Upgrade to Core 2 Duo?

Senior Editor Eric Dahl responds: No. The Core 2 Duo (formerly code-named Merom) CPUs require a different chip set and socket from the ones that the Pentium M processors in Centrino notebooks must have.

Consequently, you would have to replace your motherboard before making the upgrade, effectively removing it as an option for notebook users. Desktop owners are in the same boat--chip sets for Core 2 Duo chips differ from those for Pentium D and P4 processors--but a motherboard, CPU, and memory swap is certainly possible.

Depending on the other components in your system, such an upgrade could cost less than $500. Essentially it amounts to building a new PC. See "Step-By-Step: To Get Just the PC You Want, Build It Yourself."