Upgrade my Compaq 620 laptop to be with better CPU, more RAM and SSD

[qiubosu]

I purchased a brand new laptop HP Compaq 620 from a local New Zealand supplier a few years ago, and it has been working very well. Its CPU is Intel T4500, Graphic is Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset, the RAM is 4GB, and it is with 500GB HDD. Now I want to upgrade it to be with better CPU (Quad-Core), 8GB RAM and 500GB SSD.

I did some research of my laptop (I also checked the Maintenance and Service guide of this laptop from http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02780494) and the hardware I want to upgrade to, and I found the Intel Q9000 CPU which supports Virtualization Technology, is with Quad-Core, and seems supporting the same socket type.

This URL link https://support.hp.com/nz-en/document/c02104598?spm=a2g0s.imconversation.0.0.16803e5f7xLTJi has the details of its product description. From this information I think the Intel Q9000 CPU should support the hardware system of my laptop. However I think it is good to ask the manufacturer to help to finally confirm this. Moreover whether this upgrade could make potential problem to my laptop in the future? If this Intel Q9000 CPU doesn't support my Compaq 620 laptop, why not and could you recommend the suitable laptop CPU(s) which support the same socket type, support Virtualization Technology and with Quad-Core?

[banhien]

@qiubosu 

Options for CPU and RAM

   https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c02108262  and

   http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02780494.pdf

The latest BIOS was on   Dec 12, 2011 therefore I don't think it would accept Q9000 CPU specially Q9000 TDP is 45W when others are only 25W.

1. RAM: It support 4GB max as mentioned on page 3 of the manual and Crucial confirmed that

         https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/HP-Compaq/hp-620

2. SSD: You can use 500GB or 1TB of SSD for storage. The above link shows compatible products.

At the end of the day, you can only replace HDD with SSD. For CPU the chance is 10%.

Regards.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @qiubosu 

The Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P7570 is listed as a supported processor in your PC and it supports VT.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/42167/intel-core-2-duo-processor-p7570-3m-cache...

I suggest you go with a sure bet and not gamble on a processor that may not work.

If the BIOS does not have the microcode for any processor not listed in the service manual, it probably will not work.

[qiubosu]

thanks for Banhien & Paul advices.

(update -Thinking it over, the Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset supports FSB 667MHz / 800MHz / 1066MHz, so the Bus Speed difference between these two CPU isn't the issue, which is good in this case to use CPU Q9000)

RAM - it seems the max RAM could be 8GB from the online product page https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c02108262

CPU - in product Maintenance and Service Guide PDF, the best supported CPU is P7570 (with TDP 25W). the CPU Q9000 was launched at Q1'09 and CPU T4500 (originally installed in my laptop Compaq 620 when I purchased it brand new around 2013, with latest BIOS released at Dec 12, 2011) was launched at Q1'10, one year later than that of CPU Q9000. So my Compaq 620 laptop, its BIOS and its original CPU T4500 were all released after that of CPU Q9000. So the BIOS of my laptop might support CPU Q9000. If there is anyone successfully done this before, then this is the good confirmation. It isn't expensive to get an used CPU Q9000 to give it a try.

To compare the specifications of CPU T4500 and Q9000 in Intel website, it seems the only one potential risk (but it might be not an issue) is that the TDP of Q9000 is 45W and that of T4500 is 35W (this is a thermal dissipation issue, but it still worthes to give it a try). The Bus Speed of Q9000 is 1066 MHZ and that of T4500 is 800 MHZ, but this isn't a risk, just could be the performance compromise issue.

welcome more feedback and advice.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

The chipset that your notebook has supports processors with a 1066 MHz FSB, so that isn't a problem.

As I posted earlier, the BIOS has to have the microcode for the Q9000, or it won't work and we don't know if it does or not.

[qiubosu]

Yes you're right. The FSB speed isn't an issue.

In my opinion, the TDP 45W of CPU Q9000 is more than TDP 35W of T4500. if the motherboard of laptop Compaq 620 with the same chipset struggles to support the higher TDP of CPU Q9000, then it is a concern for the BIOS to support this CPU from the motherboard manufacturer point of view.

It would be good to know if anyone had ever tried this Q9000 CPU for this laptop.