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What would improve the performance of my laptop more? Specifically:
Upgrading the CPU from:
Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core T4200 1M Cache, 2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB (Code Name: Penryn)
to either Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8800 3M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB
or to Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P9700 6M Cache, 2.80 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB
or alternatively,
upgrading from a 1GB Elpida to a 4GB memory chip (KEMBONA SODIMM LAPTOP DDR2 4 GB 4G 800 MHZ PC2-6400 RAM)?
And a follow up question: How do I know which CPU is compatible with my laptop (Dell Inspiron 1545 PP41L)? Do I just look at the socket type? I know from experience, that Socket P fits into my laptop, but I don't know:
if phsyically fitting also means 'compatible' and
which other socket types would also fit and be compatible.
I apologize if this has been asked before, in this fashion, please point me to the previous questions.
GwenKillerby
Posted 2019-02-09T17:55:48.250
Reputation: 286
Mobile CPUs cannot typically be replaced by the end user. Your device isn't compatible with any of the processors you are looking at by the way. Your device is only compatible with the Socket 478. Intel indicates which socket a processor supports on the ark.intel.com page for the processor. The processors you are looking at are incompatible not due to their socket but due to their Thermal Design Power specification. – Ramhound – 2019-02-09T18:07:55.400
1Laptops are proprietary in design. Upgrading the CPU will be a crap shoot. Just like @Ramhound said, if the CPU produces more heat the cooling system might not cool it properly. And I guarantee the cooling system isn’t “upgradeable.” By proprietary, I mean the laptop is designed from the ground up with specific shapes, sizes and ratings. The “upgradeability” of any component inside is by chance alone, the manufacturer likely never intended it that way. In any case, 1GB of RAM is undoubtedly choking your system to a crawl, assuming you have Windows. Start there. – Appleoddity – 2019-02-09T19:08:25.130
Possible duplicate of Relationship between RAM & processor speed
– harrymc – 2019-02-09T19:19:28.307@GwenKillerby - What is confusing by my statement? The processor in question only exists in mobile products.
Mobileis a term Intel uses. I am not pulling the word out of thin air. It is not wise to put in a processor that is expecting a lower TDP into a motherboard that originally came with a processor with a higher TDP. Likewise, in the end, a processor that is only 0.666 MHz faster, isn't going to make that much of a difference. – Ramhound – 2019-02-09T19:23:13.193@Ramhound nothing is confusing about you, you are as crystal clear and helpful as always. Appreciate your professionality, respectfulness. – GwenKillerby – 2019-02-09T22:49:54.413
@ramhound im pretty sure you have the TDP thing round the wrong way. You can put a processor with a lower tdp in without issues, but higher tdp's can cause issues. AFAIK TDP reoresents the minimum heat a cooling system needs to be able to dissipate - ie heating wise a lower tdp would be equivalent to a system running closer to idle. Of-course the BIOS would still need to support the cpu. – davidgo – 2019-02-20T17:42:48.553
@davidgo - I am aware of what TDP represents. – Ramhound – 2019-02-20T18:48:41.167