[SOLVED] Changing cpu from i5-6400 to i7-7700

[1Osiris1]

I have a Lenovo pre-built desktop and I am looking at upgrading the CPU. The motherboard is a Skybay U3E1 with the Intel H170 chipset and its socket 1151 LGA. I recently updated the bios to the one released by Lenovo on 11/7/2019 (version FWKTA7A). It currently has an Intel I5-6400. Lenovo says on their site that the I7-6700 was the highest compatible upgrade but I believe this is not updated considering any bios updates and this was last implied back when the PC first came out. I have seen some forums talking about upgrading to an I7-7700 but they are quite incomplete and lacking further information. The bios update posted without any issues. I don't need this thing to be like blistering crazy but just to increase the performance and if i'm looking at the I7 processors id like to see what range I may be able to go up to.

Thanks in advance!

 

[punkncat]

Prebuilt PC fall into a whole other category. If Lenovo themselves are saying it doesn't work....


Typically, it can be hard to find info on prebuilt upgrades and often are a bit on your own regarding them. It might be worthwhile to look and see if the model type of your PC was offered with other CPU options and what they were. If it wasn't optioned as a 7th gen it probably isn't possible.

With that aspect said, you could purchase a new i3 that would be more than a match for the 7th gen i7. There are also Ryzen 3 options that practically made the 7th gen i7 obsolete. This is a situation where it would be more worthwhile to consider a new base build.

 

[Karadjgne]

Lenovo is in the business of making profit. It does so by restrictions, like proprietary bios. As @punkncat said, they do this by throwing out the aftermarket standard of chipset acceptance of any socketable cpu and restrict it to model line cpus. The end result being if you had wanted an i7 capable pc, you would have had to spend more originally for the next model up. That restriction also generally includes all K squ cpus, your bios might accept an i7-7700, but guaranteed it won't accept an i5-6500K. Some model lines are restricted to T or S squ cpus (oversized laptops that resemble pc's).

Wasn't really all that much difference in 6700/7700, so it's upto you. Gamble on bios accepting a 7700, you got a 50/50 chance either yes or no joy, or go the safer route that's supposedly solid with the 6700

 

[mdd1963]

Unless Lenovo offered/offers a BIOS update method and post Dec 2016 BIOS to recognize/support 7th gen, you might be out of luck...

perhaps they at least support the 6700...