Can I Upgrade the CPU of My Laptop?

undefeatedmonarch

Reputable
Aug 19, 2015
60
0
4,630
Hello!

I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to desktop components and hardware however, I've ever looked into laptop hardware upgrades, until now.

The laptop in question is an HP Pavilion g6 Notebook PC. Here's it's current, default specifications:
8GB DDR3 RAM
Intel Core i3-3110M CPU @ 2.40GHz
Intel HD Graphics 4000
750GB Hitachi Hard Drive

I start college in a few months and instead of buying an entirely new laptop, I figured why not try to upgrade my current one which is already fairly decent. I will certainly change to an SSD. However, I'm more concerned about the CPU.

Is it possible to upgrade this CPU in this laptop? I'm not worried about taking it apart I'm more worried about the possibilities and incompatibilities when it comes to CPU upgrades, if it's even possible...

Thanks! :)
 
Solution
This is the info I found for your laptop:
Maintenance and Service Guide, Page 79

http://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02770249.pdf

Processor
NOTE:
All processor spare part kits include thermal material.
Description
Spare part number
Intel Core™ i7-2620M processor (2.7 GHz, SC turbo up to 3.40 GHz, 4 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631252-001
Intel Core™ i5-2540M processor (2.6 GHz,SC turbo up to 3.3 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631255-001
Intel Core™ i5-2520M processor (2.5 GHz, SC turbo up to 3.2 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631253-001
Intel Core™ i5-2410M processor (2.3 GHz, SC turbo up to 2.9 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
638039-001
Intel Core i3 2310M (2.1 GHz, 3 MB L3) Dual 35 W
638037-001
Intel Core™ i5-480M processor (2.66 GHz, SC turbo up to 2.93 GHz, 3 MB...
Most laptops are designed around the thermal envelop of one or two possible CPUs, typically, and it is not usually feasible to slap in some monster i7 equivalent processor. You can check HPs website for which processors might have been offered in that particular model number.

(An SSD, as you planned/surmised, is indeed normally a night and day difference in perceived speed, however.....)
 
Please download and run CPU-Z and look at the 3rd box down.

If it says Socket 1023 BGA - the answer is no.
If it says Socket 988 PGA - the answer would be yes - you can probably upgrade it to a 2-core i7 with higher clock speeds and turbo boost from that same generation.
 


I would change that to "the answer would be maybe".
The socket may be compatible, but does the motherboard support a different CPU?
 
it doable but not for 99% of the people.
if you go to youtube and search laptop cpu upgrade. there are a lot of video.
which if you ask me. it just way too much work. and after all that work of taking the laptop apart and putting it back. not too sure if it worth the upgrade.
and it may not work once you put everything back together.

 
This is the info I found for your laptop:
Maintenance and Service Guide, Page 79

http://www.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c02770249.pdf

Processor
NOTE:
All processor spare part kits include thermal material.
Description
Spare part number
Intel Core™ i7-2620M processor (2.7 GHz, SC turbo up to 3.40 GHz, 4 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631252-001
Intel Core™ i5-2540M processor (2.6 GHz,SC turbo up to 3.3 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631255-001
Intel Core™ i5-2520M processor (2.5 GHz, SC turbo up to 3.2 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
631253-001
Intel Core™ i5-2410M processor (2.3 GHz, SC turbo up to 2.9 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
638039-001
Intel Core i3 2310M (2.1 GHz, 3 MB L3) Dual 35 W
638037-001
Intel Core™ i5-480M processor (2.66 GHz, SC turbo up to 2.93 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
634693-001
Intel Core™ i3-390M processor (2.66 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
634692-001
Intel Core™ i3-380M processor (2.53 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
625823-001
Intel Pentium P6300 (2.26 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
635500-001
Intel Pentium P6200 (2.13 GHz, 3 MB L3), Dual 35 W
625831-001
Phenom II N970 (2.2GHz, 2MB L2, 1333MHz, 3.6GT/s –Quad 35W
635496-001
Phenom II P960 (1.8GHz, 2MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.6GT/s – Quad 25W
634689-001
Phenom II N870 (2.3GHz, 1.5MB L2, 1333MHz, 3.6GT/s –Triple 35W
635495-001
Phenom II P860 (2.0GHz, 1.5MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.6GT/s –Triple 25W
634688-001
Phenom II N850 (2.2GHz, 1.5MB L2, 1333MHz, 3.6GT/s –Triple 35W
616345-001
Phenom II N660 (3.0GHz, 2MB L2, 1333MHz, 3.6GT/s –Dual 35W
635494-001
Phenom II P650 (2.6GHz, 2MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.6GT/s – Dual 25W
634687-001
Turion II P560 (2.5GHz, 2MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.6GT/s–Dual 25W
634691-001
Athlon II P360 (2.3GHz, 1MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.6GT/s–Dual 25W
636635-001
Athlon II P340 (2.2GHz, 1MB L2, 1066MHz, 3.2GT/s–Dual 25W
616343-001
V160 (2.4GHz, 512K L2, 1066MHz, 3.2GT/s) – SC 25W
636634-001
V140 (2.3GHz, 512K L2, 1066MHz, 3.2GT/s) – SC 25W
616333-001
Before removing the processor, remove the following components:
1.
Battery
2.
Service access cover
3.
Hard drive
4.
Optical drive
5.
WLAN module
6.
Memory module
 
Solution
Thank you, this discussion has been helpful. I have an older (2013) laptop that is slow thanks to my CPU (see below). I ran CPU-Z and see this in the third box down: Socket FT3(BGA 769). Is swapping my CPU an option? I just put in an SSD and it's a little better, but still slow.

Thanks in advance.

CPU:
1.40 gigahertz AMD E1-2500 APU with Radeon HD Graphics
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache
64-bit ready
Multi-core (2 total)
Not hyper-threaded)
 


A "BGA" socket is soldered directly to the motherboard.
Not changeable.