Acer Aspire 5517 CPU upgrade, might need some help

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Kato1144

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
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I was given a Acer Aspire 5517 a few years ago from my mother, she was tired of the old hunk of junk and was going to throw it away, I on the other hand saw a perfectly good laptop to try and run Linux on, in the end i found i did not like linux so i put in on a shelf and forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago i started using it again for some LAN game action at my place to play Artemis ans stuff, the Laptop has a HD 3200 integrated GPU so i has a really decent DX9 GPU for a laptop, it might even be faster then the i3 first gen intel HD graphics in my other laptop but that 1.6GHz TF-20 is painful to use, Vista does not make it and better to use with the slow CPU.

So i was wondering if the CPU was socketed and it is, looks like with some work I will be able pop out the old CPU and upgrade to a TF-64 x2 with a BIOS update, i took a quick look on ebay and they look like they are going for around 40-50$ so i might just do it.

So if and when i do this i will like to lean on the [H] community for some help, i have never upgraded more then ram and SSD's in laptops so i will probably run in to some hurdles, also i read on a Acer forum that some one upgraded to the latest BIOS and upgraded to a TF-64x2 and it would not post, other however have had success so maybe he got a bad CPU or i might have to get custom BIOS for the upgrade.

Current Specs are:
2GB of Ram, 256MB shared to the GPU (i should probably get a 4GB stick or should i get 2 2GB sticks?)
1.6GHz single core CPU TF-20
128GB SSD
Vista 64x Service pack 2 (i wont update past this point, the windows updater says it need to upgrade but when it tries it just eats 100% of the CPU and does nothing, i left it for 2 days and it was still upgrading, ask M$ for help and they told me Vista is not supported and to turn off updates, if anyone know how to fix this im all ears other wise updates stay off )
HD 3200 integrated GPU, BUS PCI (it says it has 874MB of fast ram so it might have its own memory coupled with the system mem, maybe not i have to look in to it)

let me know what you guys think, any feed back is appreciated :)
 
I have done this type of thing before, but it may not have been an Acer 5517. There were lots of laptops with those cpus. I think the Emachines E627 was about the same thing and maybe that's what I worked on.

You have the right general idea. Update bios if you can, find new cpu, and make the swap. The devil is in the details.

That is a S1G1 cpu, Socket S1, and I guess G1 stands for 1st generation. There are many other options, so you might save some money by looking at some other cpus. cpu-world is really helpful:

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AMD-Athlon 64 TF-20 - AMGTF20HAX4DN.html

http://www.cpu-world.com/Related_CPUs/Socket S1 _S1g1__K8.html

The TF-20 is just a 15W cpu. Most of the TL series is 31W or 35W. There is one low wattage cpu you might want to get instead: TK-42. It's only 20W. http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K8/AMD-Athlon 64 X2 TK-42 - AMETK42HAX5DM.html

Also, this TK-42 is mentioned in an Emachines E627 maintenance manual so the bios should support it: http://tim.id.au/laptops/acer/emachines e627.pdf

The clockspeed isn't very fast, but you are gaining an extra core.

The main key to not mangling a plastic laptop is to use old credit or gift cards to pry things open or apart. Do not use screwdrivers or anything metal. You will marr the plastic that way.

Also the cpu has no heatspreader. The die is bare, so I don't like the idea of using Arctic Silver. They say it's not conductive, but slightly capacitive. I don't like taking risks on a lidless cpu. There are many small capacitors and parts near the die. Also taking apart a laptop is no real easy process. Taking it apart and swapping the cpu will be a couple hours, more if it's your first time. MX-4 or Ceramique would be what i would use. I'm pretty sure I have only used Ceramique on laptops and I have had no issues.

Have plenty of space to work and take your time. Use google. It seems like you have, but wanted to say it anyway. There are videos for this on youtube and sites with pics. This was a pretty popular swap.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25792168@N00/sets/72157622393042218/detail/

That link might be of some help. I just found that with a quick search but haven't checked it all out yet.

