovo T520 (e.g. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=115294).

2. The latest T520 BIOS do not support an i7-2860QM
- I don't know whether this could be the issue. It seems clear that at least some T520 BIOS support i7-2860QM CPUs, but I don’t know enough about BIOS versions to verify that this theory is incorrect. Lenovo “technical support” was unable/unwilling to answer this question when I called them. That said, it would seem very odd to me if some version(s) of the BIOS between my old 1.25 version and the latest 1.45 version did support i7-2860QM CPUs, but the latest 1.45 version did not. Is there any way I can test this?

3. The TDP increase (i5-2520M = 35W; i7-2860QM = 45W) is too large.
- I don’t know whether this might be accurate. To the best of my knowledge, the Lenovo T520 has three power supply options (75W, 90W, 135W); mine has a 90W power supply. That said, the T520 was sold with CPUs that demand up to 55W of power (the i7-2920XM and i7-2960XM CPUs). I’m not sure how to check this, but at least some people report running an equivalent TDP processor (i7-2720QM) with a 90W adapter (http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=95919). From what I'm seeing (e.g. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=102548), if the TDP was increased too much, it would cause performance throttling, not failure to boot, right?

4. I installed the i7-2860QM incorrectly
- I'm certainly not an expert at installing a CPU (this is my first experience doing so), but everything appears to be in the correct place, and the i5-2520M CPU worked fine both times after I reinstalled it. So unless the i7-2860QM has some different installation requirements than the i5-2520M, I don't think that this would be the issue.

5. The i7-2860QM I received is damaged / defective / not actually an i7-2860QM
- The i7-2860QM appeared in perfect condition when it arrived. I have handled it carefully since arrival. Careful inspection does not reveal any bent pins or any other signs of damage. That said, I have not verified that it does work (I’m not aware of any way to do so other than with it in a working computer, so if I could verify that fact, I wouldn’t be having these issues). This is the product I purchased (sold by Mega Micro Devices Inc.): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006931HXG


Any thoughts on how to proceed or what might be the issue? I've exhausted the options that I have any real idea of how to troubleshoot for this.

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

You've taken all the appropriate steps so far, and your train of thoughts is a valid one.

My best guess? Defective CPU.

Good luck.

[brchan]

Was the cpu in an anti-static ESD bag? Might have been possible that it got fried at one point from mishandling. It can happen if someone built up enough static (working on carpet with socks, usually) and mistakenly touched it before grounding him/herself by touching a metal object. Although rare, they can happen and you do not need to feel or see the static discharge in order to damage exposed electronics.

[BillMorrow]

Was the cpu in an anti-static ESD bag? Might have been possible that it got fried at one point from mishandling. It can happen if someone built up enough static (working on carpet with socks, usually) and mistakenly touched it before grounding him/herself by touching a metal object. Although rare, they can happen and you do not need to feel or see the static discharge in order to damage exposed electronics.

would that sort of be like one's own personal EMP..?

...
5. Disassembled laptop, removed i7-2860QM CPU, reinstalled i5-2520M CPU, reassembled laptop, attempted to turn laptop on, laptop booted successfully and worked as before.

sure begins to look like the i& cpu..
what is the source of this chip..?

[CHP41]

Thanks for the quick replies!

I purchased the i7-2860QM chip from Amazon, and it was fulfilled by "Mega Micro Devices Inc." (Link to product in OP). I guess I'll contact them about the possibility of the chip being defective.

The chip came packaged in a plastic container, sitting on top of a piece of foam (with another sliver of foam on top of the chip). I googled "anti-static ESD bag" and I don't think it had one. The plastic container was inside a larger bubble wrap sleeve, but that's it. I have used an anti-static wrist strap while working on the internals of the laptop, but obviously that doesn't help if the laptop had already gotten fried.... Could that have happened while the chip was in transit?

[ajkula66]

IThis is the product I purchased (sold by Mega Micro Devices Inc.): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006931HXG

I just realized how much you paid for this CPU...

I have a sealed 2960XM that you could've had for $150 less...

[Hans Gruber]

When dealing with higher end CPU's on the used market. The chance of a counterfeit CPU increases. You either have a defective CPU or received a counterfeit. Did you check the serial number with the Intel database for your CPU?

[CHP41]

IThis is the product I purchased (sold by Mega Micro Devices Inc.): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006931HXG

I just realized how much you paid for this CPU...

I have a sealed 2960XM that you could've had for $150 less...

