T40 Upgrades Help (CPU, RAM, HD)

[afterburner]

Hi all, just found this forum, and I'm glad I did.

I have a T40 ThinkPad (2373-7CU), but with 512 MB of RAM. What I want do to is upgrade my CPU, RAM, and the HD to increase the overall performance of the laptop.

As of now, the laptop generally runs smooth, however, the problem area is watching flash videos on YouTube, specifically in full screen. I would say that everything else is just fine, but YouTube video takes up 50% CPU when watching regular size video, but it takes up 100% CPU and lags very noticeably when in full screen mode.

I guess the fist question is: will upgrading the CPU to something like the SL7EM help me in the fix the issue of lagging flash videos. Hopefully someone can share their experience with full screen video on YouTube, providing the processor that they are using.

Second question is: which hard drive would you recommend? I am not looking for lots of storage, as this is mostly a mobile computer, so anything above 40 gigs is fine, as long as the performance is better than what I already have. So, no need for 150 and above, even 100 seems like its pushing it.

Third question is: If I upgrade the processor to SL7EM, can I get any DDR 400 PC-3200 RAM? or do I have to get the DDR 333 PC 2700?

Fourth question is: with these upgrades, faster CPU, more RAM, and faster HD...How will these upgrades affect the battery life? In other words, how much worse is it going to be.

Also, will I need a new fan for the new CPU?

And finally, how do you recommend that I go about doing these upgrades (where to get the parts, install by myself or with help?). I do have experience putting together a desktop, but not a laptop...and will it be worth it in your opinion?

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to get it all out at once.

[sjthinkpader]

Welcome to the forum.

Any Dothan 400Mhz CPU will work except 725A, 735A and others with an A as the last character. It will run cooler too.

T40 actually use PC2100 but most PC2700 will work. This will like bring the most benefit to your system.

Any HDD will be fine and most new PATA drive today starts from 80GB.

[aaa]

1) Yes, it should fix the issue.

2) I suggest an HM160HC, as the cheap/fast option (bigger drives are also faster). Otherwise just get any drive.

3) You can get any DDR (not DDR2) you want, it will still operate at PC2100 since the is a limitation of the T40 motherboard.

4) Very little. In fact, the SL7EM cpu probably uses less power than your current older Banias cpu. You could very well end up using less power if you're lucky. Also, check the NHC undervolting software, if you have patience with it, it can add an hour or so.


Installing this stuff should be pretty easy for you. The cpu will have to be gotten used, from this forum/ebay/whatever. I suggest newegg for the ram and hd.

[Pingwin Wielki]

1) Any Dothan with "B1" core and 400MHz bus and FCPGA socket will be fine. That includes: SL7EG, SL7EP, SL7EM, SL7EN, SL7V3.

2) Personally I prefer WD harddrives (WD Scorpio series), but other brands (e.g. Seagate/Maxtor) should be OK as well. I usually don't recommend Hitachi "DeathStar" drives.

3) The best you can do is to buy the RAM exactly allowed by ThinkPad specification. That means PC2100. If you buy a "faster" RAM (PC2700, PC3200,...), you will most likely slower your ThinkPad due to different CAS/RAS cycle timeouts. Mixing different RAM pieces in the same computer is especially not recommended (e.g. one piece of PC2100 RAM, the other PC2700...).

4) Battery life should remain almost unaffected. As a matter of fact, when ThinkPad is in "idle" mode the processor speed is reduced to 600MHz, no matter what is the nominal maximum processor speed. This is maintained by Intel SpeedStep technology.

Upgrading the CPU may be a little tricky, as it includes some ThinkPad disassembly... Check out here and consider if you want to do it yourself:
http://www.chaosmanorreviews.com/open_a ... 070205.php

If you are still interested in D-I-Y, then download a "Hardware Maintenance Manual" (http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-46464) and follow the steps.

IMHO you will get the most benefits from adding more RAM. Your ThinkPad T40 has Pentium-M "Banias" processor that is quite efficient and probably is not the reason of movie problems. Most likely it is either too much RAM-to-HDD swapping or video card issue.

It is also possible, that SpeedStep technology is somehow responsible for your problems. If it doesn't speed-up your processor while running the movie, the processor works at 600MHz and the new Dothan will work the same way... Try to make some tests:
1. Open "Control Panel -> System" and check out what is the current processor speed. Don't close the "System" window. Run the flash movie full screen. Return from full screen mode and check the processor speed again. Did it remain at 600MHz?

2. Run a power consuming application in the background. This should turn the processor to higher speed. Check out ("Control Panel -> System") if the processor works at maximum speed. Now run video fullscreen. Can you notice a difference?

[Johan]

Welcome to the forum!

As to your question about upgrading your new T40 (congratulations!!) - "as a general answer" - this issue has been discussed quite a bit on the forum, and many user-reports are available which I think you will benefit from reading - but see for yourself e.g. the following threads: New T40 owner, new upgrade race!! and T40 CPU Upgrade question and How to make a T41 faster? and Upgrading T41 processor and Pimp my T41p and Problem running Dothan 765 in a T41P and What is the fastest processor for a T41? and T42 Upgrade Possibilities... just to give you a starting point!

More information can be found using the following approach:

1) Go to the forum.thinkpad.com Search function,

2) In the "Search for Keywords" field, enter: "T40 cpu upgrade", (or whatever else!)

3) Select "Search for all terms",

4) Select "Forum = T4x Series",

5) Press "Search",

6) Enjoy!

My recommendation about a CPU upgrade: Right now, I am having two T42's side by side; one with a 1.8 GHz "Dothan" (PM745, SL7EN) and one with a 2.1 GHz "Dothan" (PM765, SL7V3). Although the 2.1 GHz appear slightly snappier (slightly, not enormously!), I am absolutely quite happy for the 1.8 GHz... for all common tasks. If you need a CPU for some real intensive task, then this is a different story, but in such case I guess you would probably move on to a new Core 2 Duo laptop. So, unless you already have a SL7EM (which would otherwise cost perhaps $150 at eBay), go for a 1.8 GHz SL7EN or perhaps even a 1.7 GHz SL7EP - of course depending upon your actual need. Beware that the higher the CPU speed, the more heat it will dissipate - hence the shorter battery time.

HDD's: Well, if you had been able to get a 7200 rpm (has to be a 2.5" ATA/PATA model), I wold not have hesitated, but since 7200 rpm's have gone out of production about a year ago, they are hard to find - and expensive. Many users however report that the newest generation 5400 rpm (2.5" PATA) HDD's run almost ("practically") as fast as the slightly older 7200 rpm ones... so get a new 5400! I suggest you read user reports here on this forum and on e.g. Newegg's site to decide which is best. A couple of days ago I cloned a (60 GB) 7200 rpm Hitachi to a (80 GB) Seagate Momentus 5400.3 and the Win XP boot time is almost the same - but I somewhat better like the noise spectrum of the Hitachi.. the Seagate has a very faint a bit more high-frequency "hiss" which my ears (or my brains, if any?) picks up easier and is more aware of - but, admittedly, I am very picky about noise!

Johan

[afterburner]

Thanks a lot for all of your replies, you've been very helpful !!!