Upgrading a HP rp5700

[Sluefoot_Sue]

Hi. This may seem like a lame question, but what do I do to upgrade my processor from an E7400 to an E8600?

Current specifications:

HP rp5700 desktop

Intel core 2 duo E7400

bios version is 786E4 v01.17

4Gb RAM

Merely swapping E8600 processor for the E7400 doesn't work:

Results: POST RED LED beeps 9 times.

What can I do, if anything?

Alternatively, does such a processor "upgrade" even make good sense for this machine?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Below is the link to the quickspecs for your PC.  The supported processors can be found on page 6.

http://whp-cpq.extweb.hp.com/cpq-products/quickspecs/12703_emea/12703_emea.pdf

No E84xx processors are supported.   No processor with a 1333 MHz FSB is supported.

The E84xx processors all have 1333 MHz FSB's, and the chipset your PC has can only take a processor with a max FSB of 1066 Mhz.

[Sluefoot_Sue]

Many thanks, Paul!

That explaiins why the "9 Red LED Beeps": there's an incompatibility that prevents operation. Makes sense.

Appreciate your speedy and timelyy response. Keeps me from more mishaps.

Thank you, again.

Sluefoot_Sue

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Maybe you can install the E7600 in there since it has the E7400 but I couldn't say for sure.

The E7600 is in the same family as the E7400.

[Sluefoot_Sue]

AHA! Something to try! I'll give it a shot!

:womanvery-happy:

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Here is a side by side comparison of the E7400 and the E7600...

http://ark.intel.com/compare/36500,41495

[Sluefoot_Sue]

Looks like the E7600 is about 8.5% faster. I'm not so sure that an 8% performance increase is worth the hassle.

I don't intend to use this as a gaming machine, so a mere 8% increase might not be worth the cost or hassle.

What do you think?:womanwink:

[Paul_Tikkanen]

I agree with you.

I would only do it for the sake of experimentation.

It would give you the best processor it could possibly have, if it worked.

I don't know if you care about virtualization.  The E7600 supports VT, where you have to have a specific sSpec E7400 in order for it to support VT.

If you have not done so already, put a SSD in there.

Even though the sata port is only 3.0 GBPS, a SSD will really pep things up.

Also 8 GB (4 x 2 GB) of PC2-6400 memory would be a boost if you are not already there.

[Sluefoot_Sue]

Many thanks!

I've got to see what Ebay's offering for sale on E7600's. VR capability... that does intrigue me.

That SSD upgrade sounds like a plan! And I see that Fry's has a neat little 120 Gb PNY SSD on sale, too!

But: I thought that this box could only "hold" 4Gb of DDR2 memory. Jumping it to 8Gb would really liven things up!

So 4 sticks of 2Gb each would actually fit! Astounding!

EBAY, here I come!:womanlol:

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Happy shopping!

Yes, if you look at the quickspecs link I posted, page 6, you will see the support for 8 GB of memory.

http://whp-cpq.extweb.hp.com/cpq-products/quickspecs/12703_emea/12703_emea.pdf