Acer Travelmate Processor Upgrade - Clock frequency adjustment problems

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by robwf, Jun 9, 2005.

  1. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    Hi,

    I've got a new Pentium M 740 1.7 processor for my Travelmate 800, the slowest of the 800 series with a 1.3 Pentium M as standard. The chipset is good, the screen is good, the graphics card is good, so I've decided to try an upgrade - probably a bad idea, but too late now!

    Travelmate 800s came in 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 Pentium M Banias as standard so I have stepped slightly out of Acer's standard processors for the range, although Intels family and type is still the same. The chipset is an Intel 82855PM (still current and does support the processor, although at 400 rather than 533) and the BIOS is a Phoenix Note BIOS.

    My problem is that I haven't been able to work out how to raise the processor clock speed despite a lot of searching on the web. I've pulled the motherboard out and can't find any jumpers on either side, and I can't adjust it through the standard BIOS pages. I've reflashed the BIOS, in case it was some form of autodetect, and I pulled the BIOS battery out and left it overnight for the same reason.

    There is only one motherboard / part number listed for the 800 range and there is no need to specify processor speed when ordering, so as far as I can see there MUST be a way to change the clock multiplier for the different processors in the range.

    My next steps were to use a full version of Winphlash, rather than the limited version available from Acer. I backed up my Bios and got access to he advanced features of Winphlash, but still nothing referring to processor speed.

    The rated processor speed is being correctly identified by BIOS, Windows and any applications such as Sandra. Sandra is interesting as it lists processor rated speed (correct), processor clock actual speed (12xx Hz) - correct and, most significantly the annoying original 1.3 Mhz quoted for the system, and the software must be getting this figure from somewhere but I can't work out where.

    The next step was to try a microcode update provided by a very helpful Canadian, but having read a bit more I think this was a dead end, and in fact failed anyway as the (definitely) latest version of Intel's microcode update software claimed that its database didn't have the right file, and to "please obtain the latest database file", despite being on the latest version from Feb this year (v7.13)

    Any ideas much appreciated as this is driving me nuts!

    Rob.
     
  2. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    I admit it, this is a thinly disguised 'bump'.

    Still nothing on this and Acer haven't even replied, despite 2 attempts. Verdict, for customer support, not Acer!

    Any pointer to someone that may be able to help would be equally welcome.

    Thanks.
     
  3. Omegamerc

    Omegamerc MajorGeek

    I think you mean 1.3ghz:p, anyways you cant modify speeds in laptops at all since all voltage and fsb features are locked in place. I believe this is mainly done so people dont overclock their laptop cpu and burn it to smitherines and void their warrenty and return it to the store 2days later. Couple of mhz more doesn't make a diffrence. You have a Mobile processor which is a low power consuming die.
     
  4. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    Getting my megas, gigas confused!

    As I say there's only one motherboard for these things, so there must be a way of changing the frequency. A stupid thing to attempt though, I admit. Watch ebay for an unused 1.7 processor shortly! :)
     
  5. Omegamerc

    Omegamerc MajorGeek

    1 motherboard, 1 bios, 1 voltage +1 unchangable multiplier setting = 1 set speed that can't be changed [​IMG]. I guess its possible to exchange the cpu though.
     
  6. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    You lost me ?

    There's three CPU's in the range.
     
  7. Omegamerc

    Omegamerc MajorGeek

    Yeah which means that these three cpus come from the same die but clocked at diff. frequency. I dont believe it has anything to do with the motherboard. Just like theres an AMD 3000+,3200+,3400+ they all have different clock speeds; has nothing to do with the mobo.
     
  8. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    No, I still don't get that, although I may be being thick.

    If the motherboard doesn't control the clockspeed, the BIOS doesn't, and the processor is a 1.7 and recognised as such by the system, but still runs at 1.3 (so it certainly doesn't control the clock speed) then what does control the clock speed / multiplier? There are no components left, although I'm including system clock, chipset etc when I say 'motherboard'.

    I'm not an computer engineer (a very out of date electonics engineer -no help here), but that makes no sense to me at all. Unless I'm missing something very obvious, when Acer put one of 3 processors in their sockets, they must do something to adjust the clock as I've proved that it doesn't automatically adjust to the processor fitted.

    Thanks for the input anyway guys.
     
  9. Mar-Man

    Mar-Man Private E-2

    Hi robwf

    I am currently looking into the same matter.
    I do have the acer TM 800XCi as well (the 1.3 p mobile version) and was thinking that there might be a way of upgrading the cpu.
    Since I am working as a Systems administrator and we are actually direct customer of acer I do have a lot of old and new Acer NB to administer. I have changed everything from ram and WLAN card in my TM800 (now running DDR333 Ram and intel 2915 ABG Wlan Card) but still the same old pentium m 1.3.

    I know of a tool to change fsp speed via software: http://www.cpuid.org/clockgen.php
    but it doesnt seem to work with the tm800 series. Still want to test with other acer's but this might be the solution.

    Say where did you get the p mobile 1.7? and was it difficult to change it?
     
  10. robwf

    robwf Private E-2

    It's easy enough to change, although worth downloading a service manual to show you the order to strip it - I found a free one fairly quickly with google, but let me know if you can't and you need one. There are a couple of tricky bits, but nothing serious, and certainly nothing to justify the doom and gloom 'don't even try' type posts I'd seen.

    I bought the processor from a standard chain of PC Shops in Spain - app informatica.

    I gave up in the end and sold the processor on ebay, as no-one seemed to know the clock answer, and I never even got a reply to my two emails to Acer (won't be buying another Acer as a result).

    One big issue that there's no way round is the extra heat produced by the 1.7. The system fan was on 90% of the time, and one thing I really like about my Travelmate is silent operation.

    In the end I stuck with the old solution of more RAM, and a faster (7200) hard drive which has given the thing quite a boost in useful everyday speed.

    If you come to the same conclusion, to get to the second ram slot, pop off the cover with the on/off button in by gently squeezing in the retaining tabs on either end. Undo the two screws marked 'K' on the base, and the 3 obvious keyboard screws. Wiggle the keyboard free and the RAM is underneath.
     
  11. Mar-Man

    Mar-Man Private E-2

    Hey there,

    well I have managed to reach the ram slots (as I am using 2x256 Nanya DDR333 Ram running at cl2 ddr266) so as well as having changed the HDD (80 GB Toshiba with 16MB Cache @7200RPM) as well as changing the wlan card. The only thing now is the cpu. And yes I have thought about the heat issue. Might be going for the Centrino 1.5 (although it might still run at 1.3Ghz the 2MB cache on the cpu should be a big enough justification.
    As for now I am just trying to get this clockgen utility to work coz then I could trick the system to overclock the 1.5 (which from your experience of the 1.7 might as well be running at 1.3) by using the fsb since the tm800 will only use ddr266 so I got some space there.

    Regarding the manual I will google a bit around and if necessary I will ask for your help then.

    Thx for now.
     

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