Laptop CPU Upgrade Problem / Puzzle

Koyasan

Here's a little puzzle that I've been trying to solve with my laptop.
The full details and codes are at the bottom, so I'll use summaries here. I've done it a few times now after double checking that the CPU and chipset were compatible. Of course, I may have made a mistake with this.

After upgrading the BIOS, I remove the Pentium M 750 and replace it with the Pentium M 770.

The machine starts with an expected warning about the date and time needing to be set as the battery was removed. Once this is done, the machine boots to BIOS, but then returns a blue screen with acpi.sys error for a split second. This is readable as I hit F8 at startup and select do not automatically restart.

Restarting returns to the bios loading screen with the Dell logo and F2 option to enter BIOS setup. The next screen is the Windows failed to start screen with option to start in safe mode. All of the options lead to the blue screen with the acpi.sys error described above.

Booting from the XP CD brings me as far as the options to Install XP or Recover XP. Choosing either results in a blue screen.

Similarly, booting from Ubuntu 8.04 CD loads the Linux Kernel to 100% before an error screen appears.

Replacing the new CPU with the old results in the expected warning about the system date and time, but then a normal boot of Windows XP without any problems.

So, it would appear that the new CPU is the problem.

However, the machine actually starts up.
BIOS setup recognises the CPU and it's 2.13ghz clock speed.
Also, the Dell Diagnostics CD boots, and the diagnostics are able to run. A Win98 screen flashes before the Diagnostics options appear. I've run the full scan of everything, the CPU and Chipset scan, and the "OS fails to boot" scan. In each case, all tests pass, adding to my frustration as it appears to indicate that nothing is actually wrong when clearly something is.

So, what next? Any thoughts on what I should try next for this puzzle?

Dell Inspiron 9300
Windows XP Pro SP3
Intel Pentium M 750 1.86ghz SL7S9 (New CPU causing problems Intel Pentium M 770 2.13Ghz SL7SL)
Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS/PM Express Chipset family
2GB DDR2 533Mhz RAM
100GB IDE 2.5" HDD
17" WUXGA 1920x1200
Nvidia GeForce Go 6800 256MB
Bios A05 (Was A03)

Solitaire

Could be that ACPI is choking due to the unexpectedly hotter CPU. Try disabling the service if you can then swap CPUs again and see if Windows plays ball with the service disabled, then try sticking ACPI it back on. If you can't stop ACPI you should try booting from a new install (preferably from a second HDD until things are sorted) and see if XP plays ball with a fresh install made with the new CPU already in there.

Of course, ACPI may simply be profoundly upset by your new, out-of-spec CPU pumping out too much heat for your laptop's cooling to contain. In which case the new CPU is likely overheating and throttling when stressed by XP loading up anyway. It may report low temps in BIOS but its pretty much idle at that point

Jonathan

Same series not have same TDP?

Solitaire

While the M750 and M770 allegedly have the same TDP there's big gaps in model, speed and peak voltage so we can safely assume the M770 wil be running a fair bit hotter in real life. A faster CPU will require more current and thus generate more heat; simple fact of semiconductor physics. And the tolerances on laptop CPU cooling solutions is always dead tight. Plus it might be less than efficient at this point due to wear and tear (and dirt!) anyway. All the same it's probably not the issue; simply put Windows' CPU speed/cooling monitor drivers keep having an aneurysm the instant they come online, stopping XP from loading, and it could be a fair few different and very obscure reasons that's causing it. I'd try a boot-from-CD Linux distro first and find an app to monitor CPU temps at load - if it even gets that far...

Koyasan

Thanks Solitaire,

The Intel ProcessorFinder site gave them the same TDP, but I feared it was too good to be true and i was naive to believe it.

Disabling acpi seems a little risky (?) right now so I'm going to wait until Ubuntu 9.10 is released as I had little luck getting 8.04 to boot from cd. Then I'll try a fresh XP install on another HDD but before disabling it.

