MC extractor CPU Microcodes

[Biomecanoid]

Hello,

I have an old Lenovo B580 with 4gb or ram, i3 CPU and 5400rpm HD and its way to slow to use.
Its fairly easy to upgrade the ram and add an SSD what i don't know is the actual max CPU that it will support.

The manual at page 85:

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobil...b580_hmm_en.pdf

States that the max cpu is the i5-3210M Ivy Bridge L-0 3MB 2c PGA 2.5GHz STD 35W processor


On the other hand the motherboard uses the chipset HM77 so a quick search online:

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chi...77_Express.html

and i found that the chipset supports up to quad core i7

Could it be that the laptop does support i7 processors but Lenovo didn't test the laptop with them so that's why it didn't include them in the support list ?

I have encountered that scenario before it wont be the 1st time.

what are my chances that an i7 cpu with work ? I used MC extractor to get the microcodes supported by the bios should I trust the findings ?
Can someone please verify the microcodes. So i know my findings are correct ?

 

Thank you

Chris

[Jurrunio]

the CPU is soldered onto the motherboard, so is pointless to try upgrade.

[Biomecanoid]

But there is a white socket around the CPU. I didn't actually tried to remove the cpu but I unscrewed the bottom of the laptop and accessed the general area. I will look again to verify

[Biomecanoid]

On 2/10/2020 at 10:34 AM, Jurrunio said:

the CPU is soldered onto the motherboard, so is pointless to try upgrade.

CPU is indeed removable and not soldered on

[igormp]

On 2/10/2020 at 5:32 AM, Biomecanoid said:

Hello,

I have an old Lenovo B580 with 4gb or ram, i3 CPU and 5400rpm HD and its way to slow to use.
Its fairly easy to upgrade the ram and add an SSD what i don't know is the actual max CPU that it will support.

The manual at page 85:

https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/mobil...b580_hmm_en.pdf

States that the max cpu is the i5-3210M Ivy Bridge L-0 3MB 2c PGA 2.5GHz STD 35W processor


On the other hand the motherboard uses the chipset HM77 so a quick search online:

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chi...77_Express.html

and i found that the chipset supports up to quad core i7

Could it be that the laptop does support i7 processors but Lenovo didn't test the laptop with them so that's why it didn't include them in the support list ?

I have encountered that scenario before it wont be the 1st time.

what are my chances that an i7 cpu with work ? I used MC extractor to get the microcodes supported by the bios should I trust the findings ?
Can someone please verify the microcodes. So i know my findings are correct ?

 

Thank you

Chris

As long as the new cpu has the same tdp of your current one, go ahead, it shouldn't be a problem. Worth noting that that there's not much difference between an i5 and an i7 of that gen.

[Jurrunio]

17 minutes ago, Biomecanoid said:

CPU is indeed removable and not soldered on

Only 306A9 and 206A7 showed up any useful CPU names

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/corporate-information/SA00233-microcode-update-guidance.pdf

 

is your i3 in one of the lists?

[Biomecanoid]

4 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Only 306A9 and 206A7 showed up any useful CPU names

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/corporate-information/SA00233-microcode-update-guidance.pdf

 

is your i3 in one of the lists?

My current cpu is Core i3 3110M and it is on the list you showed me. So what does that mean ?. Does it mean i can use all the processors in the group and that all share the same microcode ?

 

[Biomecanoid]

10 minutes ago, igormp said:

As long as the new cpu has the same tdp of your current one, go ahead, it shouldn't be a problem. Worth noting that that there's not much difference between an i5 and an i7 of that gen.

My problem here is that i want to make sure i find a compatible processor so i don't buy something i can't use. Also i don't know if i can trust MC Extractor 

[Jurrunio]

6 minutes ago, Biomecanoid said:

So what does that mean ?. Does it mean i can use all the processors in the group and that all share the same microcode ?

I have never seen them only program part of the microcode into the BIOS (OEM manufacturers don't like doing things Intel didn't do themselves), so I think yes. Better stick to 35w parts though for the sake of the onboard components, but that limits you to only getting other dual core CPUs... They might have higher clock speeds but they are still dual cores at the end of the day

[Biomecanoid]

7 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

I have never seen them only program part of the microcode into the BIOS (OEM manufacturers don't like doing things Intel didn't do themselves), so I think yes. Better stick to 35w parts though for the sake of the onboard components, but that limits you to only getting other dual core CPUs... They might have higher clock speeds but they are still dual cores at the end of the day

So basically i can use any of these CPUs they are bios compatible lets put it that way ( see screenshot ) but i am limited due to the performance of the onboard cooler. Do i understand you correct ?

