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Solve : Wanting to Upgrade CPU in Toughbook CF-27 Laptop?

Answer» HI,

Let me say first that I know little about computers, which will probably become obvious as I ask my questions. I have someone who can help me with the installation of computer components, but he is not easy to pin down with straight and simple answers to specific questions.

Here's what I have:

A Panasonic Toughbook model CF-27, model # CF-27EB6GCAM. It has a Pentium II 300 Mhz CPU, 256 Megs RAM, and a 6 Gb HD, running XP. It is ancient by computer standards, but I recently bought it, thinking it was all I needed in my portable computer. However, I am an amateur astronomer, and I just bought a digital astrocamera which claims to need a minimum of 330 Mhz processing. I've been assured that it will work with what I have, but might be "sluggish". Well, for what I WANT to do with it, I don't want it to be sluggish.

Can anyone tell me specific information about possible upgrades for this particular machine's CPU? I believe that the Pentium II went as high as 450 Mhz, which would be fine. But here's where my ignorance comes in: Do I need to get a CPU in some kind of form specific for this particular model of laptop? Are there different physical sizes and/or shapes to consider? And, if so, does anyone know exactly what I should look for (or someone to contact for the information)? Could there even be different configurations of the CF-27, with different physical size requirements for the CPU?

I'm pretty eBay savvy (it's where I got the laptop, for $100), and there are 450 Mhz Pentium II's going for LESS than $20, pulled from old computers and guaranteed to be working. Does anyone know of a reason why these should be avoided?

Finally, would it possible to upgrade another level, say to a Pentium III? I know that physical space is an issue with laptops, and I just don't know what components are of standard size and shape; in other words, what's interchangeable with what.

I know this is a lot of questions, but I'd be grateful for answers to any of them, even if the answer is "there's no way to answer without seeing the guts of the machine." If more infornmation is needed before a definite answer can be given, I'd be glad to provide it, if told what it is and where to look for it (like looking at and measuring the actual CPU in the machine.)

Thanks in advance!I very much doubt that it is easily upgradeable if it's upgradeable at all. Before you even think about it, have you ever taken a laptop APART?You would have to check on the Toughbook web site to see what the processor can be upgraded to, if anything. Generally laptops cannot at all, and repairs on the inside should not be undertaken lightly.


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