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Not that I'm aware of, which is why your BIOS needs to be updated (if it's not the latest version) before you put the new processor in. For me, it was simply running an .exe downloaded from HP's website. So long as you get the BIOS from your laptop manufacturer's website, it shouldn't be dangerous. If you try ASUS G71V's site and put in your OS (scroll down on the page, under the download tab), you'll see a BIOS option. Download, run the latest BIOS option, and you're home free. Good luck finding a repair manual, although I did find this video in my preliminary search. Maybe that'll help? (although I personally wouldn't use a drill to unscrew my laptop screws)

@Renovatio: On that same list, you might notice the P8700 has approximately the same scores as the T9400, so it looks like you're basically in my exact same position. I prefer using passmark's list, PassMark - CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs, although it might not be as accurate. The cpus we're looking at are the Intel Core2 Duo (Intel Core Extreme x9000 and x9100, supposedly work with the PM45 chipset as well, but passmark rates them as being worse than the T9800 and T9900). Now to answering your questions: Short answer: No. First, you need to update your BIOS (Asus should have that handy somewhere). Then comes the manual labor part. That is, in order to get to my cpu, I had to take apart my whole computer, remove the heat sink, remove my P8700 from my laptop, clean the leftover thermal paste from the heat sink (rubbing alcohol should do the trick), put in the new T9800, apply new thermal paste (Arctic Silver is ~$10. Other brands may be cheaper, but I've yet to encounter a single person dissatisfied with that brand.), replace the heat sink (I also had to clean and reapply thermal paste to my graphics card as well, so look out for that), and put back together the computer properly (much harder than it sounds, you'd be surprised how many wires and screws you have to place properly in order to get the whole thing to work). From there, it's smooth sailing, since your updated BIOS should recognize the card and after initial hesitation (I nearly died of anxiety with that first boot), work properly. If you're going to upgrade your cpu (which I highly recommend if you're doing a DIY eGPU, seeing as your cpu is so similar to mine), go watch a few guides on youtube ("upgrading laptop cpu" as a search should do the trick) before actually trying it. Also, you'll need some sort of repair manual for your specific laptop (HP's guide for my laptop was easy to find after googling), to make sure you put everything back together as you found it. That is a very good question. It's a weighing of cost versus benefit. First, you have to realize that socket P processors that work with the PM45 are not being made any more. Next, since the T9900 is significantly better than the T9800, it ends up costing much more (my searches on ebay found about a $30 difference between the two). I also noticed that the T9800 had about the same difference between it and the next tier of cpus (P9600, T9550 and X9000 on passmarks list, on the one you posted P9700, T9600, and X9000); however, the increase in cost was only about $10 (based on my research, your results may differ). Thus, I felt getting the T9800 was a better bargain per performance increase than the T9900. If you're planning on an eGPU set up and you have the extra $30, go ahead with the T9900. Just remember you also need to buy the eGPU set up which cost me about $500 when all was said and done (don't forget I got the expresscard hdmi expresscard adapter for internal LCD, a fairly high end video card, the PE4H hardware, and PSU, which I plan on using whenever I upgrade my laptop). In the end, I'd say my answer is the extra performance boost per cost wasn't worth it for me, since I know I'll get a new laptop in a few years and I'm already way over-budget on this project. Finally, @Tech Inferno Fan, if you can, you should edit your announcement to a T9800 @2.93 instead of the T9900 @3.06. I did note in my post that 3DMark is convinced my cpu is a T9900, instead of the T9800 it actually is (I should know, I installed it).

Alright, final update. I bought a used T9800 for my laptop, installed it, and it works beautifully. Former processor was a P8700, with results posted here. My specs: Laptop: HP HDX16t OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Processor:Intel Core2 Duo T9800 @2.93GHz RAM: 6 GB iGPU: GeForce 9600M GT eGPU: GeForce GTX 660 MSI OC PSU: Corsair CX 430 and HDMI to expresscard adapter (along with cardboard box enclosure, posted here.) Benchmark results (all internal LCD, running the hdmi to expresscard adapter software and ultramon)[wanted to have this up before my ultramon free trial expires]: 3dmark11: 1280x720 res since that's what 3dmark11 basic allows, Graphics subscore: 5585 (Best part: notice the almost 500 point gain in physics and combined scores, f***ing awesome!) Heaven: 1280x800 res (300 point score gain!) 3dmarkVantage: whatever res basic has, Graphics subscore: 14462 (what, why did my graphics score go up 300 points? [Not complaining] Also cpu score went up almost 1200 points!) Devil May Cry 4: A 10 fps gain in the worst part from my previous result. 3dmark06:1280x1024 res, Only a 350 pt gain? (I guess I can blame that on my 1x connection, and I guess it is a significant improvement RE5: 1280x800 res, variable, 10 fps gain on the whole, 5 fps in each area after the first which had a 30 fps boost (due to it being mostly cinematics). Note: despite 3dmark's claims, I am using a T9800, not a T9900. Overall: The CPU upgrade was VERY helpful. If anyone else is stuck with a core2duo chip like I am, I highly recommend doing a cpu upgrade. A used T9800 is priced just under $100 these days, and while installing it is a bit tricky (you might have to disassemble and reassemble your laptop in the process, like I had to), it's well worth it. Maybe Tech Inferno Fan will link this under scaling analysis, for those stuck with older cpus, and considering upgrading? I'm going to try this w/out ultramon, since I didn't need to use it in running my benchmarks today. Also, I've said this before, but the difference between the hdmi to expresscard software and ultramon mirror method is drastic. I tried the mirror method one day (since it's only about $3 for resistors plus free trial of ultramon) and hated how much the cursor lagged. With the expresscard adapter, the lag is unnoticable, except in games, where there's a slight lag (simply from processor not being able to handle software and game at same time, haven't checked if this applies with my new processor as well).

