Intel CPU/socket types - DELL M90...

I'm hoping someone can help me out here please...

I have a Dell Precision M90 laptop that I've bought a new CPU for as I want to go 64bit.

Current CPU is an Intel T2600, new CPU is a T7300. I (thought I) checked the Intel website thouroughly before purchasing, and everything looked spot on:

http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=27255,29760,27238,27237,

"Sockets Supported - PBGA479, PPGA478 "

I've just disassembled the laptop (surprisingly easy this one!) and went to change the CPU only to find they are in fact different, despite what the Intel site would have me believe!

T2600 Core Duo - which fits!
When holding the CPU with the pins towards me, with the arrow top-right, the top right pin and the one to its left are missing.

Eg.
oooooo
oooooooo
oooooooo
oooooooo​

T7300 Core 2 Duo - does not fit!
When holding the CPU with the pins towards me, with the arrow top-right, the top right pin and the one below it are missing.

Eg.
ooooooo
ooooooo
oooooooo
oooooooo​

Can anyone tell me a CPU that will be compatible with this socket that I can run 64bit on please?

Andy.

 

I wondered if you are looking at the comparison for the desktop computer CPUs, not the notebook computer CPUs labelled "Mobile ".

It probably won't work unless you get a BIOS upgrade from Dell anyway, so have a look at what upgrades they offer and if any relate to CPUs. (Some how I doubt it, it is a change in series, not just a later model of the same series.) The motherboard chipset may be a factor as well and I think you will need 64 bit drivers for all your hardware.

I don't think there are very many programs around that run on 64bit yet, does the program you want to use run in 64bit?

Matt

 

Actually the vast majority of 32-bit programs run fine on 64-bit machines and operating systems - but we probably won't see many 64-bit versions of those same programs any time soon. There is little economic incentive for software makers to keep development and support staffs on the payrolls for 2 versions of the same program when most users are happy with 32-bit performance. For this reason, most computers out there are still running in 32-bit mode.

Most CPUs and motherboards support 64-bit but the problem is the software makers are waiting for consumers to commit to 64-bit while consumers are waiting for software makers to commit to 64-bit. A Catch-22. Even with the RAM limitations of 32-bit systems, great performance is achieved with 2Gb of RAM, a 1/2 way decent CPU, and a good graphics card - this works because today's computing tasks are extremely graphics oriented. So the better the card, the faster even a lessor CPU can shed those tasks and deal with the more mundane housekeeping chores.

That said, if the OS is 64-bit, much of the background stuff can be done faster, leaving system resources to deal with user tasks - assuming, of course, your favorite hardware peripheral makers have provided the necessary 64-bit drivers - not always a sure thing!

 

Ahh, sorry, I had already filled out the system specs, but didn't realise that I had to enable visibility in another section of the control panel!

The system in question is a Dell M90, and in CPUZ the board is shown as "Dell - 0YD632" with an Intel i945PM chipset. It says the CPU is a Socket 479 mPGA, and I've since discovered that Dell also released the M90 with a T7200 CPU.

The main program I wish to run in 64bit right now is Photoshop, as although I currently have 4Gb RAM installed, Photoshop CS4 still doesn't ustilise it, and I've been doing some heavy work with it lately designing some large format (12000mm x 3500mm high dpi) graphics for HGV truck/trailer "wraps" that have had the laptop at a crawl! I hope to gain from the (allegedly) better Core 2 Duo architecture and 4Mb cache, plus run the 64bit OS for efficient RAM usage.

64bit is also the future (and maybe one day in the not too dim and distant future, 128bit), and I for one embrace it. The longer people accept 32bit OS's, the longer developers will take the easy/lazy route of patches and upgrades. I want to work efficiently with high levels of RAM and multi-core, multi-CPU systems with software such as Photoshop and SolidWorks without relying so heavily on swap files. I'm building up a new system at the moment based on a new Precision board that will accept up to 192Gb RAM, but the components aren't cheap, and it's not going to be built overnight. In the mean time, I want the most powerful OS and software my hardware can utilise.

Not everyone sits and plays games or surfs YouTube all day long!