Thinkpads Forum

I have a slightly masochistic habit of buying computers and then keeping them in service long after the rest of the world has moved on. My thinkpad 770ED was my primary computer from 1998 to 2007. It's a little silly, but I enjoy it. Consequently I like to think ahead when buying. So here's what I'm wondering...

What will be the limits on processor upgrades for these machines? Right now it looks like a Q9100 or QX9300 might be compatible, but the higher power requirements and heat dissipation might pose a problem. Does anyone have thoughts on those two processors in a T500? Meanwhile, what future processors might be compatible with the T500. My suspicion is that the 1066 fsb will be the limiting factor as most of the new processors will likely run a 1333 fsb.

I'm also curious about that turbo memory feature. Is it possible to install that if I get one that doesn't come with it? Also, does anyone know whether it'll be possible to go beyond 2 GB in the future?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Scott

Hi,

I agree with you. I would not count on putting a quad processor in these machines, not for as long as the wattage of these processors is of 44W or so.. this is almost double that of a 'P' dual core processor ...

However, A 'fast' dual such as a T9800 could do it (just 35 watts).. in fact its no more than a T9600 which you can buy your thinkpad with.

Another thing to consider is the microcode support. The BIOS must know and support not only the model but the stepping / revision level. Maybe it is a good place to start listing those devices known to work with these machines. For instance, my P8600 w/stepping 6, revision M0 (as reported by CPUZ) works fine.

Thanks for the response. I like your suggestion of starting a compatibility list. We can start with the processors/steppings that the machine ships with and build out with additional processors as people try them. Does the CPUZ utility you used provide the processor string? That'd probably be the best way to track them.

As for the quad core processors - the more I think about it, the more feasible it seems. It's nearly double the power of the p8600, but it's only 28% more than the T9600 which is available in the T500. 28% isn't all that much is it?

Scott

LymanSS wrote:As for the quad core processors - the more I think about it, the more feasible it seems. It's nearly double the power of the p8600, but it's only 28% more than the T9600 which is available in the T500. 28% isn't all that much is it

Thermal management is going to be a big issue. There is simply no way to manage the heat with the existing cooling system. There is a big difference between the two in terms of heat produced. Even the 35W processors which are being managed well now are being replaced (in some cases, not all) by the 25w units as new models are being offered. Therefore I would be a bit leery of this type of mod.

Cheers...

So it sounds like Lenovo feels that 35W is at the limit of what the existing cooling system can support. Anyone know if Intel has plans to bring out a 35W quad core mobile processor?

LymanSS wrote:So it sounds like Lenovo feels that 35W is at the limit of what the existing cooling system can support. Anyone know if Intel has plans to bring out a 35W quad core mobile processor?

The thoughts around my earlier comment was about the user upgrading to a quad core processor in a machine with a cooling system designed for a dual core at 35w maximum. Also I've noticed that on many of these existing machines, in recent weeks Lenovo has also begun to offer the 25w processors. I believe it's for a variety of reasons, one of which is energy consumption and the "green" focus that was elevated into the marketing arena by Apples claim that their laptops were the most green of any. A claim that I read was not all that Apple declared it was. However along those lines since energy consumption is an important consideration, there will be adjustments made in processor offerings accordingly.

Some time ago I was speculating on putting an X9100 (2 cores @ 3.06 GHz) in a W500 or T500 machine. However, it´s a 44W cpu, hence most likely the cooling system wouldn´t be able to handle the excessive heat production ~9W But if someone thinks the opposite, I would be interested to hear his/her opinion

Cheers,

Marin

Well, the only possibility I see that a quad C2D could run OK in a T400/500 without heat problems would be with some undervolting, thus compensating the additional wattage, but for this I'd first wait for an official NHC release which supports these machines...