Question Is in Intel i3-2100 upgradable to an Intel i5-6600

[thesummers04]

Hello, I'd like to know if an Intel i3-2100 can be upgraded to an Intel i5-6600? I'm not incredibly computer savvy, but it would be helpful if someone can tell me if there is a way to check I've listed below my pc specifications. I would really appreciate your help! Thank you so much!

Device name DESKTOP-6G35A31
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.10 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB
Device ID 80289DCA-4BE7-43B2-85CC-B7F5DFA95D78
Product ID 00325-80850-54204-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display

 

[COLGeek]

No, this is not possible without upgrading the motherboard and memory as well.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello, I'd like to know if an Intel i3-2100 can be upgraded to an Intel i5-6600? I'm not incredibly computer savvy, but it would be helpful if someone can tell me if there is a way to check I've listed below my pc specifications. I would really appreciate your help! Thank you so much!

No.
For any real upgrades, that PC needs a whole new PC.

 

[thesummers04]

No, this is not possible without upgrading the motherboard and memory as well.

Thanks for letting me know, what processor, could I upgrade it to?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for letting me know, what processor, could I upgrade it to?

Maybe an i5-2500 or i7-2700

But, we'd need to know a LOT more about the whole system.

You'd not really see any major performance increase. It is a 13 year old platform.
Putting money into it is a losing proposition.

 

[punkncat]

According to the mobo you might be able to go up to i7 3770. You can typically find those around $35 or so used, maybe a bit less. I would certainly try and confirm that before purchasing. If this is a prebuild as I suspect, it may not have a BIOS revision for said. You also probably can't put a decent graphics card in there either as the power supply likely isn't strong enough. According to the brand it could even be proprietary.

 

[jnjnilson6]

No.
For any real upgrades, that PC needs a whole new PC.

Still remember the i5-2500 and i7-2600/2700/3770 days here. People reveled in those CPUs. Remember the HD 7970 Vapor-X w/ 6 GB memory too.

Earlier on there were the HD 5850 / 5870. Times elapsed ceaselessly within the somber recesses of the memory; like a copious lackadaisical indulgence ending daftly and twinkling serenely around the corner of begone contemplations.

There was the i7-990X too. That thing was Godlike!

 

[USAFRet]

Still remember the i5-2500 and i7-2600/2700/3770 days here. People reveled in those CPUs. Remember the HD 7970 Vapor-X w/ 6 GB memory too.

At the time, yes.

12+ years later, not so much.

 

[jnjnilson6]

At the time, yes.

12+ years later, not so much.

A little off-center, but do you think that Arrow Lake would be faster than 13-14th gen. keeping in mind the purported lower clocks and the lack of Hyper-Threading Technology?

If one could get, say, an i7-14700 today, would the wait for Arrow Lake be worthwhile?

I know this is pure speculation but it would be good to retain a point of view or two.

 

[punkncat]

Still remember the i5-2500 and i7-2600/2700/3770 days here. People reveled in those CPUs. Remember the HD 7970 Vapor-X w/ 6 GB memory too.

Earlier on there were the HD 5850 / 5870. Times elapsed ceaselessly within the somber recesses of the memory; like a copious lackadaisical indulgence ending daftly and twinkling serenely around the corner of begone contemplations.

There was the i7-990X too. That thing was Godlike!

Funny enough I got ahold of an Intel Desktop Motherboard with an i5 2500 on it. Worked perfectly and was still somewhat capable for simple consumption of interwebz. I was well surprised that I listed it (CHEAP) and got a very quick response and sell/trade for some cash and a stock Intel cooler that I need for something else.

I had an XPS with the 2600 onboard and it was such a decent performer. What really sucked was that Dell (in their infinite wisdom) BIOS locked those models to three different graphics cards that were well below the level of newer ones and still within a performance envelope that made sense for that i7.

