One problem after another...

[agronick]

My friend asked me to fix her lap top. She had dust in it and just wanted me to clean it. I opened it and when trying to get the heat sink and fan out the whole processor came out. I didn't even open the mount. It broke and bent some of the pins. After looking on the net and finding out there was no way to replace these broken pins I took the CPU to Comp USA. The guy gave me a $160 desktop processor and he said it would be compatible. Now the BIOS does not recognize it and it displays an annoying message every time it boots up. Then when it does boot up it runs at 1.8 Ghz instead of 2.4 Ghz. Can anyone help. It is a dell bios for a Inspiron 1150. I just want that message to go away. The box just says Pentium 4 Processor 2.40 Ghz 533 MHz system bus. 1 mb L2 cache.

 

[Arcanum]

Have you tried searching for an updated BIOS version - sounds like the BIOS is too old and doesnt properly recognize the CPU - no way around it except flashing a newer BIOS that supports the CPU.
Though I know nothing about finding BIOSes for Dells, I always stayed away from those hellish things.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful
(BTW, damn!, I feel sorry for your bad luck )

 

[agronick]

The problem is that the guy at comp usa gave me a desktop processor for the lap top.

Update: The BIOS reports 1.8 Ghz and windows reports 2.4 Ghz but its running super slow. Just clicking the start menu takes like 3 seconds for it to come up. I think this is because the processor is not getting the power that it needs. I think I can fix this by underclocking it. How would I go about doing that?

 

[Arcanum]

The power won't effect performance - if it's running at 2.4GHz and isn't getting enough voltage/power the CPU will cause BSODs/lockups and such or wont even boot/post, it won't run slower.

However, it's weird that BIOS reports 1.8GHz and Windows 2.4GHz - are you sure you're checking the actual clocks, not the processor model?

If the mobo is built on the chipset that supports the CPU, it makes no difference whether you're using the CPU in an laptop or in a normal PC case...

Since the mobo posts with the CPU, you know that the chipset and the socket are compatible with this CPU, however, the BIOS hasn't been modified to properly recognize the CPU - this has to be done by the firm that built the mobo, but I wouldnt know where you could find an updated BIOS version, since I dont what model or brand of mobo you actually have.

I doubt underclocking would do anything, but you could try going into BIOS and lowering the FSB or multi if you can, however, from what I've heard Dells frequently dont have such options.

 

[Merc14]

You can uodate the BIOS from the Dell website. Find the service tag on the laptop,go to Dell, go to support, type in the service tag and find the latest BIOS. Before that you can try resetting the CMOS and then rebooting.

 

[agronick]

But I do not think dell has a BIOS for it because it is a desktop processor.

 

[Mirob]

Some people have fixed broken pins by putting a wire in the pin's hole just long enought to touch the cpu. It can work, but in a laptop? Bad idea.

Flash it and it may just work.

 

[Merc14]

BIOS is strictly related to the motherboard. An updated BIOS may enable your mobo to recognize a newer CPU. Give it a shot the BIOS should be upgraded anyways with a dell.

 

[Arcanum]

I hope he can find an updated BIOS supporting the CPU.

If not, there's no other way to solve this - either grin and bear it or get a processor that this mobo does support now