For RAM, I doubt it can take a 4GB stick. I'd get 2 x 2GB instead.
 
Well even though one more core will help out, 1.6GHz is still hurting even for a old junker, i will at least get the 2.0GHz of a TL-60x2, but the TL-64x2 are relatively cheap still (around 23$ CND before shipping) and people who have successfully done the upgrade toa TL-60x2 or TL-64x2 have reported no over heating issues so the cooler should be ok with the extra wattage.

As for not mangling the plastic that might not be possible as i only have hard edge tools to work with and no spare credit cards either so might have to pull her apart with alittle more force then i would like.

The CPU having no heat spreader is a non issue for me, I was a teen when the AMD XP series was around and i have done some work on the fragile exposed CPU die, i even chipped a corner off of a XP 1800+ once by putting the heat sink on backwards and snapping it down, the PC post and i got in to the BIOS for a sec but it was extremely unstable and then the smoke came from under the CPU cooler, killed the MOBD too... ah memories thats how i got in to costume computers after killing my compaq..... as for the TIM I'm planning to use Gelid GC-Extreme TIM, it is non conductive im pretty sure its non capacitive either, if im wrong let me know i cant find info saying otherwise but if it is risky to use this TIM i will get some MX-4.
 
Oh hey just a after thought but what speed memory do you think i should shoot for, it looks like it takes DDR 2-666, DDR 2-667 and DDR 2-800, i know this might be a redundent question but convetianl wisdom says go for the faster memory but i have had compatibility issues with faster memory on laptops before (bought a DDR 3 8GB kit for my other laptop and even thought it should have been compatible the computer would not work with either of the faster sticks at all) so should i just go for the DDR 2-800 or go with a slower but maybe more compatible kit?

but if it say it is compatible it should be right?.... i just dont want to get burned again with a useless kit a laptop mem....


BTW current installed Ram is 333MHz DDR 2-666 2GB
 
if other have successfully swapped cpus than you can too. just update first. I wouldn't worry about cracking a laptop chip. the hold downs are engineered not to. the mx-4 is also a good idea. yes get the fastest ram you can that others have had success with, check the qvl if you can find it.
 
could not find a QVL for the Acer Aspire 5517, Crucial's website showed me some RAM kits that are "upgrade for Acer Aspire 5517 system", so hopefully it is not just abusing the search engine query to make a sale.... anyway i will probly get one of the DDR 2-800 2x4GB kit

as for the CPU it looks only one of the 3 revisions of the TL-64x2 works well with the MOBD, looks like the Rev2 part is the most compatible, if i cant get that i will have to get a TL-60-x2, will do more research
 
oh yes installing a SSD was one of the first things i did, the HDD that is came with was painfully slow, i currently have it updating windows 7 right now, Vista BSOD its pants when i updated the BIOS lol not sure why that happend but i decided i had enough and moved on but windows 7 on less then 2GB's of mem is painful in a whole new way...

Anyway the new mem is ordered and now I'm looking for a CPU, this list shows what the acer is compatible with, the G1 and G2 rev of the TL-64x2 may not be compatible so i need to try and find a F2 Rev but that is going to be hard as after a quick look no one is listing there Revision, and why would they. well wish me luck in the choosing of the CPU im going to need it
 
just a quick update, found a seller selling the TMDTL64HAX5CT, witch is the more compatible Rev. F2, garbed the last one, top rated seller so hopefully there is no issue, was only 25$ CND witch was pretty good as some seller were asking for 40-80$, turns out the Rev. F2 is a little more rare then its counterparts other wise i could have gotten the G1 or G2 revisions for less then 10$ CND, so some time in June when the parts come in i will update.

if all goes well i will have a not so bad little lap top for around 40$ish dollar investment, not including what the SSD cost but i bought that some time ago for about 60$
 
message any seller and ask for the rev. they shouldn't have any issue providing it. never mind. had window open and your above post wasn't showing yet. that'll be decent in the end.
so youre a canuck too eh? not many of us around here...
 
