Thinkpads Forum

Can the CPU in a ThinkPad be upgraded? For example, could I replace the DX2-50 in my 360CSE with a P-75? or the DX4-100 in my 755CE with a P133? Or the P-166 in a 760XD with a P-233 or 266? Or a P-1 with a P-2?

As far as the 760XD from a P1 to P2 it isn't possible because of the type of connection, board design and cooling requirements. The P1 166MMX can be upclocked to 200Mhz with a soldering iron and changing a few resistor blocks around; http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/monkun ... tp_cup.htm

Translate Japanese to English through Alta Vista's Babel Fish.

I don't know about the earlier 486's listed though, I don't own one.

Have you ever seen one of those idiotic movies with the guy in the hockey mask? If you called him a doctor, you could call me a technitian. The machete freak's effect on the patient would be about the same as my effect on the circuit board with a slodering iron - exept that my mess wouldn't be covered by insurance.

Besides, doesn't overclocking make everything run hotter?

I've read that some thinkpads use plug-compatable CPU boards, and that they can be transplanted. I was hoping a 233 or 266 could be plugged into a 760XD. Can it?

I hope so. I really don't want to plug in my soldering machete.

That is true, heat would increase especially since the processor is the bottom card in a multiple stack of boards on a 760. The XD does have a cooling fan which makes it unique amongst the 760's. Unfortunately a processor "card" won't work on this system. Here is a fine link for you to read; here.
In this link you will read the different Mobile Module Connector types. The processor on the 760XD is in a "tape carrier package" form. Not the same...... much different animal as say Dumbo to Mickey Mouse.
You win the Nobel Intent prize though.

What about the 365ED?

I was poking around in my non-working extra today (even I can't kill something that's already dead) and found one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in a notebook - a standard CPU socket! That's been unheard of since they quit using the 8088!

I remember seeing CPU upgrades, usualy just a specialy designed version of the replacement chip, in the mid 1990's to upgrade a 286 to a 386 or 486, a 386 to a 486, and, I'm pretty shure there was a 486 to pentium upgrade.

Where can I get one of those?

This kind of hardware occasionally pops up on ebay.

Bookworm wrote:I'm pretty shure there was a 486 to pentium upgrade.

It's called a Pentium Overdrive. I've purchased them from eBay many years ago.

Is there a Pentium overdrive that can be plugged in to a plain old '486 socket with no extra holes around the chip? Or do they all require a seperate or special socket?

The Pentium Overdrive is designed to replace a 486, so it uses the same socket. It doesn't run quite as fast as a Pentium at the same clock rate.

Bookworm wrote:What about the 365ED?

I was poking around in my non-working extra today (even I can't kill something that's already dead) and found one of the weirdest things I've ever seen in a notebook - a standard CPU socket! That's been unheard of since they quit using the 8088!

The Pentium IV Thinkpads (T30, R32 and R40, etc) use socketed processors that can be upgraded to higher speed versions (e.g. 1.6 >> 2.4 Ghz).

The P-III and P-M processors are soldered on with either PGA or BGA.

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Overclocking is generally a bad idea in a laptop because of heating issues. Pentium M laptops are sometimes UNDERVOLTED to reduce CPU temp at the spec speed and possibly extend device lifetime.

Heating is usually a bad idea with older gear (speeds the demise of capacitors and other sensitive stuff which is already flaky from age.). Upgrades, however, are usually OK.

Maccess wrote:
The P-III and P-M processors are soldered on with either PGA or BGA.

This is not entirely true. Many P-III and P-M processors are NOT soldered on. Again you'd find soldered P-III and P-M processors in the 'X" series Thinkpads.