MSI 1036: Could I swap in a Mobile Athlon64?

Hello all,

This is my first post in the forum, but I've been monitoring this site for a while.

A few days ago, I stumbled across the MSI 1036, and it really caught my eye. Other than Clevo, I believe (perhaps I'm mistaken) MSI is the only manufacturer to offer an AMD-based lappy w/ a 17" display, and I also think this is the first Turion-based rig w/ a 17" display.

The only thing is, I'd like to have the system with a Mobile Athlon64 instead of a Turion. Is this substitution possible? I believe the Mobile Athlon64 has the same socket configuration (754) as the Turion, so that's probably not an issue. What about the BIOS? Is there a version for the 1036 that will support the Athlon64? Or is this not even an issue?

What are people's opinions about this kind of substitution? Obviously, the Mobile Athlon (I'm thinking of the 4000+ here) is more powerful, but runs hotter and has less battery life. Beyond that, what are the pros/cons? Would the increase in performance from the Turion to the Athlon be noticeable?

I know some places on the web where you can buy white-box 1036 kits, and I'm considering just ordering the chassis, buying an Athlon64 separately, and going DIY.

Any input is welcome.

Thanks,
-Skel

 

Well, I hadn't actually ever considered this as I don't see any reason to opt for a Mobile Athlon over a Turion, but MSI's specs DO state:

"Support Mobile AMD Sempron™, Mobile AMD Athlon™ 64 and Turion™64 processors"

 

unleaded,

I found your review of the 1036 on notebookforums.com very informative, and in part, that was the impetus behind this question.

I'm not entirely sure what a Mobile Athlon buys me over a Turion, but I guess I'm still curious about comparing the two. When I look at the specifications for the Turion & Mobile Athlon out on AMD's site, the two CPUs are very similar. They both have the same L1/L2 cache sizes, they both have an integrated memory controller, they both use PowerNow! technology. The Turion has a much lower thermal rating, while the Mobile Athlons run at a higher frequency. The conclusion that I came to was that the Turion (which is probably meant as competitor for the Centrino) is a true mobile chip, while the "Mobile" Athlon is still meant to power desktop replacement laptops.

For what I'm looking to do, a desktop replacement model is more suited to my needs. That's why I'm considering plugging in an Athlon instead of a Turion.

 

I honestly can't say how much you will be gaining with a Mobile Athlon vs. a Turion in raw processing power, however, I would imagine it would not be as significant as the considerably diminished battery life as well as the concession made with regards to the thermal properties of the laptop.

 

I'm 99% certain that the MS-1036's power brick can't handle the extra wattage of the Mobile Athlon (62W vs. 35W max). Stick with the Turions.

 

How about Venice core socket 754 desktop processor? it uses less than 30 watts. But Only issue I can think of is, it has heat spreader. so not sure if we can mount laptop heatpipe cooler.

 

I agree, that's probably my best bet. If you listen to people that buy Sager rigs, you'll sometimes hear horror stories about over-heating. Of course, when it comes to AMD processors, Sager specializes in shoehorning desktop chips into a mobile platform.