Question for PC geeks

[Newc]

I'm confused about something:

I have a Toshiba Satellite A205-S4707 laptop - http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...Specifications (first working link to specs I could find)

The spec sheet says Intel

Core™ Duo Processor T2450

o 2.00GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB

Checking my system properties, it says the same thing.

The sticker on the unit itself says Centrino Duo.

I put in 2 2GB ram sticks and stuff loads blazingly fast.

Surely this cpu is still just a Celeron at heart, right? I'm guessing the 533MHz FSB is the key indicator here, since my desktop has the 667MHz FSB? Even if the cpu has the 2MB L2 cache, it's the FSB more than the cpu?

[Guyver1]

Centrino is the mobile Celeron equivilent

[Guyver1]

they're all basically heat reduction and power consumption measures

dropping the FSB lowers the heat output and power consumption

[marcus]

Technically, Centrino 2 refers to a platform, whereas Core 2 Duo is a processor and one of the components of Centrino 2.

[marcus]

I put in 2 2GB ram sticks and stuff loads blazingly fast.

Surely this cpu is still just a Celeron at heart, right? I'm guessing the 533MHz FSB is the key indicator here, since my desktop has the 667MHz FSB? Even if the cpu has the 2MB L2 cache, it's the FSB more than the cpu?

Was it not loading stuff fast before adding the 2GB of RAM? If so, you probably just had too little RAM for the applications you were running. If you have too little RAM it will go to the hard disk more often, which slows everything down. I'm not sure if that's the question you were asking though

[Hellbat]

Well, you are seeing a couple of things here. Like it was alluded to, you probably had barely enough RAM for Windows Vista to load itself. I find with Vista that 2GB of RAM is the baseline for acceptable performance. It will load with less but it swaps to the hard drive a LOT.

The other thing windows Vista does is something called pre-fetch. It looks at what software you tend to run at different times of the day and pre-loads the program into memory and essentially just waits for you to click the icon to launch it. So the more memory you have, the more Vista pre-fetches and the faster things appear to load.

[OnlineStageGear]

Technically, Centrino 2 refers to a platform, whereas Core 2 Duo is a processor and one of the components of Centrino 2.

I have about the same laptop. The processors are getting confusing, Centrino, Centrino Duo, Centrino 2, but the Centrino Duo will be a Core Duo based processor and 32 bit architecture as opposed to the 64 bit Centrino 2 which will either be a Core 2 Duo or a Core 2 Quad.

You should not look at these as Celerons as they are really not even in the same family especially having 2M of L2 cache.

Matt

[Newc]

Ah, I see.

So basically it's the entire chipset the cpu is sitting in? I can't swap out this chip for a "real" core 2 duo and turn a $600 laptop into a $1500 laptop performancewise?

[OnlineStageGear]

You would need to see what the model of the motherboard is and then see what chip it can handle. Not an easy job to swap the processor of a laptop or do anything inside the laptop. Also, keep in mind that the difference between a $600 Laptop and a $1500 is not just the processor.

[bibz]

Also power consumption and heat play a large role in the laptop experience. CPU's are the main instigators of this in a laptop. If not adequately cooled, well, you'll have an xbox360 experience

[Soap]

You would need to see what the model of the motherboard is and then see what chip it can handle. Not an easy job to swap the processor of a laptop or do anything inside the laptop. Also, keep in mind that the difference between a $600 Laptop and a $1500 is not just the processor.

Yep.
This is the most informative and helpful reply so far in this thread.
If nothing else gets said that qualifies as helpful or beneficial, remember what OnlineStageGear has replied. It will save you time and money. No need to say anymore because what has been said is all that needed to be said by OnineStageGear. This is the wisdom you need and the route you should take. From that direction and advice I would move.

[Newc]

Thanks.

This is the board:

http://www.intel.com/products/notebook/chipsets/945GM/945GM-overview.htm

Seems no one is yet willing to open the affordable portable market to end-user upgrading like with desktops. Sad.

[OnlineStageGear]

See, even Intel's info conflicts. The fist page just says Core and Core Duo. But if you click the "SUPPORT" tab and then "Identify Intel Processors that are compatible with your chipset", your chipset lists the Core 2 Duo. OK...... Then you need to know wether it is Socket M or is it Socket 479, but I am pretty sure it is socket M since the Socket 479 is a desktop version for that chipset. Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is big $$$. The Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz Socket M Chip is $300, 2.16 is $430, 2.3 is $645.

Maybe you can wait and see if the price drops on those, which they always do.

Matt