Help Upgrading presario c500 series notebook - Page 9

C500 Fan,

Intel's website is potentially confusing because they tend to refer to Socket M and Socket P in the same way (PPGA478), even though they are physically different. This is an even bigger problem where chips DID overlap (such as the Celeron M 530, as I noted above).

It's not TECHNICALLY wrong, as they DO both have the same pin count. Obviously, their one pin difference and the electrical incompatibilities MAKE it confusing for them to do this, though.

As far as eBay goes, that's not altogether shocking. People may not even be AWARE there's a difference at times and may just go with Intel's listing, which as we have discussed is somewhat confusing. The funny listings would be any listing PBGA479, which as I said above is a solder-on interface. Very few (if any) end users could properly remove or install such a chip.

What all this boils down to is a simple reassurance: As far as I know, there were NO Socket P T7200's produced, so you should not be at any risk of an incompatible chip.

That being said, if by some chance you actually DO find it to be so let us know so we can spread the knowledge. Assuming you're safe, though, let us know how the upgrade turns out! I love my T7200 equipped C500, even if she runs a bit warm. Hopefully you have the same experience!

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O

Thanks for the re-assurance as it is a bit confusing for a simple person like me.

 

 I may have to wait a bit longer for my upgrade to be completed as I ordered a new top casing including the palmrest - mouse mat in nice unused condition, there is almost no silver left on my mouse area and to the right hand side of this area I have also worn away the finish. I was thinking of cutting down and fitting a smart phone screen protector to the new one to protect the finish, do you think that would work? I do use the mouse mat a lot.

 

 I have also ordered the new 4gb of memory, figured I might as well get the whole improvement in one go.

 

 So hopefully soon my very well used c500 will look like new and run better than it ever has before.

 

 I will say that it is running a lot nicer since I changed the hard drive to a 200gb running 7200rpm and installed windows 7. It is so much nicer to use than when it had 80gb @ 5400rpm and vista premium, which I think was actually slower than my previous home basic. 

 

 Anyway I shall let you know what I find and how it is.

 

 Thanks,

 

 John 

C500 Fan,

That sounds like an excellent plan. I have worn the touch pad on my DV9700 down the same way, so I know where you're coming from on that.

I have to agree on the hard drive swap. Ever since my old Dell Inspiron 5150 (I was one of the lucky ones that never had an issue), I have refused to use a laptop with anything less than a 7200 RPM drive. Between that and the fact that Windows 7 seems to run a little slimmer than Vista you're already on the way. The T7200 and the RAM is like the icing on the cake.

As far as the screen protector: That's a nifty idea. I wish I could say I thought of it. Assuming that it adheres properly, you might be onto something. Let us know if it works!

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O

I will try the screen protector on the new bezel when it arrives as my current one is far to worn down to be a good test.

 

I did try clear packing tape over it though and that works good but it is thinner than a screen protector and is adhesive. Still it would be better than nothing even if I have to replace it regularly.

 

 Does anyone know of a speaker upgrade, I remember reading something a few years ago about better speakers for the c500 but at that time I was not confident about taking it apart so did not pursue it.

 

 Also the IC Diamond, how much should I use?

 

I bought 1.5 gramms and was expecting to use it all.

 

 Cheers,

 

 John

IC Diamond - one small drop goes a long way, anything spliing over is a waste!

Ugrading notebook internal speakers is a waste of time and money. Best is to have a good headsets and external speakers.

Screen protector - I use a clear folio paper cut to screen size. The type of paper they use for projectors print out. Just cut them large enough to fit about 1mm under the bezel and you are set

cheers ...

Ok then one small drop it is then.

Which is good as I will no doubt need it again for the other c500's that are appearing from friends interested in this upgrade. Never new so many people had these machines. I have already purchased another two 200gb 7200rpm hard drives to start two other upgrades but am waiting to do my board and cpu swap before offeringthis part to anyone else.

 

I expect that the overall cost of the hard drive, motherboard, T7200 CPU, 4gb 5300 memory and windows 7 upgrade will be around $125-150 after selling on the parts I have removed from my machine including my old vista premium disk. Not that bad considering.

 

 I could not find anything on the speakers and am not considering upgrading them as it would lengthen the build time waiting for them to arrive, I was just wondering if anyone had heard of it.

 

 The procetion film is it sticky? I am not looking to protect the screen rather the mouse mat to stop it from wearing all the paint off of it.

 

 Thanks,

 

 John

Nope. The overhead projector folio clear paper comes in different thickness and opacity. I recommend a good stationary store in the neighbourhood to check them out, and it is not sticky. Look at that as an extra layer of clear plastic (not quite plastic) for your lcd.

cheers ...

q....the guy said he was trying to protect his mousepad not the LCD...lol

Glad to see this thread keep going.

 

I foun this while waiting on my hard drive to recover, it's the f.25 bios.

