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OnlyOnly0613
Starting Member
21 Posts |
 Posted - 11/11/2008 : 23:51:42
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A P7230 review? It maybe too late for one... This is a thread for a successful overhaul on my P7230 and a great service abi.hk/bgachips provides.
I purchased a P7230 (US-Spec) when it is released around late February 2007. I ordered the notebook customized with a Core Solo U1400 processor with maximum configurations. It is the highest possible configuration I can get at that time.
Fast forward until recently, it seems I can no longer accept the performance out of the Core Solo processor on my notebook. Rather than spending $2000 on a new ultra-portable, I decide to give my machine an overhaul.
Original Specification:
U1400, FP, 10 WXGA, VHB, DL DVD, 1G, 80G, AWLN, BT
Overhaul Specification:
U7600, FP, 10 WXGA, VHB, DL DVD, 2G, 64G SSD, AWLN, BT
The upgrade was a difficult journey. I have no idea how to do a motherboard swap on a notebook. There is no disassembly instructions anywhere on the Internet, so I refer to only tmt's keyboard removal guide for instructions. Then the adventure begins.
I ordered the motherboard from bgachips on eBay. The motherboard should be equipped with Core 2 Duo U7700.
Upon arrival of the motherboard, it did not work at all. It is giving me errors with [NUM LK], [SCR LK], and [CAP LK] lights blinking as soon as I powered on the notebook.
At that moment, it seems I purchased a $650 dollars paperweight. After one phone call and numerous emails with bgachips, he suggested it is a RAM module error. Then, I checked with different RAM modules and it is still unsuccessful. He suggested I send the notebook to him, located in Hong Kong, for further diagnostics. He promised he will give me a notebook back in working order.
Then I decide to send my notebook to a person I have no trust, no knowledge, and no background on, except for eBay record. At that time, all I can trust is the words we exchange from emails. 7 days to send it to him, 3 days for him to work on it, 2 days delay because he is busy, and 4 days to send it back to me. He is great at replying emails and providing constant updates on the current status of the upgrade.
The machine is now equipped with a U7600 upgrade... The U7700 is not compatible at all as he said. I then swapped a Atheros AR5008 WLAN card, and a Samsung 64GB SSD on it. It should last me a couple more years down the road. The performance is noticeable from Core Solo to Core 2 Duo with HDD, then the performance jumps to another level when I swap to a SSD. The battery life does not seem to be affected. I still get a bit more than 5 hours out of the main battery under my normal use... Regarding heat issues, the heatsink I have is not the same in tmt's notebook, which appears to be copper. It maybe related to revisions on the notebook. But the extra heat from the processor does not seem to affect the notebook at all. I do not believe I feel the extra heat from the processor at all. The CPU's temperature still idles at the same range as before monitored by HWMonitor.
Now, I can vouch for the outstanding service bgachips/abi.hk provides. If your notebook is out of warranty and can go without the notebook for two weeks, I recommend you send him your notebook without your hard drive, he can return your notebook with the upgrade you needed without spending extra cost on the motherboard. Otherwise, the eBay auction with motherboard is great if you are keeping the original for warranty purpose and willing to go DIY, and he is willing to give you all the support he can to guide you through the upgrade. In the end, you still have a more better notebook with the same form factor. |
Edited by - OnlyOnly0613 on 11/12/2008 00:40:06 |
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NigelS
Senior Member Member
Canada
1339 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2008 : 14:43:09
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| Pretty exciting adventure (I would have been wringing my hands and gnashing my teeth!) You must be pretty pleased. If only this were possible for a P2120... |
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monakh
Starting Member
United Arab Emirates
5 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2008 : 12:39:19
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| Wow...couldn't you just have purchased a U2500 P7230 from Ebay? They go for $700 or so with a one year warranty. Sell your existing unit and the final cost is half that with far less hassle and longer warranty. Plus the U2500 runs cooler with almost the same dual-core performance as the U7600. |
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OnlyOnly0613
Starting Member
21 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2008 : 13:46:13
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Yes, I have thought about that route too and I also agree this is a cost efficient way to get better performance.
But I seem to have troubles selling my notebook off locally for $600, which I think is quite reasonable. There were no interest at all. I am not sure whether it is my luck or some bad timing. |
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tmt
Advanced Member
2764 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2008 : 15:02:03
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quote:
Originally posted by OnlyOnly0613
Regarding heat issues, the heatsink I have is not the same in tmt's notebook, which appears to be copper. It maybe related to revisions on the notebook.
Yes, it's my understanding that Fujitsu shifted the heatsink material to be magnesium
at some point. Mine was a relatively early unit, which I purchased directly from Fujitsu
Japan so it could easily explain the difference.
Did your heatsink resemble the one pictured in mine, but was simply a different color?
http://www.leog.net/fujp_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12575
Re the U7600 vs U1400 or U2500, I bet it's a big step up. Under normal use, I wouldn't
expect a large jump in the temperature, and I bet you used a good heatsink paste when
reassembling. Also since the machine keeps the heat pretty well-focused internally
there won't be a big change. Frankly, I think the DRAM generates more heat toward
the bottom than the processor!
Tom. |
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OnlyOnly0613
Starting Member
21 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2008 : 19:11:43
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The internal looks exactly the same as far as I can tell compared to yours. I am sure you have the better and later revision.
For my P7230, this is the difference I see compared to the info you had on your notebook review:
- U1400, as the only option when I purchased mine
- Ricoh 0.3M Webcam vs. Logitech 1.3M
- UJ842 vs. UJ852 DVD drive
- Atheros ABG, no 3rd antenna
For the heatsink material, it looks a lot more like aluminum than magnesium, but I cannot confirm on that part.
For reassembly, I used AS5 on CPU and thermal pad on the chipset. I usually have a 60-62C degree when leaving the unit idle, and 75-78C maximum recorded by HWMonitor. I do not see any noticeable temperature difference at the moment. |
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tmt
Advanced Member
2764 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2008 : 08:46:02
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Nice. And, I like your new CPU sticker. 
Tom. |
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OnlyOnly0613
Starting Member
21 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2008 : 15:40:46
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| Gotta brag about it... |
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P7230 Overhaul...
