Question HP G62-340 US CPU Upgrade
Question HP G62-340 US CPU Upgrade
I've been thinking about upgrading for some time and wanted to get another person's thoughts before moving forward. First, I need some details.
I own an HP G62-340US laptop from the Windows 7 era. It has these components:
- AMD Athlon II P340 processor
- ATI Radeon HD 4250 graphics card
- 8GB DDR3-1333MHz RAM (upgraded from the original 3GB DDR3-1066)
- 1TB SP A58 SATA SSD (upgraded from a 250GB WD 7200rpm HDD)
My goals are to play older games and handle general tasks, but I've already encountered some problems. After installing the latest Windows 10, performance has been poor; Linux doesn't work well, and Windows 7 feels outdated. Eventually, I discovered Windows LTSB 2015 and realized the Athlon II is problematic. In fact, it tends to overheat significantly—typically reaching 100% usage and causing the computer to run badly.
After some research, I found out that the Athlon II runs on the AMD S1 platform, which uses a socketed design. So I searched for alternatives and came across the AMD Phenom II N970. Now I'm stuck deciding whether to upgrade to this model, switch to a less powerful CPU, or keep things as they are.
For comparison, here are the specs:
- Current CPU (AMD Athlon II P340): 2C, 2T, 2.2GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 25W TDP.
- Upgraded CPU (AMD Phenom II N970): 4C, 4T, 2.2GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 35W TDP.
Also, I'm curious about the temperature impact of a 10-watt increase. With the Athlon II, after playing Counter Strike Source, temperatures often reach around 60°C.
I understand this information is a lot and might not be very organized, but any insights would be greatly appreciated—especially from someone who can estimate the actual temperature change or has an N970 in their HP G62-340US.
First, determine whether that laptop model previously included that CPU or if BIOS support exists for it. If neither is available, it won't work. Just because a socket fits doesn't guarantee the manufacturer planned for it, and lack of BIOS support might mean it was never intended.
Next, check the maximum TDP CPU used in that laptop lineup. If a low-power model like a 35W wasn't available, cooling solutions will likely be insufficient since they're usually designed for higher-performance hardware.
You'll likely see a modest boost in threaded performance, though single-core gains will remain limited.
If you can't find the CPU for under ten dollars, the overall value drops significantly, as improvements won't be dramatic even with top-tier CPUs. However, some progress may still occur if certain games demand a four-core processor.
There's a plethora of CPU's on the S1G4 socket that I could choose, and there are videos & info online of people putting like a P360 into the laptop and not have any issues with the bios or Windows.
On multiple websites, there are a list of supported CPU's that HP said was compatible with the laptop, the N970 is on that list even though it has a higher TDP. There are some CPU's on the S1 socket that go up to 45W like the X940 but are not on the support list. So I would assume that would mean the laptop would handle a 10W TDP increase
Also, the N970 isn't Even the fastest, the fastest is the Phenom X940 CPU. Most N970's you can't find cheaper than $25 on eBay unless I could negotiate something. But that's not as bad as the X940. I really believe that the upgrade from 2 to 4 cores will majorly improve the performance in everything since...well....The bigger the number, the better it'll perform.
Then, everything should work fine. If a 45w CPU was available for that line, you wouldn't encounter any issues since, on a per-chassis basis, I've never come across multiple coolers designed for the same series. If a higher TDP processor existed for the same model (even if sub-models differ a lot), it would have shared the same cooler and should be fine.
No compatible CPUs were found for the laptop with a TDP of 45W. The highest supported CPU TDPs on the list are 35W, such as the N970 and similar models. I've already disassembled it several times, reaching the motherboard, and there are videos available online.
It's best to avoid using a CPU with a higher TDP than comparable models, as this could lead to thermal problems.
Here, this is the page I'm examining.
With the Athlon II, when running Counter Strike Source at full capacity, temperatures reach around 60°C. The cooling system performs significantly better than most. It features a direct intake vent positioned directly under the fan and expels air clearly from the side. When compared to the Dell Latitude E6420 we received with an I5-2520, it reaches up to 93°C and experiences thermal throttling.