Hey guys, I made an enclosure a la fatpolomanjr, and it works rather well. Pics: Pros: Cheap (I made this out of the box my PSU came in), Easy to modify (but still strong enough to hold everything), and Easy to carry around. Cons: Looks cheap (duh), probably will not last long (but I figure it ought to last as long as the video card is relevant). Amusingly, my enclosure is actually more stable upside-down (thanks to wiring constraints and what-not). I figure it's the perfect enclosure for the average guy in college. I haven't pushed my eGPU to its limits while in the enclosure, but the fans run ~ the same while in and out of the enclosure, so I don't think there ought to be any problems with it. I'll run them tonight, and update. Also, I'm getting a used t9800 shipped to me, so we'll see how much of a bottleneck my cpu really is. I'll make a new post for that. Anywho, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Edit: Ran 3DMark11 earlier today and got a 5497 graphics subscore, so it's pretty safe to assume the enclosure doesn't really hamper performance (previous score without enclosure was 5502).

Exactly how have you tried inserting the card mid-boot? I've found pressing F8 during boot (before the four dots appear), turning on my video card's power, then continuing with boot has worked consistently for me. NOTE: I keep my card connected to the laptop throughout the entire process. I hope that solves your problem... Meanwhile I'm starting to have problems of my own. It turns out that Streamcatcher, the hdmi streaming software for my hdmi to expresscard adapter, uses a significant portion of my CPU. Enough that I can't run any of my games with it on (facepalm). I might be getting a better CPU in the near future, but for now, I'm stuck running my games w/o Streamcatcher. I think I can still use my eGPU for games that let me specify which video card to use. I'll be reporting on this more later, for whoever's interested.

Unfortunately, the 4500MHD was first introduced in the GM45 chipset, and my laptop was built specifically with the PM45 chipset. (sadface) Yes. I'm using my slot 6 right now, which was designed for a TV tuner, I think? In any case, the only other option I can think of is move my wifi [slot 1]to the 6 slot (which means I have to move the wiring to the wifi card to the same slot). Then if I could disable my ethernet, which I actually never really use, I could set up a x1E... but my graphics card is Fermi nVidia. I did ask earlier (you probably missed it) if it was possible to use an ethernet port via an hdmi ethernet extender adapter along with hdmi to mhdmi cable, assuming a 1GB or higher ethernet port. Then (and only then) I'd be able to set up a x2 1.0 link. EDIT: How about 4 photos? My expresscard hdmi adapter pulled out so you can see it. The white cable is just my external fan (to keep my laptop nice and cool). Ignore the mess of cables near the PSU. The cable connected to the hdmi port on my eGPU is the same one that connects to the expresscard. The flat cable connected to the mini hdmi port links the PE4H to the PM3N inside my laptop. Here's my modified mPCIe port. I cut out the plastic that was in the way, then made a "door" for the laptop with the removed plastic and some duct tape. The PM3N port (not very visible) is screwed inside the laptop. And here's a pic of the "door" while it's shut. I suppose I need to explain the software as well. The software included (called StreamCapture) is fairly intuitive. You launch the program, which shows a live stream of what is being displayed by the eGPU. Since you can put StreamCapture in fullscreen mode, I've made MSTAR (what the computer calls the output of the eGPU) my main display and fullscreened StreamCapture on my desktop. Right now, the set-up uses Ultramon to flip programs between displays, but I have the feeling I don't really need it. Maybe I can just try the .bat codes Tech Inferno Fan recommends in his ultramon set-up? Also, the audio for my laptop speakers won't work with the hdmi input, but my headphones do. I have no problem with this (BOSE noise-cancelling headphones FTW!), but someone might. I also tried the ultramon set-up Tech Inferno Fan explains, but the hdmi input is probably twice as fast. I still have a very tiny lag from my mouse, but it's hardly the problem that it is in the ultramon only set up.