 

Details and specifications

File name:		sp35953.exe [1/1, 3.08M]
Released:		2007-05-28
Version:		F.25
Compatibility:		Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista (64-bit), Microsoft Windows XP
Fix/Enhancement:		Modifies thermal control method to improve system stability. Fixes issue where a "blue screen" error is generated if the notebook has two 2-GB memory modules installed

 

 

Edited by loyalbama - 1/13/12 at 5:42pm

Hello all,

Stop being so active while I'm at class! Heheheh

On the speaker issue: I have never heard of upgrades. Honestly, I LOVE the speaker system in my C500 and it's one of the reasons I keep it around. Every laptop I've had since (even my Beats Edition DV7-Quad) has paled in comparison. Also, because the housings tend to be customized for a particular model and mounting, I think your decision to let that idea go is a good one. As QHN said, head phones or externals are the way to go if you REALLY need a boost.

On people coming out of the woodwork for upgrades: It's not all that shocking. From the amount of activity I've seen here and elsewhere, they were fairly popular/common for a time and they DO have some hidden potential so it all fits. Even with my DV7 and my DV9700, I keep finding uses for my C500 just because I love it so much and for many common uses it's still plenty powerful enough. One thing you might consider is that if you know anyone with a C300, many of the same parts were used, so the same upgrades are possible in many cases. Useful information!

On the BIOS issue: F.24 is the most visible from HP. There are some models that have F.25 available from HP as well. MY 441695-001 board came with BIOS F.26. I have NOT seen BIOS F.26 on ANY machine on HP's site. I checked C500, C300, G3000, and G5000 models as in depth as I could, but NONE list F.26 (all a mix of F.24 and F.25).

Exactly WHAT F.26 provides over F.25 I cannot tell you. I CAN tell you that it does NOT appear to remove the White List as I could not boot my Intel WiFi-Link 5100 in the system. It still gave BIOS error 104.

The edited/hacked BIOS files that I have seen mentioned I have not been able to ACTUALLY download, so I have no further information on it. Realistically, there's very little I've found that I would need an N-band card for vs. the G-band the machine came with, so I don't fuss over it. (54 Mbps ethernet speed vs. 15 Mbps internet means Wireless-G is STILL able to outpace my downloads).

Glad to see so much new life in the thread. Keep the new information coming!

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O

Hi all,

 

 Well my IC paste eventually arrived today and I have now completed the upgrade, unfortunately I have two silver screws left over but hey everything is working so maybe they were already on the new to bezel that I bought.

 

 My notes so far;

 

• Starts up and shuts down quicker,
• I now have F-26 Bios,
• I only have 2.99Gb of useable ram out of 4Gb.

 

 My windows rating changed as follows;

 

• Processor from 3.6 to 5.1
• Memory from 4.5 to 5.1 (I bought 2 x 2Gb 667mhz Lenovo memory)
• Graphics from 2.5 to 3.6
• Gaming graphics from 3.0 to 3.2
• Primary Hard disk from 5.5 to 5.1 ???

 

 So why has my hard disc got worse? I thought it would stay the same.

 

 And I do have both windows 7 versions, would it be worth while going to 64 bit?

 

 If so will it upgrade and keep all my files or is it a fresh install?

 

 And will it need to be re-registered or am I okay as the registration key was sold with both discs enclosed?

 

 Thanks again,

 

 John

It is worth going 64-bits, my personal preference. And this would require a clean install. But this would have nothing to do with the HDD scoring. Depending on the OS version, you might have to re-activate (register)

cheers ...

Just checked and I only have the upgrade discs so can only upgrade from 32bit to 32bit.

 

I'll keep looking into it to see if there is another way of getting my system to run 64 bit.

The upgrade disk should be able to use as an installation disk for Windows 7

cheers ...

C500 fan and QHN,

It's late and I can't keep the points in focus so I'll just toss them out as I think of them. Heheh

The hard drive score drop is not necessarily a big deal. It's the same drive with the same interface. However, I would try updating the drivers (from Intel's website) to see if that makes any difference. Stll, a drop from 5.5 to 5.1 isn't a HUGE difference, and the WEI ratings are not really anything to be too concerned with.

As for your other notes: The startup and shut down would be consistent with the upgrades you provided. There's more space to work with, a faster HD, and more CPU horsepower in several ways.

BIOS F.26 makes a second appearance. I would REALLY love to know where it came from and what the differences are, even if they're little more than "Stability fix."

And lastly: The 2.99 GB amount is consistent with what we know about the chipsets and the system in general. As we researched about two-three pages ago, that is the maximum amount you can expect to be usable from 4 GB. 4 GB less 768 MB to chipset limitation, less 256 MB to video RAM. If it weren't an integrated video card, you'd have 3.25 GB.

On the WEI point again: There's an option in the ratings detail window, on the left, called Advanced Tools. Click on that. The top option says, basically, "Erase all ratings and re-run the assessment." I have found that choosing that option will sometimes DRASTICALLY alter scores. Example: When I first upgraded from my T7250 to my T9300 in my DV9700, I initially ONLY clicked the "Update score" link. It went from 5.1 to 5.5. A short while later, I clicked the OTHER option to erase all scores and start over. It went from a 5.5 to 6.1 for the CPU. So, you might try that and see where your scores go.

As for the upgrade vs. reinstall for Windows: QHN is correct. If you use the 64-bit install disc, you will be presented the option to do a custom install. Format the partition and install the 64-bit version. Windows 7 installation will remember that there was a previous version and allow an upgrade.

