Can I change my CPU but keep the same motherboard?

Mr_RustEZZE

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I have an Inspiron 580s motherboard. It came in a Dell Inspiron 580 but has had some changes. I took it all out of the old tower and put it into a new case with a 500w power supply and an EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Classified graphics card. The motherboard had an Intel i3 processor. I was wonder if I could switch out that processor with an i5 or even an i7 but still keep the same motherboard and not having to reinstall Windows 7. Please help.
 
Solution
You will have to find which processor is in the system currently and then you will have to find the processor that you want that uses the same socket. (eg. i7-4790K uses a LGA1150 socket or 1150 for short)

You will also most likely have to update the BIOS of the computer to support the new CPU

KeelinTy

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You will have to find which processor is in the system currently and then you will have to find the processor that you want that uses the same socket. (eg. i7-4790K uses a LGA1150 socket or 1150 for short)

You will also most likely have to update the BIOS of the computer to support the new CPU
 
Solution

KeelinTy

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Yes, processors are built for different sockets. There are multiple sockets and multiple processors that will work in the socket.

To find out what socket you have, open up the Start menu on Windows and the Right click on my computer then click on Properties. After opening that press Ctrl PrintScreen on you computer to screenshot the open window. After you screenshot it open up Paint then press Ctrl V to paste the image and then save it to wherever you choose. After you save it upload the image to prnt.sc and then post the link to the image so I can find out which CPU socket you need.
 

KeelinTy

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Yes I believe that CPU will work. I suggested upgrading systems because you will see more performance with the upgrade to i7, but its not going to last very long. With a newer system with a 4th gen i7 4790K or a 6th gen i7-6700K CPU, you will have a lot more room to upgrade, faster PCI speeds, Faster RAM and just an all out more powerful system. With the newer system you will be good for 3+ years with work. One of my family members upgrades to the newest latest system every 6 years. So the newer system will be more future proof and more worth the money.
 

Mr_RustEZZE

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Not last very long meaning it'll like burn out or something? When you say upgrade the system is that like changing the motherboard and harddrive? How much on average do you think it would cost to "upgrade my system"?

 

Mr_RustEZZE

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Normal internet stuff such as streaming. I am homeschooled so I do that online. The big thing is playing videos games. That is why I upgrade to the EVGA GTX 780. All of my games worked marvelously until I got Batman Arkham Knight. Now I know the PC version is already poorly optimized but I only got 30fps with a few lag spikes. The game recommends a 760 GPU or higher and an i5 or higher. As the new games release I fear it will not be as kind to my PC unless I upgrade to an i5 or i7.

 

KeelinTy

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Ahh. With gaming you will most likely want to get a new system over just upgrading the cpu. Maybe upgrading to a Z97 1150 motherboard and an i5-4690K would be best. Since you bought you system prebuilt you will need a new OEM operating system so the CPU, Motherboard, and OS would cost about $430 and that is with a low end MSI motherboard but it would still work great. A 240gb ssd for boot and games would add another $90 to the total cost. The new system would be able to play all new games with decent FPS at high settings