Haha
I actually picked out the i7-2860QM because it had the best performance for a 45 W CPU (I considered the 55 W CPUs, but I wasn't sure if the laptop could handle the increased heat, although I suppose that underclocking / undervolting might be a solution? I'm not really familiar with all those considerations, so I was trying to "play it safe", alas).
If the offer is genuine and trying to fix things with this chip doesn't work out, I might see about taking you up on that offer.

When dealing with higher end CPU's on the used market. The chance of a counterfeit CPU increases. You either have a defective CPU or received a counterfeit. Did you check the serial number with the Intel database for your CPU?

That makes sense. I assumed buying it off Amazon would be safe. Not so sure now.
The package from the seller had an order form that listed the serial number. I just looked at the chip and confirmed that what they listed as the serial number also appears on the chip. How do I access the Intel database to check if that serial number is legitimate?

[ajkula66]

If the offer is genuine and trying to fix things with this chip doesn't work out, I might see about taking you up on that offer.

The offer most certainly is genuine. You can find the listing right here in the forum's Marketplace:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=118548

The package from the seller had an order form that listed the serial number. I just looked at the chip and confirmed that what they listed as the serial number also appears on the chip. How do I access the Intel database to check if that serial number is legitimate?

I wouldn't be so concerned about the CPU being less-than-legit, but it certainly does seem to be less-than-functional so I'd contact the seller for a refund/replacement.

Good luck.

[Hans Gruber]

Since the seller gave you a serial number before the sale and it matched after you received the CPU. My guess is that it's just a bad CPU.

[CHP41]

Thank you for all of the replies. That's nice to hear about the CPU's likely legitimacy. I've gotten in touch with the seller regarding returning/replacing the chip, so I'll come back and post an update when future things happen.

[RealBlackStuff]

If it arrived in a new, factory-sealed box, the CPU serial # could be on an Intel-sticker on the outside of the box.

[CHP41]

If it arrived in a new, factory-sealed box, the CPU serial # could be on an Intel-sticker on the outside of the box.

I'm fairly certain I found the CPU serial number on the CPU itself. It did not come in a factory sealed Intel box though.


Unrelated question: did Lenovo sell T520 laptops with the i7-2860QM processor? I've found ample evidence that people have used T520 laptops with that CPU in them, but the seller just replied to me with the following link: https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd015761
It wasn't clear to me if they were trying to say that the i7-2860QM doesn't work in the T520 (they didn't say much beyond quoting the link), so I thought I'd check if people knew whether Lenovo sold T520 laptops with the i7-2860QM processor before I replied (or any other official / semi-official source that did so).

[ajkula66]

so I thought I'd check if people knew whether Lenovo sold T520 laptops with the i7-2860QM processor before I replied (or any other official / semi-official source that did so).

You may want to download the HMM from the link on the top of this page and check for yourself. With that said, ThinkWiki states that these did ship with a 2820QM

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T520

There's absolutely no rhyme or reason why 2860QM wouldn't work in a board that supports 2820QM.

Get your money back and start shopping elsewhere. Seriously.

Good luck.

[CHP41]

so I thought I'd check if people knew whether Lenovo sold T520 laptops with the i7-2860QM processor before I replied (or any other official / semi-official source that did so).

You may want to download the HMM from the link on the top of this page and check for yourself. With that said, ThinkWiki states that these did ship with a 2820QM

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T520

There's absolutely no rhyme or reason why 2860QM wouldn't work in a board that supports 2820QM.

Get your money back and start shopping elsewhere. Seriously.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice. I'm in the process of returning the CPU (the seller was pleasant enough to work with for the return).

I was actually thinking to buy your i7-2960XM CPU, but it appears that it isn't compatible with my T520 / 4239-CTO motherboard (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd009237 and https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/docs/MIGR-76854), so that's a pity

Any suggestions on where a good place to look for an i7-2860QM CPU is? Newegg? Would just going to a nearby physical location that had it (assuming anywhere did) be a good idea?

[ajkula66]

I was actually thinking to buy your i7-2960XM CPU, but it appears that it isn't compatible with my T520 / 4239-CTO motherboard (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd009237 and https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/docs/MIGR-76854), so that's a pity

Actually, all that means is that Lenovo never shipped T520 with a 2960XM installed which is hardly surprising.

Any suggestions on where a good place to look for an i7-2860QM CPU is? Newegg? Would just going to a nearby physical location that had it (assuming anywhere did) be a good idea?

NewEgg - presuming that they have any in stock to begin with - is likely to be overpriced. If I were buying one, I'd post a WTB (want to buy) ad in the forum's Marketplace or look on feebay for an U.S. seller with good rating, preferably a recycler who has sold half a zillion of them.

Good luck.

[CHP41]

Thanks for the advice! I will look into that.