i3 2350m upgrade

[inc88]

Hi all,

i have recently purchased an asus x301a laptop with the HM67 chipset. Currently it's running the standard i3 2350m. I've been searching the internet if it's possible to upgrade to an Ivybridge cpu, and someone was very vague about an upgrade to a i7 3610qm.. but i still don't know if it's really possible. I already have a spare i5 3210M laying around here, you guys think it will work? Also, would it give a noticable difference? I feel like the i3 is kindda sluggish at times, also i think the i5 would be more power efficient.

thanks

 

[Ecky]

Ivy Bridge will likely work. You may want to check if there's a BIOS update for your laptop first, but my money is on it being plug and play.

Regarding the 3610QM, I believe that's a 45w CPU and will not work in a laptop designed to house 35w chips. You should be able to use any 35w CPU.

 

[dudeman509]

I've tried the QM route on a 35W cooler. It overheats and throttles extremely easily. There are 2-core i7's with a high clock speed; that's probably what you want to go after as an upgrade. Going from a 1st gen low-clocked i5 to the highest-clocked 2-core i7 available in that generation did make a huge difference for my old laptop.

 

[spdragoo]

Theoretically, you could replace the CPU, because apparently it's not soldered to the board (http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1981975/asus-x501a-pent-b970-cpu-upgrade.html).

However...the specifications page (https://www.asus.com/Notebooks/X301A/specifications/) only lists dual-core Pentiums, dual-core Celerons, & core i3s as the available CPUs. So while it's possible you could replace the i3-2350M with a comparable Ivy Bridge i5, I don't know if it would work.

 

[dudeman509]

Any of these CPUs should work in that chipset. Usually the BIOS isn't locked down by manufacturer and is open to whatever Intel will let run in the chipset. Again, keep the TDP at or under what you currently have.

However, not sure about Ivy Bridge CPUs. That part is a gamble.

http://ark.intel.com/products/52809/Mobile-Intel-HM67-Express-Chipset#@compatibility

 

[inc88]

Ivy Bridge will likely work. You may want to check if there's a BIOS update for your laptop first, but my money is on it being plug and play.

Regarding the 3610QM, I believe that's a 45w CPU and will not work in a laptop designed to house 35w chips. You should be able to use any 35w CPU.

I believe some of the ivybridge quadcores were 35w aswell

I find it strange i can't find any posts about this particular laptop, i would have loved to read stories from other x301a users as its a pretty nice laptop, the only downside is the small touchpad.

 

[Ecky]

I have an X301a which shipped with a Sandy Bridge Pentium. It has a different chipset which does not work with Core CPUs (i3/i5/i7), HM65 I believe, but I was able to drop in an Ivy Pentium without issue. I assume an Ivy Core chip will similarly be a drop-in upgrade for your laptop too.

 

[dudeman509]

I have an X301a which shipped with a Sandy Bridge Pentium. It has a different chipset which does not work with Core CPUs (i3/i5/i7), HM65 I believe, but I was able to drop in an Ivy Pentium without issue. I assume an Ivy Core chip will similarly be a drop-in upgrade for your laptop too.

I too have a HM65...any of these should be supported.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52808/Mobile-Intel-HM65-Express-Chipset#@compatibility

Went from a Pentium to a Sandy Bridge i7 HQ on mine. Ended up picking up a beefier cooler from a similar laptop w/ dedicated GPU and it has worked well...it's an old Acer with lots of room inside the chassis.

 

[inc88]

wow, thanks for all the input guys! amazing!
I'll go with the 3210m. I've always been working with a i5 3330 with an 840 evo ssd, never had any hickups.. now i'm forced to work on a laptop but i'm noticing lots of hickups, unless im at high performance mode, but thats not ideal for me.. I do have another kingston ssdnow v300 laying around here, my laptop came with a intel 320 40gb which has pretty poor results tbh.. would i notice a swap? Also, the 3210m should be pretty potent no? With a burst speed up to 2.9ghz

thanks

 

[inc88]

Well i can confirm the i5 3210m upgrade is official. It's a pretty big hassle though because you completely have to disamble the laptop.
I also switched the intel 320 ssd for my samsung 840 evo SSD, the speed has returned! So if anyone is wondering, it's completely possible.