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Before purchasing any upgrade processor, please contact your system manufacturer to see what processors are supported. Altering your original system may also impact your warranty.
Processor upgrade and BIOS updated information is specific to a motherboard and must come from the motherboard or system manufacturer. For your motherboard to support a faster or different processor, you must confirm compatibility with the processor socket, frequency, voltage, and stepping between the processor and motherboard, and verify if a BIOS update is needed and available for the motherboard. The BIOS needs to contain information for your new processor. Older motherboards frequently do not have BIOS support for new processors.
Faster processors and processors with more cores may also affect the temperature of your system, you need to ensure your chassis and thermal solution will work with your upgrade.
Laptops require some experience and skill, depending on the manufacturer you could be required to remove key components to get to the processor. It is also important to know what the package type is and if you can purchase the processor you need prior to tearing your system. Thermal solutions and any thermal interface material will come from the system manufacturer not from Intel.
Socket type and actual pins have been mentioned, but in addition for mobile processors there in the package type. FC-PGA or FC-BGA, the processor may have the same processor number, but if it is soldered directly to the motherboard (FC-BGA) or used in a socket (FC-PGA), you would need to find this out. When updating your BIOS, always do it with the newer processor in the socket to ensure your system correctly identifies the CPUID, and the features of your processor work as designed.
Older motherboards might not meet the electrical and mechanical requirements for newer processors. Verify the supported processors with the manufacturer of your system or third-party motherboard. If the information is not available, it is possible the board is not validated for newer processors or that the manufacturer does not support processor upgrades.
One way to verify processor compatibility with the motherboard before you upgrade your processor is to visit the web site for the motherboard manufacturer, look for your motherboard and then supported processors.
For more information on how to identify your Intel® Processor or Intel® Desktop Board, select one of the links below:
This applies to:
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