I did it, my TL-64 came in today and the mem came in about a month ago and she is all working
20180712_171803.jpg 20180712_174902.jpg 20180712_175859.jpg 20180712_182834.jpg 20180712_191005.jpg 20180712_191220.jpg 20180712_204020.jpg 20180712_204654.jpg
 
well was running mem tester 86 on her just to cheack the mem, and she shut down and powered off, wont turn back on, wonder if she over heated but the CPU temp stayed under 80oC so not sure what just happend :(

Really hope the power brick dint overload and kill it, it was supposed to be able to take the load
 
Just checked the power brick with a multimeter and it has the required 19v DC coming out the end but i cant put a artifical load on it to see if the voltage wavers under load but it look fine to me....... I think something did not like the extra power draw on the power circuit on the board and just let do... maybe a cap.....

Stuck my nose up to the vents to see if i can smell burning but nothing, the computer smells fine so nothing exploded or burnt so thats good i think....


Plugged her in and to see if the MOBD power LED came on and no, i think the power delivery is screwed, will try with the battery but im sure its not going to make a difference.

Nope it did not. im going to have ot take a look at the MOBD and see if it is salvageable
 
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shitty. pull the power cord and battery and hit the power a few time see if it come back.
 
ya i did the hitting the power 20 times and holding it down for 45 seconds with no power or battery before i initial did my tests.

I'm going to have to open her up and take a look, I used three 1mm thermal pads (layered) for the north bridge because i did not have a 3mm think one like it needed, maybe the north bridge over heated, unfortunately i could not get any temp readings from it as it had no sensor.

other then that it might be a bad cap, or power transistor or maybe it has a fuse some were and that let go, Im pretty ameture when it comes to electronics work and i dont know how to diagnose all but the obvious so there is a good chance i cant revive her but wont know till i look

Found a MOBD schematic: http://www.s-manuals.com/pdf/motherboard/compal/compal_la-5481p_r0.2_schematics.pdf

should be able to trace the power with just a multimeter.
 
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Opened her back up and took a look at the board and diagrams and I have to be honest i have no idea what to look for, there is nothing obvious at least and the on board battery still holds a charge of 3.2v (clock battery) and i have no idea on how to properly read these diagrams. On top of all that I just realized my method of tracing back wont work on a board that is more then 2 layers and this is ( I watch retro computer fixes and those are much more basic machines with only traces on the top and bottom), so the AC power goes in between the board all i can see is the ground..

Then i stated thinking what if just hook up the power button and seeing if i can get the fan to start spinning, my logic here is if it is just the power bar has gotten weak then it might work with no screen or anything else attaches like the battery, also I can check the voltage when it has some load and if it drops below 19VDC then i know its the brick, i just have some reservations on powering that board all exposed like that, keep thinking i can do more harm then good... this is the part where i wish i had the proper tools and knowhow...

anyway its 2:30 over here and i need some rest will hit this again tomorrow maybe.... I just wish i had a way of testing the power brick with out using the computer.... dam...
 
Well i could not sleep so i got up and decided to do a amp reading with my multimeter, first i checked for the 19vDC and made sure my polarity was correct, move the positive probe to the amp socket, switched over to amp test DC and connected the probe to the terminals on the power brick and got a reading or 1.57amps for a split second and the brick died (its suppose to be 3.42amps at 19v) so i think i have found the problem, i think it started to die when i was using it and eventually it not longer provided the power needed and the battery that is almost garbage died after about 20mins of running when i had my eyes off it, that would explain why I could not boot on the batt because it is dead and the AC brick is not providing enough power for the system to even light up the LED's

thats my theory anyway, I don't think i did anything wrong with the amp test on the brick, the negative was on the negative and the positive was on the positive, it should have given the full 3.52 amps at 19v for a bit before it would get hot and start straining, a split second of reading and failure makes me think this is the cause of all my current issues

