processor change problem

[retired]

Years ago I replaced the processor in my t-60 with a t7200 2.0 4mb processor and it allowed me to run a 64 bit os - no problem - I don't remember what I took out. So my t-60 is basically worn out from years of faithful use and I bought a used one - very nice condition - it had a t2300 1.6 2mb processor which I replaced with my 7200, and my ss drive - both were working fine till I did the swap - the new used t60 has a centrino sticker on it but the bios showed a 2 core t2300 before I did the swap - now my computer doesn't boot - nothing happens when I turn it on - blank screen and shuts off immediately. So I'm wondering if my new computer can't be upgraded for some reason - the centrino sticker has me wondering if this particular t60 can't be upgraded.

[atagunov]

Hello, I suspect that a BIOS update may help. Perhaps put in the CPU this T60 came with and upgrade BIOS to the latest available? If you feel so inclined you could as well look for some fancier modded BIOS. As yet another alternative - if the T60-s are of the same size - you could swap your internals completely from old to new.

[kfzhu1229]

the new used t60 has a centrino sticker on it but the bios showed a 2 core t2300 before I did the swap - now my computer doesn't boot - nothing happens when I turn it on - blank screen and shuts off immediately. So I'm wondering if my new computer can't be upgraded for some reason - the centrino sticker has me wondering if this particular t60 can't be upgraded.

Seems like a missing microcode from the BIOS. Updating to the latest BIOS should fix it (I hope Lenovo didn't cuck the older T60 boards of Merom support like they did for older T61 boards of Penryn support).
Remember to replace the thermal paste too and clean the insides of the heatsink while you are at it.
The T7200 is like a sweet spot in my opinion. The T7400 and T7600 gets exponentially more expensive for barely any performance boost compared to the price increases and the T7200 only costs me like C$5 after tax and postage. Put one in a Toshiba Satellite A200 with a T2300 and it's a massive performance improvement.

[pillboxhunter]

simply put old processor back in, upgrade bios to latest then put new processor in again and it should work. It did for me doing a similar swap.

[phil917k]

I'm also just about to start on upgrading my T60. It currently has a T2400 and I'm aiming to upgrade to a T7200 - much cheaper than a T7600. When I go into the BIOS it shows as version 2.17 (79ETD7WW). Should I plan to upgrade this BIOS and if so, is there a guide that I can refer to? I'm a newbie at this sort of thing but happy to learn. I've read various forum posts about modified BIOS that overcome some of the restrictions of the standard but I'm not sure how far to go down that route. The upgrade will also include a 120GB SSD though.

My main objective is just to be able to run 64-bit OS on the machine - Linux Mint 20 (currently 19.3 and with Windows XP still available in dual-boot).

[kfzhu1229]

You could attempt putting the CPU in first without updating the BIOS and see what happens. If the BIOS does not support the CPU yet you will either get a black screen and nothing happens or you boot up but the BIOS does not recongise the CPU properly.
It's mainly the T61 models that might not support the upgraded Penryn generation CPU's without a modded BIOS.
Also if you are interested in the BIOS update, I think you need to first make sure you have a working main battery. I am pretty sure it will be a hassle if you don't have a working main battery

[ajkula66]

When I go into the BIOS it shows as version 2.17 (79ETD7WW).

You *should* be OK with that BIOS version from what I recall.

[phil917k]

Just noting that I've completed the processor update to T7200 without doing anything to the BIOS. Vsn 2.17 is obviously OK! The machine is now running fine with Linux Mint 20 64-bit and the 2GB of RAM that it already had.