Considering upgrading my CPU...worth it??

[Crunch]

Hi all,

I currently have a Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz w/4MB of L2 cache. I have a T9500 lying around from a purchase that one of my customers returned.

Now I'm thinking, Should I maybe install the T9500?? I would get 2.6GHz speed out of it, 6MB of L2 cache, and the FSB at @ 800MHz, instead of my current setup, which is at 667MHz.

What do you guys think?? My system originally came with a T2500 (Core Duo 2.0GHz, 2MB L2 cache, but only 32-bit processor). I performed the upgrade because I wanted 64-bit, and a little more power.

However, with the aforementioned upgrade to the T9500 is "less impressive" IMHO, since 64-bit was my MAIN reason to upgrade to my T7600, and it's been great running it.

SO what say you guys? Stick with the T7600, or put that T9500 in my baby?? 🙂

Thankis a bunch, everyone!

 

[e12a]

you can't replace the processor. Its soldered onto the logic board.

edit: reread the post..so you have the logic board?

you might want to watch out for heat. My friend changed his 2.4 SR to a 2.6 and said he had some heat problems.

 

[Crunch]

you can't replace the processor. Its soldered onto the logic board.

edit: reread the post..so you have the logic board?

you might want to watch out for heat. My friend changed his 2.4 SR to a 2.6 and said he had some heat problems.

Hey, thanks for the super quick response. Actually I can replace it. Don't kill me, but I have a Thinkpad, not a Mac. I upgraded before like I said, and I used the silver paste, etc., and I didn't really have heat problems...

I was hoping you guys could help me with that anyway??

 

[CaptainChunk]

I was hoping you guys could help me with that anyway??

Hmmm...interesting project, except for the fact that most of us don't know squat about the Thinkpad's internals (you're on a Mac forum 🙂). More specifically, how interchangeable the logic boards actually are.

 

[Crunch]

Hmmm...interesting project, except for the fact that most of us don't know squat about the Thinkpad's internals (you're on a Mac forum 🙂). More specifically, how interchangeable the logic boards actually are.

I understand. I'm in the forum mainly for my iPhone 3G, and a possible purchase of a MacBook Pro 17" WS WUXGA. Let me ask a question regarding those real quick.

I have what's called an AFFS IPS Flexview LCD. The cream of the crop. Bluray movies look stunning, and the Super-IPS screens have a full 180 degree viewing angle. IBM, and now Lenovo no longer make these panels. How are the screens on the MacBook Pro's? I don't know if you guys know what IPS is. It's not a Thinkpad-related term. It's more of a screen term. The Advanced IPS screens were manufactured for only three months, and I happen to have gotten one. Pure luck.

I was asking the question regarding upgrading from the T7600 to my T9500 chip conceptually. Both Thinkpads, as well as most Mac's run on Intel, so we do have something in common. 🙂

The specs being what they are, would you, assuming it was possible, upgrade from a T7600 to a T9500?? Would the difference be noticeable, or merely measurable. I'd rather sell it than upgrade for bragging rights, you know? 😉

Here's a little more from the manufacturer's website.

http://www.hydis.com/eng/main.htm

Here's a comparison between TN, VA, IPS, PVA, and AFFS, as well as AFFS+ IPS LCD's:

http://www.hydis.com/eng/main.htm

I think I may have AFFS+, as mine was produced before they invented AFFS+.

http://www.hydis.com/eng/main.htm

Another comparison between AFFS, IPS, and PVR:

http://www.hydis.com/eng/04_rnd/rnd_pop01.html

Sorry for all the links, but I'm sure some of you know screen technology, as Mac's still rule the graphics world, right?

http://www.hydis.com/eng/main.htm


I would pay a hefty premium to get a new notebook with IPS. Doesn't have to be AFFS IPS.

Thanks again! 🙂

 

[Abstract]

I have what's called an AFFS IPS Flexview LCD. The cream of the crop. Bluray movies look stunning, and the Super-IPS screens have a full 180 degree viewing angle. IBM, and now Lenovo no longer make these panels. How are the screens on the MacBook Pro's? I don't know if you guys know what IPS is. It's not a Thinkpad-related term.

Firstly, I don't think it matters for a laptop, and I don't think Lenovo ever used some form of LCD panel that nobody else was using. I also didn't think any manufacturer made a proper, non-interpolated monitor capable of showing 16-million colours. Laptops are only capable of showing 16m colours because the 262,000 colours it CAN produce are just used to interpolate the colours in between. This is why it doesn't really matter what type of LCD panel they use in a laptop, since only 6-bits (actually, 6-bits x 3(RGB)) of info is used, while the other 15.x million colours are interpolated. Using the most accurate, most expensive LCD panel, when the colours are known to be interpolated anyway, is like trying to pair a fine bottle of wine with a particular brand of spam?

