Yes the 940GML can be upgraded past the Celerons!

[clockworx]

http://www.jump.co.za/Product/HP-Not...Hz-6005384.htm

does this make any sense to you? it clearly states that the 940gml has the core duo t2050 in the laptop. let me know what you think.

Actually, if you look at HP's particular spec sheet, it appears that the chipset is also bumped from a 940GML to a 945HM when a Core Duo processor is installed over the Centrino.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/q.../12722_na.HTML

I'm investigating this issue myself due to having a Toshiba that I want to upgrade. It has a 943GML chipset and currently has a Celeron M 520 (Merom-based). Here's what I've found:

-I checked out notebooks that share my BIOS. The CPUs used by them include the Celeron M's, T2250 (Core Duo), T5200 and T5500 (Core 2 Duo, the latter w/ a 667 Mhz FSB), and T2060 and T2080 (Pentium Dual-Core, both at 533Mhz FSB)

-All of the Celeron and Pentium Dual-Core variants have a 943GML chipset. Core Duo and Core 2 Duo variants all have a 945GM.

-Pentium Dual-Cores are Intel's new higher-end budget processor. They're based on the Core Duo core (Yonah), with 1MB cache, dual cores, and speedstep support. Apparently the chipsets that Intel markets as "Celeron only" are also shipped with Pentium Dual-Core CPU's.

-So, after seeing all this, I tried to take a guess as to why all the Core 2 Duo notebooks have a 945GM instead of the 943GML.
1) It's not speedstep or dual-core support, since the Pentium Dual-Core's support both of those
2) It's not (necessarily) FSB speed, since the T5200 runs at 533 Mhz, though the T5500 does not. The specs are very clear about the 943GML being 533Mhz only.

My position is a bit better than those of people who own HPs, since I seem to be able to find the other laptops that share the same BIOS and check their specs. I tried to find that info on release notes for the dv1708nr, thinking that might shed some light on the issue, but I couldn't find it.

So, as of now, I'm debating to either get a T5200 (known to work with my BIOS and FSB speed) or play it safe and get a T2060 or T2080. If we could find the other HP laptops that share the same BIOS as the dv1708nr, that may give us some clues as to why the Core Duo upgrades failed on those. Perhaps some variants of that laptop line shipped with a T1350, but not a T2050 or T2250, so there is microcode support in the BIOS for the former but not the latter, hence the failure.

Sorry about the long-winded post, but I was hoping someone else might be able to match what they know with my research, and figure out more clearly why some CPU's work and some don't. I was afraid that the GML chipsets may just be arbitrarily locked down to not use Core chips, but the upgrades that people have done using 1350's seems to disprove at least that theory. The only real explanations left are either lack of CPU support in BIOS, or that the GML chipsets allow Core Solo but not Core Duo, which seems kind of weird and arbitrary.

[Charuto]

Anyone looking for the T1350,

http://stores.ebay.com/PartsBuffet

has 3 left (search the sSpec number sl99t) and he accepted my $25 offer.

So $25 + $6 (shipping) = $31

Assuming it arrives in working condition and all, I say it's a pretty good deal.

[itlynstalyn]

i have the T1350 upgraded into this laptop. however, the bios does state it supports the T2050. i have heard that the chip needs to be an oem HP specific chip in order for this to work. if anyone buys an oem t2050 off of ebay and it works, please let me know through pm.

[clockworx]

i have the T1350 upgraded into this laptop. however, the bios does state it supports the T2050. i have heard that the chip needs to be an oem HP specific chip in order for this to work. if anyone buys an oem t2050 off of ebay and it works, please let me know through pm.

I know that HP has had their own OEM parts in the past (thanks for making my X1000 wireless upgrade such a hassle!), but I'm pretty sure that there's no such thing as a vendor-specific CPU. If a chip is compatible, it should be compatible no matter who you buy it from.

On that note, I successfully upgraded my Celeron M 520 laptop (943GML chipset) to a T5200 chip (Core 2 Duo 1.6 Ghz 533 FSB). It appears that the GML chipsets don't actually limit upgrades to Core chips. If you're trying a CPU upgrade, I'd say the biggest thing is making sure the BIOS you're using has CPU support for the CPU you want to use. I knew that mine did going into the process, and that is probably some upgrades are succeeding while others fail.

[Hellbore]

I am trying to do this same upgrade to my Acer 3680 laptop. I purchased the T5200 CPU already, I hope it works!

I just confirmed that the latest bios (which I just flashed into my laptop), file name zr1_3505.wph, is also used by the Acer Aspire 5580-6707 which comes with the T5200 CPU !

So it looks like this bios in my laptop now has support for the T5200 CPU and hopefully the upgrade will work...

I should mention however that the Aspire 5580, though it uses the same bios, has a different chipset. It has 945Gm, whereas my Aspire 3680 has the 943GML chipset (verified by disassembly and looking at my chipset).

Clockworx are you certain your chipset is the 943GML? If it is, and you were able to use the T5200 CPU, then I should be able to also right? Because, my BIOS must recognize that CPU since this bios works for the Aspire 5580 which comes with that CPU...

I guess we'll see... I will probably receive the CPU in the next few days and then we will know.

[Skibums]

Hellbore, please reply after you have tried the upgrade, I too am interested in upgrading my Acer 3680

[Hellbore]

I will post my results asap, unfortunately I don't have the CPU yet. I think I will have it Monday.

[pellpel]

Thats cool thanks for keeping us posted.

[Hellbore]

I got the CPU tonight I'm gonna try it right now!

[Hellbore]

SUCCESS! Woohoo! My Acer 3680 now has a Core 2 Duo T5200 in it!

I think the reason it worked was because I made sure to download the latest Acer bios first, which had support for this CPU.

My only question now is, do I need to download special drivers to enable Speedstep?

It might already be using speedstep, I notice the laptop is running a LOT cooler! WOOHOO I'm so excited!

Next I'll stick a gig of ram in there and a 160 gig 7200 RPM hard drive (both left over from upgrading my Thinkpad) and this will be a pretty sweet little machine!