Thanks again.

Koyasan

I forgot to put this in the post.

When I try to Run Ubuntu 8.04 from the CD, the linux kernel loads to 100% and then this message appears

44.887383] crc error

44.888321] kernel panic - not syncing: vfs: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block 104,1

I'll try again with 9.10 at the end of the month.

Solitaire

Unknown block? Is that writing to HDD at all? If it is, could be a HDD issue, if not, a RAM issue. Or it could be that the CPU is either incompatible for some unknown reason or is iffy, period

Koyasan

Part II

I think you're right about the Heat issues. Here's what's happening now.

If I do this:
Dell Inspiron 9300 Bios > Power Management > Speedstep Enable > Off (Place the system into the lowest performance state and precent the Intel SpeedStep(tm) applet or native operating system driver from adjusting the processor's performance)

I can boot from the Windows 7 32-bit dvd, format the new HDD, and Install Win 7 without any problems. I can then restart the machine and use Win 7. Performance is slow and the "Windows Experience Index" gives the CPU a "1.0". I can boot from dvd and run the recovery programme (I've done this after enabling speedstep, getting the error, then disabling. No effect.).

If I then do this:
Dell Inspiron 9300 Bios > Power Management > Speedstep Enable > Enabled (Allow the Intel Speedstep(tm) enabled CPU to operate in multiple performance states)

The "Windows Boot Manager" error screen (below) appears after the BIOS screen. F8 does not do anything. If I hit f12 and boot from DVD, I get the press any key to boot from cd screen, followed by the same "Windows Boot Manager" Screen", so I can't run recovery that way.

"Windows Bot Manager" Screen:

A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source.

If you have a windows installation disc, insert the disc and restart your computer. Click "Repair your computer," and then choose a recovery tool.

Otherwise, to start windows so you can investigate further, press ENTER key to display the boot menu, press f8 for Advanced Boot options, and select last known god. If you understand why the digital signature cannot be verified and want to start windows without this file, temporarily disable driver signature enforcement.

Status: 0xc000428

Info: Windows cannot verify the digital signature of this file.

The Enter and ESC options both lead to a reboot and the same screen then appearing. Like I said, f8 doesn't do anything.

While in Windows 7 after the boots with Speedstep off, I've Run both of these

"bcdedit /set nointegritychecks on"
and
"bcdedit /set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS" (DD is deliberate)

Both run successfully.

Also, the CPU passes all the tests on the Dell diagnostics CD (Runs from CD as Win98)

So, does anyone have any idea how to get the machine to run with the CPU running normally?

Solitaire

Interesting... your SpeedStep seems to operate in the opposite fashion compared to everyone else. Normally if you disable SpeedStep the CPU is stuck in the highest performance state (read: highest voltage and frequency) and can't use power-saving features to reduce power usage.

Wonder if Dell put in something clever and predictably proprietary to cane the laptop if it tries to run a faster CPU. Which would be typical Dell behavior

Koyasan

Solitaire wrote: »

Interesting... your SpeedStep seems to operate in the opposite fashion compared to everyone else.

I know, right! It's bizarre. I never touched that setting before for that reason. I remember when I bought it that I had the option of upgrading to this chip, or even the 2.26 780. Dell :mad:

(CH3)2CHOH

Solitaire wrote: »

Interesting... your SpeedStep seems to operate in the opposite fashion compared to everyone else. Normally if you disable SpeedStep the CPU is stuck in the highest performance state (read: highest voltage and frequency) and can't use power-saving features to reduce power usage.

Wonder if Dell put in something clever and predictably proprietary to cane the laptop if it tries to run a faster CPU. Which would be typical Dell behavior

If they did do that trick it was only on the 9300. I upgraded my 9400 from a 1.6GHz solo to a 2GHz dual core, no problems. It recognises the new chip and the performance is fine.

Solitaire

In fairness the 9400 is a much newer model; expressly designed with those newfangled C2D CPUs in mind