The Retrofit: putting the latest and greatest into an decade-old laptop

[maxtch]

I am retrofitting my decade-old laptop into a general-purpose computing machine with above-average wireless connectivity.

 

Here is the laptop I am starting with. I have already upgraded the hardware to be slightly more modern:

• Laptop: 1st gen Dell Latitude D620 (with discrete graphics and SIM slot, BIOS revision A10)
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 (2.17GHz 64-bit dual-core, the machine came with Intel Core Duo T2300E 1.67GHz 32-bit dual-core)
• RAM: 2x Kingston KVR 2GB DDR2-800 = 4GB (underclocked to DDR2-667 by chipset, maxed out)
• GPU: nVidia Quadro NVS 110M with 256MB VRAM (equiv. GeForce 7300 Go)
• HDD: 160GB 5400RPM (the BIOS does not even support AHCI so I am not bothering with SSD. Came with 80GB)
• Wi-Fi + Bluetooth: Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (802.11a/b/g/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 with Bluetooth Low Energy, came with a 802.11b/g card)
• 3G + GPS: Ericsson F3607GW 3G modem with GPS (I have a China Unicom SIM card in it with active voice and data plan in it. THe machine came with no 3G support)
• Other: Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet, IrDA (unusable under Windows 10 - dammit,) Serial port, 3.3V Cardbus slot, Smart card reader, SigmaTel HD Audio, Conexant HD Audio telephone modem

[maxtch]

Setting everything up can be challenging. I need to force install drivers to make the 3G modem and more importantly, graphics, work. I just got a fresh copy of Windows 10 Pro amd64 on it. The software suite I am going to install so far include the Office 2016 amd64 and JRE 1.8 amd64. Any suggestions?

[21rkosta]

are you replacing everything in the laptop with new parts and just using the screen and case or are you just replacing a few key parts?

[maxtch]

Just now, 21rkosta said:

are you replacing everything in the laptop with new parts and just using the screen and case or are you just replacing a few key parts?

RAM and HDD have long been replaced even before I stopped using it as my daily driver.

 

I replaced the CPU (twice,) Wi-Fi card (three times,) and added the 3G modem recently after I un-mothballed this laptop and discovered its immense expansion options.

[21rkosta]

@maxtch doesnt seem worth it imo, but if you realy wanna keep upgrading go ahead

[maxtch]

4 minutes ago, 21rkosta said:

@maxtch doesnt seem worth it imo, but if you realy wanna keep upgrading go ahead

I just simply don't want to keep buying laptops. Newer laptops tend to be lack in extension options and packs a hefty Microsoft tax. Also find me a laptop with built-in SIM slot or hardware serial port. 

[maxtch]

Since I already got the connectivity kit (including 3G) I wonder if it is a good idea to install an pentest kit. That machine with its new processor have no issue decoding 1080p using CPU (as I know that its GPU struggles with 1080p,) streaming from either YouTube through Chrome or my local storage server using SMB and VLC.

[refinedskillz]

18 hours ago, maxtch said:

RAM and HDD have long been replaced even before I stopped using it as my daily driver.

 

I replaced the CPU (twice,) Wi-Fi card (three times,) and added the 3G modem recently after I un-mothballed this laptop and discovered its immense expansion options.

How do you change the CPU in a laptop?

[arnavvr]

On 7/21/2016 at 6:32 AM, refinedskillz said:

How do you change the CPU in a laptop?

You pull the heatsink off,  there is the socket,  you take a screwdriver and twist a hole in the socket. And the cpu pops off. 

[FourCorners]

22 hours ago, arnavvr said:

You pull the heatsink off,  there is the socket,  you take a screwdriver and twist a hole in the socket. And the cpu pops off. 

that is if the CPU is socketed and not soldered on..

[maxtch]

On 2016/7/25 at 11:42 AM, FourCorners said:

that is if the CPU is socketed and not soldered on..

If you know BGA reworking you can transplant BGA CPUs, albeit technically.

[maxtch]

On 2016/7/21 at 9:32 PM, refinedskillz said:

How do you change the CPU in a laptop?