 

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, Biomecanoid said:

So basically i can use any of these CPUs ( see screenshot ) but i am limited due to the performance of the onboard cooler. Do i understand you correct ?

no, you shouldn't use those with TDP greater than 35w since it may damage the power circuits. That is, unless you can find info of the same laptop running the 45w part.

[Biomecanoid]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

no, you shouldn't use those with TDP greater than 35w since it may damage the power circuits. That is, unless you can find info of the same laptop running the 45w part.

Well if you go by the book Lenovo suggest the  i5-3210M as the max cpu the laptop supports

 

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, Biomecanoid said:

Well if you go by the book Lenovo suggest the  i5-3210M as the max cpu the laptop supports

 

there are still 35w i7s that I would try

 

but better check the used market first, if you can't source them at a good price in the first place you dont have to think about them

[Biomecanoid]

2 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

there are still 35w i7s that I would try

 

but better check the used market first, if you can't source them at a good price in the first place you dont have to think about them

I was not planning on buying new.

[Jurrunio]

1 minute ago, Biomecanoid said:

I was not planning on buying new.

that's why you have to check, availability is really unstable for things this old.

[Biomecanoid]

4 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

that's why you have to check, availability is really unstable for things this old.

So which one is the best dual core i7 ? is it the  i7-3540M:

 

2 Cores, 4 Threads @3 GHz, Ivy Bridge. Release date ≤ Q4 2013.

[Jurrunio]

8 minutes ago, Biomecanoid said:

So which one is the best dual core i7 ? is it the  i7-3540M:

 

2 Cores, 4 Threads @3 GHz, Ivy Bridge. Release date ≤ Q4 2013.

seems like it.

[Biomecanoid]

1 minute ago, Jurrunio said:

seems like it.

If you look at the chart here listing the upgrade chance the Core i5-3380M seems to be the safest choice: 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Intel-Core-i5-3380M-2-90-GHz-SR0X7-Laptop-Processor/323957242365?hash=item4b6d5b39fd:g:K2oAAOSwF~1dsLby

 

 

 

[Jurrunio]

5 minutes ago, Biomecanoid said:

If you look at the chart here listing the upgrade chance the Core i5-3380M seems to be the safest choice: 

To me this "upgrade chance" thing is complete bullshit. I dont even know how they managed to get this % out.

[Biomecanoid]

1 hour ago, Jurrunio said:

To me this "upgrade chance" thing is complete bullshit. I dont even know how they managed to get this % out.

This is how the results are calculated:

 

"Upgrade Chance" is a probability of a successful processor upgrade/downgrade from the Core i5-3210M (PGA) (original CPU) to a specific model. This number is calculated as a percentage of all motherboards, compatible with both original and upgrade CPUs, compared to the number of motherboards, that support the original Intel i5-3210M (PGA). The number "100%" means that all motherboards, that work with the original model, also work with the upgrade CPU. The number "0%" means that none of the boards, that support the original CPU, will support the upgrade processor. The manufacturers do not always test or publish results for obscure and unreleased models, and in some cases for OEM only processors, as a result they tend to have much lower scores than more common desktop/mobile counterparts.

[Biomecanoid]

According to cpu benchmark the Intel-Core-i7-3540M is like 2% faster than Intel-Core-i5-3380M plus the i5 is a slightly newer cpu:

 

 

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-3540M-vs-Intel-Core-i5-3380M/m921vsm5308

[Jurrunio]

6 hours ago, Biomecanoid said:

According to cpu benchmark the Intel-Core-i7-3540M is like 2% faster than Intel-Core-i5-3380M plus the i5 is a slightly newer cpu:

 

 

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-3540M-vs-Intel-Core-i5-3380M/m921vsm5308

For the sake of chance to work, better not use a CPU that's older than what you have. That means the 3520M is the fastest one available

[Biomecanoid]

58 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

For the sake of chance to work, better not use a CPU that's older than what you have. That means the 3520M is the fastest one available

My laptop currently has an i3 cpu

[Jurrunio]

36 minutes ago, Biomecanoid said:

My laptop currently has an i3 cpu

released in Q2 2012

[Biomecanoid]

13 hours ago, Jurrunio said:

released in Q2 2012

I am confused did i ever showed you an older processor ?