Best CPU upgrade for G61-110SA w/ GL40 chipset

[pmdci]

I have a spare G61-110SA laptop lying around the house that I'd like to give to my younger kid as his first PC. Since this is quite an aging machine, I'd like to get the best possible CPU I could find for it on eBay. Currently, the device has an Intel Pentium T4300 CPU (Penryn) and the chipset is GL40 (confirmed by using CPU-Z).

I've been looking for CPU options by checking the laptop's service manual (link), as well as by looking at the cpu-upgrade.com entry for the CPU (link) as well as for the chipset (link). I was told I should look for CPUs with the same steppings.

I read elsewhere on this forum that the GL40 chipset cannot handle CPUs above 800 MHz front side bus (FSB). However the laptop's manual lists a few possible CPU options that has a 1066 MHz front side bus (FSB). So I am not sure if I could get something beyond 800 MHz.

I wonder if you nice folks could help me with a list of best CPU options for this laptop, from better to worse? Thank you!

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

You should definitely not try any processor with a faster FSB than 800 MHz in a notebook with a Mobile Intel GL40 chipset.

The service manual that shows 1066 MHz processors are supported are for the notebooks with the Mobile Intel GM45 or PM45 chipset.

The T6600 listed in the manual would be the best one supported in your notebook.

If you want to go outside of the manual, then you can install the T9500 which was the fastest Pentium processor with an 800 MHz FSB.

Comparison of the two processors:

Intel® Product Specification Comparison

[pmdci]

Hi Paul,

Thank you so much for the prompt reply.

I would have no problem going "outside the manual", if the CPU will work. Anyway to know this in advance? By looking at the comparison page you provided, they seem very similar and I'd love to go for the extra cache of the T9500!

However I had a quick look on this link (list of possible T4300 replacements) and it seems like the steppings for the T9500 (C0) does not match our current CPU (T4300) while the T6600 does (R0). Wouldn't this be a problem?

Just to keep my options open in case is hard to find the best option... I am assuming that a T6970 could also work, right?

Also if you don't mind... I am feeling pretty stupid reading the laptop's manual. I looked at the table on p7 and I saw the 1066 MHz FSB entries for all models laptop. What did I do wrong?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

I cannot find any posts where someone on this forum has actually installed the T9500 in their notebook, but this forum shows many posts of different processors that worked in the HP G60, G61 and G71 models with the Intel GL40 chipsets.

CPU-Upgrade: Intel GL40 Express chipset processor support (comments page 1)

I see one entry where someone installed the T9300 in their HP G60 notebook, and it worked fine.

That's just the next model down from the T9500.

Since the T6970 has an 800 MHz FSB it may also work too.

You didn't do anything wrong by reading the manual.

You can infer from what you read that any processor listed in the manual would work.

But since different chipsets are listed (top of page 1-2), you need to research outside of the manual as to what processors those chipsets will support.

Intel states the GL40 chipset will only support processors with a max FSB speed of 667 MHz, but we found out better.

Intel 82GL40 Graphics and Memory Controller Hub Product Specifications

But the specs for the PM45 chipset are correct.

GM45 (onboard Intel graphics)

PM45 (discrete AMD or nVidia graphics)

Intel 82PM45 Memory Controller Hub Product Specifications

I have no doubt that many folks on this forum have installed processors with 1066 MHz FSB's in their GL40 chipset notebooks and posted a question asking why it didn't work.

[pmdci]

Thank you so much for this. I am going for the T9500, cross my fingers and hope for the best!

Just got the last one on eBay here.

I wonder if these models also have better integrated graphics, because the one for the T4300 is the worst!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime. 

Glad to have been of assistance  .

Please post back and let us know how your notebook's processor upgrade project went. 

[pmdci]

Hi Paul 

Got the CPU today (T9500). Bad news... It does not work 😞

The computer powers on... But then powers off after a few seconds. It tries to power on again, then it powers off. Gets into some sort of power loop.

I tried resetting the CMOS but that did not do the trick.

I reinserted the CPU multiple times, tried with the older one to see if I am making a mistake... But no. It is definitely the new CPU. Unfortunately I cannot tell if the CPU is faulty, or if the problem is the laptop's MOBO that does not support it.

What a waste... ☹️

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Sorry that the T9500 didn't work. 

Unfortunately, I don't know why it didn't. 

[pmdci]

Could it be the stepping (CPU simply not supported by the MoBo)? Or the CPU is faulty?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Honestly, I have no idea why it didn't work.

I'm thinking if the CPU was faulty the notebook would not even have booted up.

One question remains...do you have the latest BIOS update installed?

What BIOS version is currently installed?

The latest one is F.23

HP G61-110SA BIOS (driverscollection.com)

The only thing is, I don't know if it is advisable to update the BIOS on an unsupported operating system like W10, nor do I know if updating the BIOS would even resolve the problem.

There is the T6600 800 MHz FSB which is listed as supported in the manual if the T9500 refuses to work.