Now i can get a 90watt replacement brick online witch is some what over kill but i wont be at the limit of the power brick (the old brick was only 65watts) but i still worry that this brick might have done damage up stream and there is really no protection for that on the MOBD so if i buy a new brick i might still have a "brick" of a computer lol

well im going to think about speding the money on a new brick vs trying to repair this one, with that said i have never work on any thing over 12v so this might be out of my depth

90watt replacement brick
 
alright i opened up the old power brick to look for a fuse just incase im a dumb ass and my DC amp test just blew a fuse on a good power supply but my amature eyes could not see anything that resembled a fuse, the main cap still held a charge it made a big spark when my screwdriver ran across it, but as you will see the caps including the big one were starting to bulged.
20180713_054940.jpg 20180713_055028.jpg 20180713_055039.jpg
its hard to see it on the big one because of that rubber thing on it but it is the worst of the bunch.

So in just by that it is clear this was not a happy power supply, and i think one or more parts failed under the extra load of the new CPU

Well in the mean time i have a samsung i3 laptop and if that power brick is compatible with the polarity and voltage/amperage i will partly reassemble the "brick top" and see if she powers up, hopefully POST too but having a random compatible laptop psu is a long shot



EDIT

First off I dug deeper in the old power brick and did infact find 4 metal fuses, I tested them on the back side were they were soldered and they all passed with 0 ohms of resistance, i look else were on the board and these apper to be the only ones (I am certain these are the fuses the writing references but a am a noob so i might have gotten them wrong)
20180713_062556.jpghighlite.jpg
so this further re enforces the fact the fault was with the power brick, please if im missing something obvious please let me know but this is what im thinking right now, it was old and over stressed and something just let go, i would love to get further in this power brick and find out what exactly happend but i lack to tools to test caps and transistors and i lack the experience to play with the high voltage electronics, that cap discharge made my hart skip a beat, i knew i needed to do it but i was surprised with the amount of power in that cap, only proving im out on my depth with this one, so i think its time to make a hard derision, do i invest more in the computer i got for free, on the chance that a new power brick will work and it is not fried from the old one going bad or do i cut my losses and keep it for parts or somthing....


the i3 laptop power brick is the right voltage/amperage and the right polarity too buttttt the dam barrel jack is different so cant do a test power with that.....

well let me know what you guys think.


BTW I know this thread has derailed form the normal AMD related topic's but I find it help me think when i can write my thought and what im thinking out here, knowing some one who might be more knowledgeable then me might read this also help me push on when i dont have a clue what im doing or were im going, just if my thought and methods seems random that because they are and i and doing this as a go, if i did't keep coming back to here and leaving comments i probably would have given up by now so thanks for reading my inane trouble shooing of the "brick top"
 
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guts of electronics are not my strong suite either but that brick does look dead, those caps are baaad. get a universal adapter that you can use for other things, "rent" one if you can.
 
i almost should get a DC variable bench power supply lol but it would cost much much more then i want to spend, well i found a 90watt brick and the site had a 30 day return policy so i might be able to return it if the "Brick top" is dead lol

Thanks for the support man
 
I read through the whole thread and I've experienced this exact thing with a failing battery on a few Acer and HP laptops after a CPU upgrade. Some of the older Acer models would be bootable after pulling the CMOS battery for about 15min, than pull out the main battery and run it straight off the brick. Other Acers and some HP's and Dell's have a "protection mode" when they sense a failing/dead battery or a weak power brick. I have an HP right now I can't boot with the battery inserted, but it runs fine without it. And I have seen some Dell's flash a "low power mode " when running off a weak brick and/or a faulty power strip. Food for thought, good luck!
 
^good tip. I have seen the dell low power thing before.
Kato1144 said:
i almost should get a DC variable bench power supply lol but it would cost much much more then i want to spend, well i found a 90watt brick and the site had a 30 day return policy so i might be able to return it if the "Brick top" is dead lol

Thanks for the support man
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no prob
 
I ended up getting the 90watt power brick and going to hope for the best, i dont want to invest in this laptop much more, might get a battery pack to replace the old crap one but not a dime more till the brick arrives and i can test the system
 
You can use the dead AC power adapter and a working ATX power supply to test the laptop.