Some laptops came with socketed CPUs (even now.) One notorious socked use of laptop CPUs is Apple's first-gen Intel Mac Mini, which featured the same Core Duo T2300 as my laptop, and can be upgraded with Core 2 Duo T7600 or T7400 to become a 64-bit ready mchine capable of running a much later version of OS X.

[alphastrata]

Hit us up with some shots man!

[13CA350]

7 hours ago, alphastrata said:

Hit us up with some shots man!

+1

Pics or it didnt happen

[maxtch]

On 2016/7/31 at 8:28 PM, alphastrata said:

Hit us up with some shots man!

I don't want to take the old thing apart again... Externals? it is an fairly dirty, old and beaten up laptop.

[Mark77]

1)  You could go with a 4G LTE card, such as the Sierra Wireless MC7700 or similar.  They're available cheap.  The password to get into the settings is usually "A182".  Nothing like sitting in the middle of nowhere with no WiFi and watching YouTube at full bit-rates through 4G LTE.

 

2)  I personally developed an active GPS antenna mod for the D630/D830 series.  It basically routes an active GPS antenna into the area for the PCMCIA port on the D630/D830.  You will need a Dremel though.   And Kapton tape.

 

3)  Upgrade options are a bit more interesting on the D630/D830, where you can go to a T9500 CPU, although the T9300 is cheaper.  Still a decent performer and much better than the 65nm CPU's that those machines were shipped with (ie: T7500, T7700, etc.).

 

4)  D630/D830s support AHCI, and I've run the Crucial M500, MX200, Intel 330, and Samsung PM800 and 830 Pro on those machines with excellent results.

 

5)  D630/D830 support 4gb DDR2 SODIMMs, for a maximum of 8gb.  But prices on those parts are prohibitive.  That's why I abandoned the platform actually -- couldn't survive within a 4gb footprint anymore.

 

6)  CPU's are socketed on those machines.  Not BGA.  The Nvidia GPU might be prone to premature failure.  Not sure if that was an issue on the D620, but I know Nvidia bought me, through a class action lawsuit, a few laptops (yes, a few) to replace my afflicted D830. 

[maxtch]

On 2016/8/4 at 2:01 AM, Mark77 said:

1)  You could go with a 4G LTE card, such as the Sierra Wireless MC7700 or similar.  They're available cheap.  The password to get into the settings is usually "A182".  Nothing like sitting in the middle of nowhere with no WiFi and watching YouTube at full bit-rates through 4G LTE.

Not really affordable here in China though. This 3G card cost me 10 dollars. Although I like the notion of streaming full HD in the middle of nowhere.

On 2016/8/4 at 2:01 AM, Mark77 said:

2)  I personally developed an active GPS antenna mod for the D630/D830 series.  It basically routes an active GPS antenna into the area for the PCMCIA port on the D630/D830.  You will need a Dremel though.   And Kapton tape.

That's why my GPS performance is poor.

On 2016/8/4 at 2:01 AM, Mark77 said:

3)  Upgrade options are a bit more interesting on the D630/D830, where you can go to a T9500 CPU, although the T9300 is cheaper.  Still a decent performer and much better than the 65nm CPU's that those machines were shipped with (ie: T7500, T7700, etc.).

 

4)  D630/D830s support AHCI, and I've run the Crucial M500, MX200, Intel 330, and Samsung PM800 and 830 Pro on those machines with excellent results.

 

5)  D630/D830 support 4gb DDR2 SODIMMs, for a maximum of 8gb.  But prices on those parts are prohibitive.  That's why I abandoned the platform actually -- couldn't survive within a 4gb footprint anymore.

I am stuck therewith the D620, with T7400 and 4GB DDR2-667, without AHCI.

On 2016/8/4 at 2:01 AM, Mark77 said:

6)  CPU's are socketed on those machines.  Not BGA.  The Nvidia GPU might be prone to premature failure.  Not sure if that was an issue on the D620, but I know Nvidia bought me, through a class action lawsuit, a few laptops (yes, a few) to replace my afflicted D830. 

My GPU may also be problematic as I have problems with the internal display (but not VGA output though). Weird...