 

[jnjnilson6]

Funny enough I got ahold of an Intel Desktop Motherboard with an i5 2500 on it. Worked perfectly and was still somewhat capable for simple consumption of interwebz. I was well surprised that I listed it (CHEAP) and got a very quick response and sell/trade for some cash and a stock Intel cooler that I need for something else.

I had an XPS with the 2600 onboard and it was such a decent performer. What really sucked was that Dell (in their infinite wisdom) BIOS locked those models to three different graphics cards that were well below the level of newer ones and still within a performance envelope that made sense for that i7.

Had a friend who upgraded his PC (in the year 2013) from an i7-2600K with a GTX 560 Ti (I think it was Ti; a long time passed) to an i5-3570K and a HD 7990. The i5-3570K was actually slower than the i7-2600K by quite the margin. The HD 7990 ought to outperform my RTX 3050 Ti (Laptop) whilst running software still supporting CrossFire well. It just shows you how fast the i7-2600K really was, especially keeping in mind it being faster than the i5-3570K and keeping in mind the latter could handle a 7990.

 

[USAFRet]

A little off-center, but do you think that Arrow Lake would be faster than 13-14th gen. keeping in mind the purported lower clocks and the lack of Hyper-Threading Technology?

If one could get, say, an i7-14700 today, would the wait for Arrow Lake be worthwhile?

I know this is pure speculation but it would be good to retain a point of view or two.

Whole different question, for a whole different thread.

But for me, waiting is a losing game.

If you need the system now, buy the system now.

Wait for the New Shiny?
You will be waiting forever, because there is always some new thing on the horizon.

 

[jnjnilson6]

Whole different question, for a whole different thread.

But for me, waiting is a losing game.

If you need the system now, buy the system now.

Wait for the New Shiny?
You will be waiting forever, because there is always some new thing on the horizon.

Beautifully said.

It is funny how throughout Hardware history there were spans of only 2-3 years with gigantic jumps in requirements and hardware specifications and spans of 5-6 years with, in comparison, quite minor such. The better the competition - the faster the components in the end. It is quite funny that Crysis 1 will make 20 years since its release only after 3 years ahead in time. And its graphics would still be stunning.

Imagine a game from 1987 having stunning graphics in 2007.

 

[punkncat]

I actually find it surprising that the i7 3770 and in particular the mid high offerings in i5/i7 4th gen are still so powerful as compared to 6th and 7th gen. The 4790K is still a worthwhile CPU for a lot of tasks and better to own than a 6600 or 6700. Where it comes to the 67/7700K it just does break almost even.

In my own world I still think the 4690 was one of the best CPU I ever purchased. I used it such a long time and was still in use by my son until perhaps last year when I updated him to a Ryzen 3600 build.

 

[jnjnilson6]

I actually find it surprising that the i7 3770 and in particular the mid high offerings in i5/i7 4th gen are still so powerful as compared to 6th and 7th gen. The 4790K is still a worthwhile CPU for a lot of tasks and better to own than a 6600 or 6700. Where it comes to the 67/7700K it just does break almost even.

In my own world I still think the 4690 was one of the best CPU I ever purchased. I used it such a long time and was still in use by my son until perhaps last year when I updated him to a Ryzen 3600 build.

Yeah; those times were brilliant.

When I have a son I will leave him to drench his imagination in all the vivid nuances glinting effervescently within the gaming world. And then when he grows up a little more; say about 16-17, I would start reading the great books to him and explaining all the great things within. Hopefully that earlier saturated gaming world would help him see everything in color and beauty.

Still remember overclocking my i7-3770K to 5 GHz on a P8Z77 ASUS motherboard and with the Corsair H110 watercooling.

 

[35below0]

It is quite funny that Crysis 1 will make 20 years since its release only after 3 years ahead in time. And its graphics would still be stunning.

Not on the level of Crysis, but i think X3 Reunion, and to a lesser extent, Homeworld still look beautiful today. Not sure about Starcraft but it's aged well at least.

