Info request for T61 upgrade

[boodi]

I got my hand on a t61 , 14'' 4:3 , intel graphics , t8400 , 2gb ram 1+1 , no hd no battery no power adaptor - for very cheap .

I got the battery and I had the PA .

To complete it , I would like to know if any ddr2 2Gb ram module will fit in
and would like to know what SSD hard disk ( cheap ,and I'm not interested in a big size ) would fit ; and if I would need a bios upgrade to install it .

And if there's anything more I should look into for -cheap- upgrading

Many thanks for answering

[RealBlackStuff]

There is no T8400 CPU, do you mean T8100 or T8300?

Regardless, put in Middleton's BIOS http://ali.dj/blog/sata-ii-support-for- ... 61-x61-r61

You can put in up to 2 x 4GB = 8GB 200-pin SODIMMs (either PC2-5300 or PC2-6400, a.k.a. DDR2-667 or DDR2-800).
Look for name brands like Elpida, Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Crucial, G.Skill, but stay away from "Value-RAM" and the likes.
Any SATA SSD (minimum 64GB I'd say) will fit (2.5", 7 or 9.5 mm high).

[boodi]

t8300
it's safe to upgrade bios?

[rkawakami]

If you are asking if it is safe to use a non-factory BIOS update, then, in this case, yes. Middleton's BIOS has been installed on many systems. Follow the instructions, make sure you have a fully-charged battery AND have the laptop connected to the AC adapter.

[twillis449]

Replacing a mechanical hard drive by any SSD will give you a very noticeable increase in performance for boot up, program loading etc. The prices seem to be dropping almost daily. You can get a 120 GB SSD for $40 USD and up depending on brand, claimed read/write speed etc.

[boodi]

I'm contemplating buyin another t61 , a second one - just in case
4:3 14'' , intel graphic chipset , for very cheap .
But it is equipped with a t7250 ( 2gb ram and 60gb hd )

how much would it be to max out the cpu ?

how much of an improvement would be going from t7250 to t9300

[ajkula66]

how much would it be to max out the cpu ?

Presuming that we're discussing T9300 and not T9500 or X7900/9000, $30 or less here in the U.S.

how much of an improvement would be going from t7250 to t9300

Definitely noticeable.

[brchan]

how much of an improvement would be going from t7250 to t9300

I went from a T7700 (quite faster than a T7250) to a T9500 and the performance boost was very noticeable, even when browsing the web. T9500 is the same as the T9300 but with a small 100 MHz clock increase.

[boodi]

is the operation ( chip removal+substitution ) easy?
do i need something other then screwdrivers ?

[ajkula66]

Is the operation (CPU removal+substitution) easy?

Yes.

do i need something other then screwdrivers ?

Thermal paste and isopropyl alcohol. No additional tools apart from screwdrivers.

[boodi]

Look for name brands like Elpida, Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Crucial, G.Skill, but stay away from "Value-RAM" and the likes.

Kingston will fit? --> http://www.ebay.it/itm/Memoria-Memory-R ... SwEeFVNJpU

[RealBlackStuff]

Nope, you need to look for the smaller SODIMM as I already told you.
They are for LAPTOP only, and have 200 pins.
Check this: http://www.ebay.it/sch/i.html?_from=R40 ... p&_sacat=0

[boodi]

ok thanks .

1x4gb is any worse then 2x2 ?
ddr3 would work ?

[RealBlackStuff]

NO and NO.

[TuuS]

keep in mind that a failed bios update will kill the motherboard, but the middleton bios is as safe as any, just don't try it on an unstable system. A random crash during your update and your board is toast.