W500 Quad Core

[QWERTY Andreas]

Hi

I just saw this topic, after investigating due to a Marketplace post; https://notabug.org/libreboot/libreboot/issues/340

It is now possible to install QuadCores into T400/T500TW500 following something akin to the procedure of installing it to a T61/p.

These Thinkpads are dated, but this can possible breath some new life into them. A QX9300 is noticeably faster than anything they are offered with!

Just a heads up, if anyone is interested.

Best regards

[TheForgottenKing]

I thought they supported quad cores OOB

[Thinkpad4by3]

I thought they supported quad cores OOB

W700 did, W500 didn't come with them from the factory but I don't know if the W500 is plug n play with the quad-core CPUs.

[TheForgottenKing]

I thought they supported quad cores OOB

W700 did, W500 didn't come with them from the factory but I don't know if the W500 is plug n play with the quad-core CPUs.

Huh, apparently not

[sebileis]

I would definitely be interested in putting one of those quad-cores into my W500. With the WUXGA screen and the Advanced Dock it would be a screamer machine! If anybody can confirm if that processor works in the T/W500, definitely post some update here.

[Screamer]

It appears that it does work, but that was with a Core 2 Quad Q9000 installed, which does not run as hot as a Core 2 Extreme QX9300 would.

To be honest, it would likely hit the thermal limits of the W500/T500's discrete heatsink. I believe that it was already demonstrated with the T61's discrete heatsink, and it was barely capable of expelling the heat generated from the Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

Rather than an overall upgrade, I see it as a downgrade as the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 has next to no thermal headroom for overclocking. Unless the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is placed in an ideal environment that always utilizes all of its cores, it has very little improvements to offer over the Core 2 Extreme X9100 that still has some thermal headroom for overclocking and improvement.

[wujstefan]

It appears that it does work, but that was with a Core 2 Quad Q9000 installed, which does not run as hot as a Core 2 Extreme QX9300 would.

100% correct. Even with decent fan update over T6x series, the heatsink itself was poorly designed. These systems have problems with cooling dual-cores in some cases. Unless heavy updates are done, they are not able to cool QX9300 and require serious undervolting. And this kills the idea of using core 2 quads extreme in those systems.

To be honest, it would likely hit the thermal limits of the W500/T500's discrete heatsink. I believe that it was already demonstrated with the T61's discrete heatsink, and it was barely capable of expelling the heat generated from the Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

Tested with T61p heatsink + T61p fan; QX9300 was able to work stably, but resulted in 90+C temps. HOT! Absolutely no overclocking was possible on those. With D-IDA however, it still hits 4 cores at 2.8GHz

Rather than an overall upgrade, I see it as a downgrade as the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 has next to no thermal headroom for overclocking. Unless the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is placed in an ideal environment that always utilizes all of its cores, it has very little improvements to offer over the Core 2 Extreme X9100 that still has some thermal headroom for overclocking and improvement.

I'll add in that X9100 does work out-of-the-box and offers higher frequency, especially when overclocked. Not to mention that these CPUs can accept some serious undervolting at stock frequencies (very useful on the road). QX9300 will make a huge difference only at gaming or CADs utilizing all the cores. And HD3650 / firegl v5700 is actually worse than fx570m from T61p considering gaming

These Thinkpads are dated, but this can possible breath some new life into them. A QX9300 is noticeably faster than anything they are offered with!

Try out X9100. Way cheaper. Way cooler. Overclockable. Undervoltable. Your GPU would be your bottleneck anyway, and if not that - your RAM size

[TPFanatic]

Do the 4 cores / 4 threads of the Core 2 Quad result in similar general snappiness to the 2 core / 4 thread hyperthreading in Core i series?

[wujstefan]

Do the 4 cores / 4 threads of the Core 2 Quad result in similar general snappiness to the 2 core / 4 thread hyperthreading in Core i series?

Planning to test that in similar specced M6400 and 8740w.

Both 8Gb of DDR-3 1066, both with m7820, both 16:10 1920x1200 pix LCDs. 8740w equipped with i5-560m, and M6400 with QX9300. I'm just awaiting QX9300 to arrive, but I expect it to swallow i5. Q9100 already proved better, and take note that QX9300 works on 2.8GHz stock (with D-IDA) and easily ups to 3,5GHz (OCed). Huge upside is the possibility to control voltages, which is not enabled in i-core CPUs up to 4th (clunkpad!) generation.