Is there a difference in a Pentium4 socket 478 processor for a laptop and a P4 socket 478 for desktop?

Question

I want to upgrade my laptop which is a Dell C640 with a P4 2.4GHz socket 478 and I have a 478 socket processor from a desktop. Are they different?

Answer 1

They are indeed! Mobile processors for laptops have a different design altogether, hence the socket design also. Here, let me show you,

http://cache.search.yahoo.net/search/cac...

The above link states the Dell C640 (Latitude), uses a Pentium 4, Pentium M processor. (1.6, or 1.8, or 2.0, GigaHertz frequency speed versions.) These Pentium M's use the Socket 479.

(http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/dell-lat...  This particular Del Latitude C640 laptop uses the Pentium M at 2.0GHz.)

Socket 479:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_479

As this page will tell you, you can physically drop a Pentium 4 processor that is designed for the Socket 478, but the pin contacts in the Socket 479 are electrically different. This means the voltage pins, and the signal pins, on a Pentium 4-> Socket 478 processor might burn up, if you dropped it in a Socket 479, and fired the laptop up! You could also risk burning up the components on the Dell Latitude C640's motherboard! (Goodbye chipset! Referring to the Northbridge/Southbridge chipset.)

Info on the Socket 478:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_478

Pinout for the Socket 479, and Socket 478:

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/3...

(The pinout's, will show you where the electrical contacts are different.)

SO DON'T!

By the way, do you have the Service Manual?

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/sy...

(This is the HTML version you can just view. There is a PDF download available.)