If you don't plan on repairing the existing power adapter, chop the power cable that comes out of the power brick to the laptop barrel connector (preferably right where it comes out of the power brick so you have the full wire length.)

Look at the cross section of the cable at the cut. If the cable is round, you should see a shield of woven wire with another plastic insulator inside it, with a copper wire inside that. The copper wire is usually positive, while the shield is negative.

Strip back the end of the cable to expose the shield wire and then pull it apart to twist together off to the side so you expose the inner insulated wire, and then strip that back as well, just not as far as the shield to avoid shorts.

Get out your ATX power supply and then shove the aluminum shield wire in one of the 4 pin molex ground connections (black wire) and the inner copper wire to a yellow wire on the molex. Make sure that you get a good amount of wire contact because these wires carry a lot of current.

Use the paperclip trick to force on the ATX power supply and check the polarity at the connector, if it's the same as you measured it before, then plug it into the laptop. It should power on even with the lower 12v, it will just source more current from the PSU.
 
I have coincided your suggestion to use a PC PSU but im worried i might screw it up and wreak and PSU and laptop... so for now im going to just wait till the power brick i ordered comes in, it looks to be coming from china so its going to be awhile in the mean time i might grow some balls and try rigging up a power supply, i just keep worrying i will mix up the poles and kill everything...
 
Hopefully you didn't get one of those Chinese knockoff PSUs that kill laptops..

As for the polarity, it's usually center positive on the barrel connector. Just use a multimeter to check the polarity once you have it rigged up.
 
well its apparently a light on branded power brick I got it from here, I tired to see if the site has a dubious reputation but i could not find any info or complaints against the site so i figured it should be the real deal but just incase its not the real deal what should i look for to tell if it's a fake, is there any test i can do with a multi meter that and check the quality of the PSU? i will check polarity and voltage before plunging it in, but should i do a amp measurement too? would that risk the device? (I never have good luck with the amp test)

as for making a desk top PSU power the laptop can i use the CPU power, i have a old no name 200watt PSU and it does not have any PCI-e power and i dont want to risk a more expensive PSU if i dont have to so do you think the 12v CPU rail is any good? it should be at least 100-150watts (will have to look) or is it too much of a risk (it does not even have a fricken fan, its a total turd) I also have a 750 watt PSU but if i kill that one i wont be happy...

anyway let me know what you think
 
id just wait for the one you ordered and they are a good quality replacement to oem.
 
Kato1144 said:
but just incase its not the real deal what should i look for to tell if it's a fake, is there any test i can do with a multi meter that and check the quality of the PSU?
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Signs you got a fake power adapter:

- The cost of the power adapter shipped is between 5-13 dollars.

- The label on the bottom of the power brick has "REPLACEMENT AC ADAPTER" or some variation of it in big white letters, accompanied by most of the rest of the label being in complete Chinese.

- The power brick is light enough to float away if you don't weigh it down with something.

- The power brick and the cords feel cheap and plasticy.

If you tick the majority of the above, you have a fake power adapter.

Kato1144 said:
but should i do a amp measurement too? would that risk the device? (I never have good luck with the amp test)
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You can't check the amperage output without actually applying a load to the power supply, which requires specialized equipment.

Kato1144 said:
as for making a desk top PSU power the laptop can i use the CPU power, i have a old no name 200watt PSU and it does not have any PCI-e power and i dont want to risk a more expensive PSU if i dont have to so do you think the 12v CPU rail is any good? it should be at least 100-150watts (will have to look) or is it too much of a risk (it does not even have a fricken fan, its a total turd) I also have a 750 watt PSU but if i kill that one i wont be happy...
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Unless that 200W unit can supply 90W on the 12v rail, then you're going to need a higher wattage PC power supply. The laptop wants 19v @ 4.74a, which translates to 7.5a on 12v.

