CPU upgrade in Area 51M

[mau_52]

Hello,
I have a 6 years old Alienware area 51 M and would like to replace the CPU. The one in is a P4 3.2ghz, 1MB, 800FSB, LGA775. Please advise what's compatible.

 

[das_stig]

What motherboard, updating a LGA775 doesn't make financial sense as its end an of life socket, unless you can get a cheap dual-core or quad-core from ebay.

 

[mau_52]

MB D900T I think, the processor is P4 3.2GHZ 800FSB LGA775.

 

[mdd1963]

Regardless of what CPU is installed, you are unlikely to be able to bring a 6 yr old system into 'ready for Crysis/Metro2033' specs thru a cpu upgrade alone, as odds are whatever graphics are installed are also severely outdated...

Time for a new desktop or laptop if gaming is the goal....

 

[mau_52]

The goal is have the laptop for internet browsing only, I already have a decent desktop for gaming. Would any socket 775 processor do the trick or has to be only the P4 3.2ghz? I noticed few on ebay but all are second hand. Is is worth it?

 

[mau_52]

The laptop is AREA 51M 7700, MB D900T, CPU P4 3.2 GHZ 1MB 800FSB LGA775 EJ, PSU 20V output, NVIDIA 6800FXGO with 256MB module and 2 gb of CORSAIR memory (upgraded few years ago) and a brand new 160gb HDD. I replaced the old hdd because I thought that's the problem but it's not. I know I won't be able to do what I did 6 years ago (play FAR CRY everyday :-( but maybe just for Internet browsing and simple tasks will be nice. Many thanks

 

[mdd1963]

Since my Celeron-M 1.4 GHz Toshiba Satellite still browses fine, I suspect your 3.2 GHz P4 would too....

Not all socket 775 cpus will work in all socket 775 motherboards, especially those on laptops; wether or not the laptop would support other processors depends on it's thermal design, MB's revision, and BIOS/voltage support....

 

[mau_52]

Since my Celeron-M 1.4 GHz Toshiba Satellite still browses fine, I suspect your 3.2 GHz P4 would too....

Not all socket 775 cpus will work in all socket 775 motherboards, especially those on laptops; wether or not the laptop would support other processors depends on it's thermal design, MB's revision, and BIOS/voltage support....

I suspected that :-( Don't know where to get those details (thermal design, etc...) I looked on the papers that came with the laptop and dont seem to be there.

 

[mau_52]

Took out the CPU today and put it back in, same thing :-( will replace the CMOS battery tomorrow and if that doesnt do the trick will throw it on ebay :-(

 

[mdd1963]

"same thing"...meaning what exactly?

You have not even remotely stated a specific problem, but merely a goal to surf, which it should easily do.

What is the laptop's issue?

 

[mau_52]

Everytime time I switched on the laptop takes ages to get anything on the screen and then I get the beeps, long and continue beeps (a lot more than 5). I suspected that the RAM is gone, replaced it, same problem, I replaced the HDD, same thing, took the CPU out and put it back in, no changes; I was hoping that the CPU is fried because would be the easiest to replace and that's why I started this topic.Today I'm going the replace the CMOS battery. If that doesnt help means the VIDEO card (NVIDIA 6800FXGO 256MB) or the motherboard it's gone