THAT BEING SAID: It may not allow a LATERAL move ("upgrading" Windows 7 Home 32-Bit to Windows 7 Home 64-Bit). Even so, you could wipe the drive and install a copy of Windows XP, then upgrade to Win7 64-Bit after. The registration code will be valid for either the 32-Bit or 64-Bit installation, but yes you may have to call in for activation.

There are some differences between the two versions, the 64-Bit DOES seem a bit peppier on the C500 than the 32-Bit. That may just be perception, though.

I think that about covers it. Hopefully you're enjoying your upgrades. I'm glad to know another C500 will continue on for a bit longer!

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O
Edited by OShadowFoxO - 1/17/12 at 9:28pm

Can't upgrade XP to Windows 7 - it must also be a clean install

cheers ...

A clarification and something I almost forgot,

The clarification: You said you replaced your hard drive with a bigger one, if I'm not mistaken, in an earlier post. I forget if it was before or after the other upgrades. If it was DURING the upgrades, though, you may see the difference in score because it's a different drive. I apologize if I'm getting posts mixed up and timings wrong, I'm minutes from bed. It just occured to me as a possibility.

Also, on the RAM: At first glance, you might think it was a waste to get 4 GB and you could've gone with just 3 GB. I will point out that the 4 GB is not a waste for two reasons:

One: While you don't get a full 4 GB , you DO get 2.99 GB. If you had gone with just 3 GB (2 GB and 1 GB), you'd only have 2.75 GB total. While 256 MB may not seem like much, it does add up.

Two: With two 2 GB sticks, the memory is operating in dual-channel mode which yields its own performance gains. With 3 GB (again, 2 GB + 1 GB), it would not operate in dual-channel and thus you wouldn't have those benefits.

Edit: Mr. Smarty QHN is also correct about not "upgrading" from XP to Win7, and I knew that. =P
The process is still the same as what I described above basically. Choose "Custom" during Windows 7 setup and format the partition. Windows 7 will still accept that as an upgrade rather than a clean install. At least, it has for me every time I've done it.

Oh and... I'm trying to think where the silver screws are inside my C500. If I remember, there are four silvers holding the cooling plate on the CPU... I can't for the life of me think of where there are others. The four holding the cooling plate are pretty distinct though, I think you'd remember them if it was those.

Anyway, just wanted to toss those out there before I forgot.

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O

All,

 

 I have just finished the 64 bit install after booting from the cd drive (thanks qhn) and after hours of updates all is well. I even managed to download office 2007 using my old product key.

 

 To shadowfox, both earlier wei's for the hard drive were for the same hard drive. Although now I have installed the 64 bit version of windows 7 I have a different wei; (and still have the same 2.99Gb of available memory)

• Processer wwent from 5.1 to 5.0
• Memory went from 5.1 to 5.0
• Primary Hard Disk went from 5.1 to 5.5 (where it was before)

 

 I am almost sure I took six silver screws out of my C500 but only re-installed the four for the heat sink, I am sure this will become obvious when I upgrade another one.

 

Hopefuly this upgrade will see my C500 hold its own for a couple more years when laptops and pads will have merged into something that will be truely different and then it will definatley be something worth investing in.

 

 Off topic, I am even holding off on buying a new tv at the moment as everything is moving so fast just now it seems that everything is out of date sooner than it ever was before. I used to say thathe up to date lap top on the shelf was already two months out of date. I now believe that televisions are probably six months out of date when they are lauched.

 

 Thanks again,

 

 John

 

C500 Fan,

Your WEI numbers are consistent with mine, as I just reinstalled Win7 Pro 64-Bit on my C500 to get it set for school again. Nothing like a fresh install.

To the subject of 2.99 GB: That is what you can expect, it's normal for the operation of that North Bridge memory controller. I forget the EXACT post, it's a few pages back, but basically the information I found is this:

The 945GM will POST, boot, and function with 4 GB of RAM. However, despite it supporting 64-Bit functions, it is not a TRUE 64-Bit chipset. Parts of it, specifically memory functions, have two 32-Bit "channels" siamesed together to allow 64 bits of data through at a time. This allows for 4 GB to be functional but still limits it to 2.99 USABLE. The 2.99 you see before you (4 GB less 768 MB gone to limitation, minus another 256 MB gone for video RAM. If you had a discrete video card instead of the GMA 950, you would have 3.25 GB). I can confirm this behavior with my bosses old Dell Precision M65, which has 4 GB and a Core 2 Duo T7600. It has only 3.25 GB usable.

Take that with a grain of salt, as I found it on a forum discussing the issue. However, it's the ONLY explanation I've found and it does sort of make sense.

As for the screws, yeah I can't think of it either. I'll check the disassembly guide at some point and see if I can picture them.

You're right about the whole advancing tech thing. If you're anything like me, the C500 will work for a while to come yet. If I could mount a second HD in it, I'd be using it as my main still, really. That's the ONLY shortcoming of the whole system for me. I NEED that redundancy and capacity.

I'm glad you got the upgrade to work as expected!

Regards,
O Shadow Fox O