Imagine a game from 1987 having stunning graphics in 2007.

1987... Well stunning in 2007 no, but Defender of the Crown was pretty stunning for it's time. Cinemaware was ahead of it's time.
R-Type has aged well, but again hardly stunning. Pirates looked like butt and looks like butt, but that was never the point.
Only other game that wowed people back then was Out Run.

I actually find it surprising that the i7 3770 and in particular the mid high offerings in i5/i7 4th gen are still so powerful as compared to 6th and 7th gen.

I'm still fond of my 3570K, and in fact if i didn't need Win 11, i could still keep using that machine. It's fine. Slow in more demanding gaming, but plays KSP, FTL, TrackMania, Serious Sams, Jade Empire/KOTOR/II, Factorio, RimWorld, X3 Reunion etc. etc. all on the iGPU.
A little slow in everyday tasks compared to a modern machine, but still capable.

 

[jnjnilson6]

Not on the level of Crysis, but i think X3 Reunion, and to a lesser extent, Homeworld still look beautiful today. Not sure about Starcraft but it's aged well at least.


1987... Well stunning in 2007 no, but Defender of the Crown was pretty stunning for it's time. Cinemaware was ahead of it's time.
R-Type has aged well, but again hardly stunning. Pirates looked like butt and looks like butt, but that was never the point.
Only other game that wowed people back then was Out Run.

I'm still fond of my 3570K, and in fact if i didn't need Win 11, i could still keep using that machine. It's fine. Slow in more demanding gaming, but plays KSP, FTL, TrackMania, Serious Sams, Jade Empire/KOTOR/II, Factorio, RimWorld, X3 Reunion etc. etc. all on the iGPU.
A little slow in everyday tasks compared to a modern machine, but still capable.

Well said with unique and absorbing mentions; a worthwhile assortment with glints of passionate reminiscence!

I remember that the requirements for Crysis 1 were Pentium 4 @ 2.8 GHz for Windows XP and @ 3.2 GHz for Vista. A Pentium 4 for Crysis was like entering NASA knowing only how to solve the quadratic equation. Basically it was bluntly and sarcastically insufficient. You'd be happy running Crysis with something like the i5-2400 or the AMD 1090T. It was a gem fallen from the scarce depths of the gaming universe and left to, immemorially, blink away forever as an unduplicable spectacle. I do not know if we will ever see a game as original and beautiful for the times as Crysis 1 used to be, mainly because of commercialization and programmers writing for money instead of beauty.

 

[USAFRet]

Lets put a hold on the off topic reminiscence.
Deal?

 

[35below0]

Programmers write to deadlines. Beauty is in the holder of the whip. As in, if said whip cracks, you get work done now, and beauty can go hang.

Lets put a hold on the off topic reminiscence.
Deal?

Sorry, yes.

 

[Flayed]

Hello, I'd like to know if an Intel i3-2100 can be upgraded to an Intel i5-6600? I'm not incredibly computer savvy, but it would be helpful if someone can tell me if there is a way to check I've listed below my pc specifications. I would really appreciate your help! Thank you so much!

Device name DESKTOP-6G35A31
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.10 GHz
Installed RAM 8.00 GB
Device ID 80289DCA-4BE7-43B2-85CC-B7F5DFA95D78
Product ID 00325-80850-54204-AAOEM
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display

I did an upgrade last year for a friend who had been using a system for gaming with the same processor and 8GB of RAM. He had a pretty ancient Radeon graphics card too although I forget which. I had been bugging him for ages to upgrade as there were loads of games he couldn't run but he was like nah I can still play WoW with this old thing. It was only when he realised he wouldn't be able to play Baldurs Gate 3 that he ponied up the cash to upgrade.

He is now happily playing BG3 and Total War: Warhammer III using a Ryzen 5 5600 and a Radeon RX 6600 but he doesn't have time to play all the games he couldn't run before.