There's nothing to risk, if the laptop doesn't like the lower voltage, it simply won't work. I've had to power laptops like this in a pinch before and it works more often than not. Though laptops with "smart" power adapters will complain they can't detect the power supply type and usually run in gimpy mode where the CPU is clocked as low as it will go.
 
This is the no name PSU i was talking about and it's not completely lacking, having 10a on 12v1 and 16a 12v2 so i should be good
200watt psu.jpg
turns out its a 300watt PSU but it still has no PCI-e so not all that useful to me but still might make a good test for the old brick top.

I will keep a eye out for the sings of a fake when i get the one i ordered, it should be the real deal but i will have to wait and see when i get it in my hands, till then im going to look in to witch rail is witch for this PSU as i would like to use the beefier one just incase
 
Kato1144 said:
This is the no name PSU i was talking about and it's not completely lacking, having 10a on 12v1 and 16a 12v2 so i should be good
View attachment 91505
turns out its a 300watt PSU but it still has no PCI-e so not all that useful to me but still might make a good test for the old brick top.

I will keep a eye out for the sings of a fake when i get the one i ordered, it should be the real deal but i will have to wait and see when i get it in my hands, till then im going to look in to witch rail is witch for this PSU as i would like to use the beefier one just incase
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that's not a no name, its a FSP. they are decent.
 
pendragon1 said:
that's not a no name, its a FSP. they are decent.
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Not in my book.

They have a habit of using shit capacitor brands like OST and Teapo that fail and leak after just a year or two of use. I've recapped a dozen or so of their units over the past few years.
 
GiGaBiTe said:
Not in my book.

They have a habit of using shit capacitor brands like OST and Teapo that fail and leak after just a year or two of use. I've recapped a dozen or so of their units over the past few years.
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cheap ones? yeah maybe. ive got several(3) midrange ones that I use for various none pc things that are 10-15 years old and are fine except the fans in one. they are like the 5th largest oem psu manufacturer.
 
Tried using the 300watt PSU with the laptop and nothing, used the CPU 12v and triple checked the polarity so it was correct but no lights came on after plugging it in and i did not want try powering it on if it cant even manage to charge the battery so either the PSU does not have enough amperage on that particular rail to power it or the laptop refuses the low voltage or finally its dead from the initial PSU failure :(

Just incase it matters i only had it plugged in for less then 2-3 seconds and after trying it the PSU started making a hissing noise that it was not making before when i was checking the polarity, i think the PSU could just be on the way out, it gave the same reading of 11.75v after the test so it did not just die but the noise has me abit concerned.
 
got the new power brick in today and she is the real deal, but the old power brick totally killed the brick top when she let go :(

now how likely is the cpu and mem to be damaged as well? I want to get a identical laptop with say a damaged screen so i can steel its main board and put in my meme and cpu i have right now. Going to get one with a damaged screen that works so i can save some money but these laptops from acer cant be worth much fulling working to begin with.

anyway let me know what you guys think
 
So about a little over a month ago i purchased a MOBD from ebay for about 50$ CND including shipping and she arrived a few days ago and i finally got around to putting here and i will let the pics show the rest
20180913_222800.jpg 20180913_232303.jpg

So i finally got her up and running with the full 4GBs or mem and 2.2GHZ dual core CPU, now by the time i factor everything i spent so far on this I almost did not get the MOBD but after buying the RAM, CPU, and 90watt power brick i said screw it and got it, anyway and now im quite satisfied with the results so now i just need to deal with the weak battery but im not sure i want to spend any more money on this project, but i thought i would share my success with you guys thanks for reading.
 
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Yeah, that's a bit more than most people would spend on an antiquated laptop.

I wouldn't purchase a battery for it, because the majority of aftermarket battery packs are made with crap cells of dubious quality. It'd be better to rebuild the one you have with good 18650 cells from a known good source.
 
Nice DIY. Cost effective? Laptop rebuilds rarely are but the knowledge and experience gained may be worth it for you.
 
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