All right, my eGPU is up, running, and very smooth. My specs: Laptop: HP HDX16t OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Processor:Intel Core2 Duo P8700 @2.53GHz RAM: 6 GB iGPU: GeForce 9600M GT eGPU: GeForce GTX 660 MSI OC PSU: Corsair CX 430 and HDMI to expresscard adapter Benchmark results (all internal LCD, running the hdmi to expresscard adapter software and ultramon): 3dmark11: 1280x720 res since that's what 3dmark11 basic allows, Graphics subscore: 5502 (looks like the best result of all ICH9M chipsets!) Heaven: 1280x800 res 3dmarkVantage: whatever res basic has, Graphics subscore: 11524 Devil May Cry 4: 79.03 isn't great, but it's the best so far with only a x1 link. 3dmark06:1280x1024 res, I have no idea why my score (4654) is so low. RE5: 1280x800 res, variable, at least it's runnable (51.1fps) Overall: 1st, I need to thank Tech Inferno Fan and shelltoe for the very useful information they provided me. My overall impression: The improved graphics are great and all, but my CPU is generally bottlenecking my system. : / I've yet to try with any of my usual games (skyrim, civ 5, etc.), so I think I'll update this when I finally get a taste of the improvements. Future Changes: Ditch the hdmi to expresscard adapter to go for the ultramon internal lcd, since the adapter seems to need ultramon anyways. Install better processor P.S. I'd love to hear others' opinions of my benchmark results.

Well, I eventually found out how to run the command line stuff, but I kept not getting any resulting 36 bit memory. After working for hours trying to fix all the errors/warnings with my DSDT, and repeatedly overriding my DSDT, I finally went back to see if I missed anything on the front page. There, I discovered that since I have either a dGPU or iGPU (with no HD GPU) with TOLUD of 3.0GB, I don't need the DSDT override. (facepalm x2) All right, now to find an external monitor to start this bad boy up.

@Tech Inferno Fan, I assume you missed my recent post. From the posts I've seen, I get the impression that not many other people have used the DSDT override, so I'm relying on your help!

I knew I forgot to mention something in my post! (slaps self for foolishness) I already tried that (and tried it just now, both as you directed and as an administrator). DOS spits out "'foobar' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file." Any ideas? (I should mention I'm not that familiar with command prompt, so maybe I'm doing something wrong there. You just type in the command, right?)

I'm trying to do the DSDT override, but I have no idea how I'm supposed to load my .aml into the system registry. What I've done: 1. Since Tech Inferno Fan's link in the DSDT override was locked (no blame meant, since you've been banned there), and kizwan's expanded steps and video tutorial have been deleted, I finally lucked out on xxlukexx's link to http://olarila.com/dsdt/DSDTEditor_Linux_Windows.zip. 2. The DSDT Editor included is rather intuitive; I extracted my DSDT, modified it (using Tech Inferno Fan's suggested 11.75 GB space), and compiled it with no problem. 3. When errors showed up, I pressed the button "fix errors", which causes it to search the directory of the Editor for patches, use them, then re-compile, now with no errors. 4. I then saved my edited DSDT file as HPHDX16T.aml. I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium, 6 GB RAM, other specs don't seem relevant for this question. The only problem is that if I try to use Tech Inferno Fan's directions in the DSDT override, I have nothing to input the code into. I've tried iasl.exe, but it only flashes onscreen for a second and disappears. Trying to run both the DSDT Editor and iasl.exe as an administrator doesn't help. What am I missing?

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried utilizing an ethernet port via an hdmi extender adapter (along with mHDMI to HDMI cable)? Would it work? (Assuming GB or higher Ethernet port)

Alright, just because I know how irritating it is to not be helped when others are. I can't help you, (I haven't even set up my 1st eGPU) but I know that if I could help you, I'd ask: 1. Did you follow everything posted in "First Steps" in the OP? 2. Did you go through the FAQ? 3. Can you ask for help as described in the FAQ? As for DNA Drivers, they're apparently not going to be up for a while, as per their Facebook page. Same goes for you. You haven't mentioned what OS you're using... if you're running Mac OS, maybe this will help.

Err... what I meant was something more along what is described here. Then, I'd put a PM3N where the firewire port was. As I said, I know it'll require some disfiguration of the area around the port, but I think it'll actually work! EDIT: Oh, and a new laptop is a little pricey for my taste. Maybe whenever I decide to improve my processor I'll consider it as an alternative. EDIT2: So, I just tried seeing if I could pull out my firewire port (opening up the internals and what-not, comp's 3+ yrs old, so no worries on warranties). Turns out Tech Inferno Fan was right. I apologize for having doubted you. Guess I'll just be happy with a 1x config...

I just realized this is completely false. After finding AIDA64 (Everest's successor) online to find my PCI ports, I discovered my PCI-E ports are 1: Intel Wi-Fi Link 2: Realtek Ethernet 4: Empty 5: JMicron Firewire 6: Empty so a 2x config is out of the question... unless I take out the Firewire, which I never use anyway. Is that possible (from a software perspective, I know I'll probably have to modify the outside of my laptop)? Based on PanzerHauptmann's experience, I know my 4 port is the ExpressCard, so if I can repurpose the Firewire, I could run a 2x config after all! Also, out of curiosity, does anyone know why do I not have a 3 port?