T60 ugrade questions

[KyleTexas]

  Picked up a very clean, very nice, T60 yesterday from the original owner.. I had been looking for a T60p but when this regular T60 came available with the ATI Radeon x1300 option included I snapped it up. It's been very well cared for.. a good score... Owner was an IT professional.

  I'd like to upgrade the processor and ram. Here are the specs in current state...

 Motherboard .... Lenovo 2008EB8

 cpu ... Intel T2300 @ 1.66

             socket 479 mPGA

            L2 cache .. 2mb

            fsb 667mhz

            65nm

            31w

            32bit

   I am open to suggestions... but I would specifically like to know if the T7500 at 2.2 ghz would work ...

  it is 4mb cache and 800mhz.... the t7500s are for sale all over the place for $20 to $40 ... I m really trying to stay budget friendly here... I wont be spending $150 or even $100 on a cpu..  I can get a refurb AMD A6 3400 machine for $375 to $400 and I tend to buck paying more than half of what a more powerful Quad core would cost...

  I paid $100 for my T60... a buget processor and some ram is likely all Im going to do.

[TuuS]

I wouldn't call the amd e series "more powerful" then an Intel core2, but that's not the point here.

You cannot install a T7500 in a T60. You can install a T7600, T7400, T7200 core2duo or T2500, T2600, T2700 core duo.

Those are the top chips running at 2.33, 2.16 and 2.0ghz. I'd expect to pay anywhere from $20-100 depending on which chip you're after.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

Your machine can only support Socket M CPU, and T7600 is the fastest you can get.

ThinkPad T60 is a very good machine, very reliable and well built. Most of the laptop that uses the AMD CPU are entry level laptops that wouldn't have similar sort of quality.

But obviously if you only price in the spec and performance and externalise the cost for quality, then ThinkPad isn't obviously your cpu of tea.

[KyleTexas]

 Thanks for the information guys ...  I appreciate it.

  Typed words don't convey tone or intent often.. unless you want to write a novel everytime you stroke the keyboard..and most of the time I don't ..   I type "nice sneakers" and it could be a complement or sarcastic statement based on tone... I didn't come here to insult anyone. Ive got a great little laptop here.

My girlfriend has a R60 2.0 C2D which runs XP like an elephant slapping a small ball around a ring. .. whack, whack, whack.. It  just smokes it through it's paces..and it runs Soooo cool.. never belching hot air.  As much as I was leaning towards a new system I kept coming back to how well her Lenovo performed... and what a great value a used Lenovo represented.  I consider the T60 I got to be an incredible deal.  I consider the C2D a milemarker cpu.  The T60 I have has nearly every option of a T60p workstation.. sans fingerprint reader. It's a hair over 3 years old.. I hit a major home run here.

  That being said .... the AMD A6 3400M  represents a great value

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+A6-3400M+APU

 2999 Passmark score, top 300 in CPUs\Passmark rating with over 500 machines tested. I looked at half a dozen machines of various brands with this A6 3400m in it for $369 to $405 brand new. Graphics are almost always upgraded with this cpu with a decent ATI Radeon offering.

My biases are Performance, Price, and Graphics ... I am very good to my equipment whether its the best available or something really basic.  Im not looking to change anyone elses biases.. just explain my own.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

@KyleTexas, i am not saying that the AMD CPU is slow, what i meant due to the price of the CPU, they are usually used in entry level laptops. i.e. consumer range laptops. Whilst, Intel CD, C2D, C2Q, i3, i5, i7 etc CPU costs more so they are used in laptops that cost more.

Personally, i would just get the C2D T5500 CPU, i find the performance on these CPU is comparable to the T7200 and T7400 in most office apps and what not. Also, don't produce as much heat when pushed, so the laptop run cooler and is easier on the battery.

[boniholmes]

Hi everone,

I have a T60 with a T2400 CPU. If I upgrade it to T7600, what do I need to do? Do I have to change some setting in BIOS setup, or will the machine "recognize" the new CPU?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

You don't need to update anything. It should be a drop in upgrade. Everything will be recognised automatically.

[KyleTexas]

   I hear you lead org ... and I think you make a good point. 

    I was looking mostly at Toshiba and Samsung as A6 3400M possibles.  I found out recently that Toshiba places shock aborbing rubber or foam strategically inside many of their models to disapate the effects of any hard jars. I always thought the Pana/Toughbook line was cool but horribly overpriced so I was considering a foamed/rubbered  Toshiba/A6 as a  toned down play on a rugged pc. The Samsung 3 and 5 series both have A6 options if i remember correctly in some nice brushed steel cases... very sleek n sexy. Ive had good luck with Samsungs other products. Your accessment on many of the AMD budget priced cpu's being in basic chassis is spot on ... I agree with your assesment.

  My t60 is a righteous little machine... the guy \i bought it from met me at a local Starbucks and whipped it out just dead nuts spotless... clean inside and out. He claimed to have ordered almost every option and im in the process of testing that currently .. it does have the ATI Radeon x1300 package. Battery is brand new.. just replaced and have the receipt and box he bought it in....Id just lost an auction on Flea Bay for a T60p when the T60 i have now came available locally.

  Only issue is the fan being a little buzzy .. im going to dig in and get that sorted out and figgured why not bump my cpu while i had it apart.

[TuuS]

I'd definitely upgrade your CPU while your in there. The T5500 is a very inexpensive chip, as my good friend Lead Org recommends. It's a core2 so has 64bit support, but since your limited to 3gb of ram by the chipset on a T60, there isn't much benefit to going 64bit, so you might do better getting a faster core duo, perhaps a T2500, 2600, or 2700.   You can also upgrade your system board to ATI fireGL graphics. 

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

You may just need to clean the fan a little to get it working again.

My personal opinion is to get the T5500 for the T60.

I have like 6 x T60 of various specs, the T60 T5500 represents a sweet spot for performance.