Secondly, as far as I'm aware, AS-IPS is the best type of LCD panel for colour accuracy. I never heard of AFFS. I'm not saying they're not the best (for colour accuracy). I'm saying that I never heard of AFFS.


Thirdly, even if you have a monitor with the most accurate colour (AS-IPS, AFFS-IPS, whatever) it won't be "best" for all tasks, so there's no such thing as "best". S-IPS LCD panels are pretty sweet because of colour accuracy, and it's great for graphic designers, photographers, and (some) movie-makers who care greatly. It won't help for general use, watching movies, playing video games, etc, although it may help with improving viewing angle and colour shifts at obtuse angles. In fact, you can argue that the best LCD panels for colour looks worse for movies, as colours don't look as bright or vibrant. This is what designers and graphics people (or anyone who needs to print) do not want, but looks great in video games.

The worst panels for colour also have the fastest response times, so cheaper panels are the best for games.

 

[Firefly2002]

Not worth it.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Hell yeah... can you do mine too?

 

[CaptainChunk]

There's simply not going to a significant real world speed difference between a 2.33GHz and 2.6GHz C2D CPU, despite the difference in L2 cache.

You're talking a 10% difference in clock speed and perhaps a 12% cumulative performance difference (due to the larger cache) at best. That's really not worth the huge hassle of doing, especially considering it's a laptop. With most laptops, you have to disassemble just about everything just to get the main logic board out.

Onto LCD panels... The majority of all laptops made use cheap TN panels. As started before, they only have 6-bit per subpixel precision and use temporal dithering to create a "virtual" 8-bit per subpixel palette. In some cases, you'll see an IPS panel make it into a laptop, but that's pretty rare. Lenovo (as well as most other computer manufacturers) doesn't make LCD panels. They buy them from other suppliers. Arguably, LG/Philips makes the best laptop LCD panels.

I have two older Apple laptops with LG/Philips panels. My new MBP has a Chi Mei (Chinese for "very cheap") panel. But it works fine for what it's intended to do, I suppose. I use a calibrated broadcast monitor for color work.

 

[phoobo]

There's simply not going to a significant real world speed difference between a 2.33GHz and 2.6GHz C2D CPU, despite the difference in L2 cache.

Agree completely. This project is bound not to be worth the effort or the downside (heat generated, time lost, inevitable complications etc.), and the upside will be pretty much imperceptible.

Asker should read some Shakespeare instead!

 

[Crunch]

Alrighty, thanks everyone who replied!

Just FYI, it was a breeze upgrading the original T2500 (Core Duo x86 processor), to the T7600 (C2D x64 CPU). Took all of 30 mins. including disassembling, and re-assembling the laptop, and slapping on some of that silver paste.

I did it so I could run 64-bit, and I'm darn glad I did it. Do most of you Mac users run OS X 10.x in 64-bit?

Thanks again everyone! You are all rock stars to me!

 

[raymondu999]

Since Tiger, Mac OS has been partially 64-bit, first extending from the Unix core, then over to the kernel and so on. With Windows, the 32-bit version can't run 64-bit... unless you installed x64 Windows?

 

[Crunch]

Since Tiger, Mac OS has been partially 64-bit, first extending from the Unix core, then over to the kernel and so on. With Windows, the 32-bit version can't run 64-bit... unless you installed x64 Windows?

Interesting stuff. In response to your question, no 32-bit version of Windows can run 64-bit apps. But since Vista, it does work the other way around, thanks to the so-called W-o-W layer. Windows on Windows or something like that.

I have more 32-bit apps than 64-bit ones, but now that Microsoft did something very smart, which is to release Vista on both platforms, and not charging extra for getting both, you are free to use either one, go back and forth, etc. The key also works for both.

XP 64-bit was a complete disaster, and never took off, so that's a huge improvement over XP that doesn't really ever get talked about.

I just love Thinkpads. I've never owned anything other than Thinkpads since '99, and I've had 12 of them! lol...This screen is just so incredible that I decided to upgrade the CPU, put 4 gig in that baby, a combined 820GB in two internal hard drives, as well as the Atheros N internal network card.

I'm a total 802.11 junkie. 😀 I run two routers, one of which acts as a repeater, so the whole house is covered. Linksys just came out with a DUAL N router, meaning both the 2.4GHz, AND the little-used 5GHz one can be used simultaneously. As we get closer to ratification sometime next year for the 802.11n standard, it's fun to be "part of its growth" for me. You talk about gallons of Internet, dude! 😀

Sorry, I always get carried away with my gadget craze. lol...

Crunch