HP Probook 4540s - Sandy vs Ivy CPU/Motherboard

[chrispk]

Hi, I'm a newcomer here but have recently bought a Probook 4540s with the intention of both turning it into a hackintosh as well as upgrading it in the future.

Laptop specs are as follows:

HP Probook 4540s
Core i3-2370M/HM76
Intel HD 3000, 1366x768

I feel pretty confident about getting to grips with the install process outlined in the installation guides here however I'm concerned about the hardware in this particular laptop.

Ultimately I was hoping to upgrade the CPU in the laptop to either a Core i7-3612QM or a Core i7-3632QM - both Ivy Bridge. But as it turns out this 4540s has a Sandy Bridge CPU. Does this mean that the motherboard is in any way inherently Sandy Bridge?

When I bought the laptop I thought all Probook 7-series laptops were Ivy Bridge and, aside from CPU/RAM/HDD, they all had the same hardware/motherboard but now I'm concerned that this may vary across 4540s models and this particular laptop may be limited in regard to upgrade possibilities or cause issues later on due to it starting with a Sandy Bridge CPU?

Basically do all stock 4540's have the same basic hardware aside from CPU/RAM/HDD?

If it helps my CPU-z specs are attached.

Many thanks!

 

[RehabMan]

Hi, I'm a newcomer here but have recently bought a Probook 4540s with the intention of both turning it into a hackintosh as well as upgrading it in the future.

Laptop specs are as follows:

HP Probook 4540s
Core i3-2370M/HM76
Intel HD 3000, 1366x768

I feel pretty confident about getting to grips with the install process outlined in the installation guides here however I'm concerned about the hardware in this particular laptop.

Ultimately I was hoping to upgrade the CPU in the laptop to either a Core i7-3612QM or a Core i7-3632QM - both Ivy Bridge. But as it turns out this 4540s has a Sandy Bridge CPU. Does this mean that the motherboard is in any way inherently Sandy Bridge?

When I bought the laptop I thought all Probook 7-series laptops were Ivy Bridge and, aside from CPU/RAM/HDD, they all had the same hardware/motherboard but now I'm concerned that this may vary across 4540s models and this particular laptop may be limited in regard to upgrade possibilities or cause issues later on due to it starting with a Sandy Bridge CPU?

Basically do all stock 4540's have the same basic hardware aside from CPU/RAM/HDD?

If it helps my CPU-z specs are attached.

Many thanks!

Sandy Bridge is a CPU type. Nothing to do with chipset. All 4540s have 7-series chipset.

As you've found out, some 7-series laptops come with Sandy CPUs.

Either way, the PBI has all the solutions for both scenarios.

Certainly, Ivy on 7-series is preferred as it requires less hacks.

 

[chrispk]

That was fast! Thanks so much for your reply!

Just wanted to say your contribution here is amazing and hugely appreciated by people like me

Just to confirm, when I upgrade to an Ivy CPU, the install process will be more straightforward and require less hacks?

The reason I'm uncertain/concerned is because both CPU-Z and Speccy state that the Motherboard/Mainboard chipset is "Intel Sandy Bridge Revision 09". But I'm guessing this is actually relating to the CPU.



Thanks again for all your help.

 

[RehabMan]

That was fast! Thanks so much for your reply!

Just wanted to say your contribution here is amazing and hugely appreciated by people like me

Just to confirm, when I upgrade to an Ivy CPU, the install process will be more straightforward and require less hacks?

Installation process is the same either way. But the PBI-CE installs less hacks for Ivy on 7-series, than for Sandy on 7-series.

Since you already have the laptop, my suggestion is to try it like you have it.

If you want more performance... then upgrade to a better Ivy CPU.

The reason I'm uncertain/concerned is because both CPU-Z and Speccy state that the Motherboard/Mainboard chipset is "Intel Sandy Bridge Revision 09". But I'm guessing this is actually relating to the CPU.

They are probably looking at the graphics device revision or something related to the Intel MEI device, which would be related to the CPU/HD3000.

 

[chrispk]

Thanks again for your help - much appreciated