Upgrading the Z61t, Z61m, or Z61p CPUs (photo embedded)

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As I understand, there are two types of notebook INTEL CPUs: ball and Micro FCPGA. The former is attached to the notebook mother via solder contacts which are melted with a hairdrier before being a permanently attached to the motherboard. The latter are just put into a normal CPU socket and could be upgraded without too much effort. Newegg sells for instance a T7200 which people are sticking into older or slower notebooks to upgrade.

My questions: can the Thinkpad Z60 or Z61 series be upgraded in this way? Can the X60 or X60s series be upgraded in this way? Picures here suggest the answer is "no" for the X60. But can anyone tell me about the Z series? Which Thinkpads can and cannot be upgraded?


This post implies that the T60 series IS upgradable. Is the X60 series the only series NOT upgradable?

Extra credit: what about the X1400 ATI graphics card. What if I took it off (is it soldered?) and replaced it with an ATI X1400 mobility?

[Ken Fox]

As I understand, there are two types of notebook INTEL CPUs: ball and Micro FCPGA.

Prior posts in these forums (and I cannot remember which threads or which forum) lead me to believe two things: (1) the cpu in a Z-series laptop CAN be upgraded; and (2) for most users, the improvement in performance will not be justified by the cost or the effort.

In addition, upgrading the graphics card would probably require a new mobo (likely does not exist for your particular Z-model) as well as a different fan for heat dissipation.

Hopefully someone who knows the real answers will reply to your post.

[duffy]

The X60 and Z series can be upgraded (CPU) the X60s and X60t can not be upgraded. None of the graphics can be upgraded due to being part of the chipset and/or soldered directly to the mobo.

[cmarti]

The X60 and Z series can be upgraded (CPU) .

You cannot upgrade the cpu of a X60 it is soldered in the motherboard.

[duffy]

The X60 and Z series can be upgraded (CPU) .

You cannot upgrade the cpu of a X60 it is soldered in the motherboard.

Please read my comment again.

The X60 can be upgraded the X60s can not.

[cmarti]

The X60 and Z series can be upgraded (CPU) the X60s and X60t can not be upgraded. None of the graphics can be upgraded due to being part of the chipset and/or soldered directly to the mobo.

Please read my comment again.

Yes, it says that the X60 cpu can be upgraded, you can see the quote of what you wrote.

Looking at the HMM of the X60 one cannot upgrade the cpu because it comes soldered into the motherboard.

As for the Z60t it the cpu can be upgraded i have a 1.7ghz dothan 400mhz with the pinmod runnning beautifully at 2.26ghz.

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To summarize this discussion, everyone agrees that the graphics chips are soldered. Some models of the thin X series may or may not be soldered, with cmarti saying 100% are and duffy saying the x60 isn't soldered. Given the cmarti has over a thousand posts to his credit and duffy only has significantly fewer, I am going to have to side with cmarti on this.

The upgrade question on the x60 is important to me. Ability to upgrade = good. Weight penality is only 0.3 lbs. Based on cmarti's remarks, I will be getting the x60s unless duffy provides more of his reasoning and/or data and/or sources.

Thanks again to everyone who has thus far weighed in on this.
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