Computer question:

Discussion in 'Community Discussion' started by Tycho_69420, Jul 16, 2012.

  1. I have a question about my computer. Can my Toshiba Satellite A505's motherboard handle a Quad Core Processor? It currently has a duel core (Intel Core 2 duo CPU T6500) processor, but I'd like to get a quad core so I can run my games better.
  2. Found it at the bottom of my laptop. Here: A505-S6960 System Unit.
  3. Here's the support page:
    http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/...960&selCategory=2756709&selFamily=1073768663#

    I usually avoid upgrading the processor. My experience, especially with older computers(I'm not saying yours is old), is upgrading the processor alone is like fitting a rocket engine to a bicycle. You'll find there are other things that you also think need to be upgraded, like the RAM, graphics adapter, disk drive, CD/DVD drive, and pretty soon you have a new computer.

    I usually upgrade RAM and graphics adapters when I'm unhappy with performance and I can't resolve it in software by removing uneeded drivers and so forth. It's a lot easier to add RAM and in the case of a Desktop, upgrade the video adapter and I think the results are better given the time, effort, and cost involved.

    If you really want to upgrade the processor, I'd call Toshiba and get whatever information I could along with a price then shop around. Their number is in the Resource Guides tab in the above link.
    ignoramoose and Curundu like this.
  4. Most games don't take advantage of quad core, you'll generally hit another bottleneck before then. I'd wager its the video card slowing you down, or possibly ram. Are you just looking for more FPS?

    99% of the time, you can't upgrade a video card in a laptop (or at least not by much). You can upgrade the CPU, but unless you've got a specific reasoning behind it, I wouldn't recommend it for the reasons above.
  5. Make sure you get a socket LGA775, also make sure your motherboard can handle it, it may need a BIOS upgrade for this to happen, lets just say adding it will not hurt, the best value for money upgrade imo would to get a SSD harddrive, more RAM and install a 64 bit version of windows 7, then focus on a graphics card.
  6. What would lead you to graphics card last? I agree a SSD helps performance drastically, and ram can be a bottleneck, though there's 4 gigs already (from spec sheet). 64 bit won't help much with 4 gigs of ram.

    The graphics card is the integrated intel graphics, and that's really going to slow you down in video games.
  7. Yes but one of the system requirements for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a quad core processor.
  8. Alright, here we go.

    Minimum Specs

    Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
    Processor: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
    2GB System RAM
    6GB free HDD Space
    Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512 MB of RAM
    DirectX compatible sound card
    Internet access for Steam activation

    Recommended Specs

    Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
    Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
    4GB System RAM
    6GB free HDD space
    DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with 1GB of RAM (Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher).
    DirectX compatible sound card
    Internet access for Steam activation

    So here's the deal. You're barely breaking above minimum on your processor speed, so the other problem aside an upgrade to a better processor would help. The main issue is your video card is technically 128 mb with the possibility to share 1500 mb of your system's ram (which isn't ideal). Here's a link to your video card, and its benchmark tests.

    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-4000.69168.0.html

    I'm phrasing this in the easiest way possible to understand, so I apologize if it comes off too simple or condescending. On computer's you hit things called bottlenecks, basically what's the slowest on your computer. To build the fastest computer for your dollar, you want to build it in such a way to keep the bottlenecks from happening. For instance, you can have a quad core i7 processor at 3.7 ghz, but if you've got onboard 128mb video, you won't be able to play much in the way of games. Similarily you can have a 2 gb Nvidia 680 and have 2 gb of system ram and be in the same trouble.

    What I guess I'm getting at is that an processor upgrade isn't going to help you out.
  9. Like he said ^^^

    Rocket engine on a bicycle...
    ignoramoose likes this.
  10. Oh.. Looks like I can run it just fine. LOL.
  11. I hope that's sarcasm, otherwise I'm going to cry...
  12. I would do those things first for the one simple reason that they would be the best foundations for what would come next, with those parts and config (by more ram I was talk either 8GB or even 16GB) you could afford to scrimp on the graphics card, like just get a $90 one, I cant talk since Ive spanked well over $1000 on my pc so far, and its not finished yet..

    But if some one was to come to the IT helpdesk at work and ask the same question I would give the same awnser because dollar for dollar the upgrades Ive offered will give the best boost...

    Win 7 64, you know windows x32 can only handle 3GB of ram (although with a boot.ini script you can push it to 4Gb) that would be why I would go for 64 also it will utilise the full power of the CPU,
  13. But see, that's just it. You can't skimp on the graphics card. Most games aren't going to burn more than 2 gigs of ram, and removing a page file / closing start-up programs helps. I've already linked his graphics card above but here it is again (http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-4000.69168.0.html). I don't care what you've got CPU/RAM/SSD wise, if you don't have a decent video card you're out of luck playing anything graphical. 16 GB of ram in a computer with onboard video isn't going to help. I mean, even skyrim only recommends 4 gig's of ram with a minimum of 2gb.

    I feel like ram is so overvalued by gamers these days. It used to be a big deal, but now unless you're running a server, you aren't going to burn up more than 4 gb of ram in a single game. Sure, I've got 16 gb of ram, but that's for the ram mhz and cas latency, not the space.

    And he's got 64 bit vista by default. Now I'd run screaming from vista to windows 7, but that's still not the point, he's on 64 bit.
  14. I agree with you, What im saying is if you do the upgrades I mentioned and then the Gcard, you would have one heck of a beastly Gcard. Im currently borrowing a graphics card from work.. its a true beast...
  15. Agreed, but that's not the point. The point is bang for your buck in upgrades. If you're going to build a new computer (I've done a 2000$ one recently myself off newegg), then it doesn't matter, but when someone comes looking for an upgrade, they generally want to upgrade the parts that will give them the most benefit first, not a bunch of items that will eventually lead them to an excellent machine.

    Of course, this is all good, but it's a laptop, so upgrading the graphics card is a moot point (unlikely). Still, putting more ram and a ssd in there isn't going to help him out on gaming. Sure, his load times will be better, but he's still going to average 17 fps on skyrim.

    Anyway, this is getting off topic. I'm more trying to get you to see my logic rather than helping him.
  16. I see your logic, but imo gaming is not all you would use a machine for? it could be because im being told daily at work to get the most money out of things, and CAD guys dont normally need good graphics cards...

    Lol this is why I normally try to avoid computer related threads, any one who uses a computer is self-opinionated fact - Including my self
  17. Read the original post? To quote him "so I can run my games better".

    And cad requires a hell of a video card, just of a different type than a video game. You're not looking for the same raw cycles as a gaming video card, but you'll surely need the memory.

    http://www.nvidia.com/object/product-quadro-2000-us.html

    Like I said. We've fallen way off topic. Just wanted to pass along my opinions.
  18. It's not sarcasm lol. My computer is running Skyrim faster than MINECRAFT. (Wtf moment -.-)