CPU compatability for a P3 Lappy.

Ok, this is the deal, i have a bunch of none working units, i was recently able to get a actually working lappy, well, somewhat. So i scavenged parts pretty much on all the others, and ended up with a P3 700Mhz Coppermine, 256mB ram, and 20 gB disc, CR-RW, 10/100 lan, IR, and a bunch of other things. After this i started to pester the swedish reseller who's brand is on this thing.

"Best computer", also known as "Maximus Quality Center" (i have no none swedish linky at this time, sorry)

What did i want... well, basicly, i wanted to know how much cpu, ram, and discspace i could do to this thingy, get a few bios updates, and get on with my life. Well, things are never easy. Turns out, pretty much everything i did to this thing, is either impossible, or highly unlikely to work.

Q: Can i retrofit devices sutch as lan, phone modem, usb, and so on, and what parts should i be looking for?
A: No, your not able to retrofit it with lan, phone modem, ir, usb, and so on, absolutley not.
Comment: I allready did while i was waiting 2 -2 weeks for your slow response. thanks for answering tho.

Q: Is the CPU in a socket, or is it surface mounted?
A: you cannot replace / upgrade the cpu.
Comment: allready did, the 600/650 Mhz thingy that was in there, is replaced with a pretty much identical faster twin, a 700Mhz.

Q: Memory upgrades, what exacly is supported?
A: the memory is not a generic kind and might be hard to get hold on, we do have some units still, and max memory will be 512mB.
Comment: Memory have been replaced with 2x128mB generic PC100 sdram off a HP P3 933Mhz.

Q: Harddrive devices, size limitations, and sutch?
A: 40gB
Comment: have no drive to break, or verify this, but 40gB sounds odd, 8, 32, and 128, i know of reasons for... but 40gB ?

So far this is mainly aimed to be intresting / funny to read. Hopefully someone enjoyed it. Now here is a question. Is a I443BX/ZX chipset equiped motherboard able to run a 133Mhz FSB cpu? I allready gave up on the support, they clairly have no idea. The cpu currently running in there, is a coppermine mPGA2 1.6v thingy, so "any" grade sutch should run, altho this is my fastest. i belive there were 900Mhz mPGA2 coppermines aswell, but was that some oddish divider on a 133FSB ?

Basicly, i have no 133FSB cpu laying around, so i cant test, and see, and i want a little more power in this thing, not that i know what i should do with it, but a laptop is a laptop, right? None of my friends have one, so it would make me the onlyone amongst the friends that have 4 computers running 24/7, AND owns a laptop. If you have no life, you got to brag about that to ;- )

If you have anything to say, from "get a life" and all the way through to some positive info, sutch as "a bios update will make it run 133Mhz fsb cpu's, or scary enough "you'll have to set it to its "right" clock in windows, but it will actually run any coppermine at all. The last two might just be wishfull thinking, but that alone havent killed anyone i know... yet. I might be the first one with that to.

B!

Like you said you may need a Bios update to run a 133FSB processor but it do this your PC100 sdram might not be up to the task. Hate to see you put in a 133fsb processor and not have it work with out mentioning that the pc100 ram might not run at 133fsb. I personally never had much luck getting PC100 to run at 133FSB stable. Also be aware their might be a ram limitation of 256mb per bank and maybe only work with single sided ram.
Might want to check the motherboard to see if it has a dip switch to change from 100Mhz FSB to 133 Mhz FSB or a unmarked Dip switch near the CPU.

Mm, im apparently getting through to the support, so far i havent been able to get a identification on the motherboard in this thing. SiSoftSandra, and Everest dosent know it, and support.. well. Anyhow i recived a email stating i should see a updated bios in the next few days, aparently, a "up to date" phoenix thingy. Just might includew some new features aswell.

I havent been able to get specs on the chipset that i actually trust, claims of max 66, and 100Mhz FSB on the ZX chipset, and pretty much nothing at all on the BX chipset. If its anything like the 440BX, then its good for atleast 133Mhz FSB, but who knows... Im going to rip the lid of again tomorrow, and poke around a bit more, there are a 6 switches large dip switch in the area around the cpu, trying to figure out what that does, or if my memory is wrong, and see if i cant get a fix on exacly wich chipset it is i have in here... Should'a taken notes when i put it together i assume...

B!

From what I have seen, in laptop CPUs, the 100FSB and 133 FSB chips are in different sockets.

What you can do, is to get a faster 100FSB CPU. They go up to 1000MHz.

steve

Oddish, i thought they all resided in the same mPGA2 socket... I'll have to look in to that.

Thanks.
B!

If it is a bx chipset, It probably only supports 100fsb cpu's.