Upgrading laptop CPU from Pentium to i7

Exmuramasa

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May 24, 2014
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Hello guys,

I have a Acer Aspire 5733z-4633 laptop that currently has a Pentiun p6200 . However, I am looking at upgrading my current cpu to an i7-640m which has the same socket G1/rPGA988a. As well as, its supported by my Intel HM55 Express chipset and has the same 35w TDP as my pentium. I have looked around the forums and saw someone with an Acer Aspire 5733z laptop line and he replaced his pentium with an i5-540m, so I am certain that I can do the same thing with my own laptop. What is your guys opinion on changing out the current laptop CPU with a higher end one?

P.S: The link below is the seller on ebay who is selling the i7 and I want your guys input if the product is legit and in fair condition before I purchase it. Thank you!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-Core-i7-640M-2-8GHZ-CPU-SLBTN-/131954050993?hash=item1eb91307b1:g:eNkAAOSwMHdXRg3L#viTabs_0
 
So long as the socket is a replaceable one and the cooling is capable of handling the cpu it should work. I'm not positive if the bios supports it, if it's the same motherboard in yours that was included with an i7 option from acer if they had a laptop back then with the i7 option then it should be fine. It's not quite like aftermarket desktop boards of a particular socket where as an example an asus 1151 motherboard supports pentium g, i3, i5 and i7. Oem's like dell and acer may use a proprietary bios on their board that may restrict cpu compatibility and that can be true of premade pc's whether laptop or desktop.

As to the ebay seller, is the product legit and in fair condition, no way to know looking at a pic of it. No one else here knows anything about it more than you do other than the seller. The indication is there that it should be legit, they have a fairly high number of transactions and a pretty good feedback score. They state they accept returns and refunds provided you follow their conditions. So long as you use something like paypal I think you'll be fine, ebay and paypal tend to have features in place to help protect users and if there's a dispute paypal will intervene and help resolve it. That's not any sort of endorsement for the seller other than looking at various generic indications on the listing. Ebay and paypal tend to make the exchange of used items between private buyers and sellers more 'safe' than just handing someone cash on the street and getting swindled.
 

Exmuramasa

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May 24, 2014
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So only going off primarily the best answer post in that thread. I do not THINK i have to change the motherboard since that one thread that i mentioned about some guy who had the same laptop lineup as mine didn't mention changing out his motherboard when he upgraded to an i5. Second, I have no problem with finding the CPU that I desire when there are tons of ads on ebay with CPU's of this architecture. I am not limiting myself to just the i7-640m as am willing to take CPU of the lower i5-5xxm range. Preferably a 580m or 560m. Finally, addressing the last hurdle that is pointed out in the best answer post from that thread is I have already taken apart this laptop multiple times for cleaning and less drastic upgrades like ram replacement or hard drive upgrading. Even going as far as taking the p6200 out of its socket and replacing the thermal paste. In addition, i7-640m has the possibility of being soldered onto a motherboard or socketed and removable. Which in that case, the socket would be called BGAxxxx to refer to how the CPU is not removable. But that's not the case, the i7 that is being sold is clearly removed from its socket so it can be put into a compatible motherboard.

Tl;DR: There is probably no need to change out the motherboard and no scarcity of what CPU's I can buy, if I look on ebay. Plus the CPU being sold is of the same socket and can be put into other computers if compatible.

 

Exmuramasa

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May 24, 2014
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I do believe that guy who had the same laptop lineup as mine and replaced his CPU was able to make it though the BIOS with no problems. Yet, I don't know for sure since any sort of shit storm can happen. I did read around the forums that I can contact the manufacturer themselves and ask if my laptop will allow it or updating the BIOS of my laptop will expand the range of possible supported CPU's for my mobo.

Going back to your response about the seller. I think he/she is reputable enough since its actually an e-waste organization based in Minnesota rather than a private seller. I could be wrong on that, but what I did like about that seller is that for a majority of the negative feedback that they got, there was usually a response from the seller themselves addressing the negative feedback from peoples issues. So I am still uncertain still about the purchase, but I leaning more and more towards the CPU being compatible and the seller not having some selfish intent since they do respond back to buyers comments.

 
It wasn't meant to discourage you from using ebay, just being cautious is all. I've personally bought several things off ebay and rarely have I run into problems. That's only my experience and it's not quite the same as dealing with a major chain whether brick and mortar or marketplace like amazon or newegg. There's no reason to suspect them of being a ripoff or out to scam people but at the same time I haven't dealt with that seller so they're a stranger and there's no way to vouch for a stranger.

At this point there's not much to lose, you're familiar with your laptop and taking it apart and things. If it's worth the $45-50 to boost your performance a bit, I don't see why not. Part of the risk of used and diy, sometimes it's a good deal and works like a charm. Sometimes it doesn't pan out, if not put your old cpu back in and if you can't return the i7 I'm sure you can sell it and at least get some if not all of your money back for it.
 

Exmuramasa

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May 24, 2014
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That's true. Not all sellers are out for your money. Though, some past online purchasing problems have made me skeptical about buying from purely online interaction. Kinda why Craigslist is much more of a go to site for me than eBay. Since I can see the product for myself compared to only posted online pics.

Looking at your opinion on if the performance is worth it and potential failure for this idea. You have a point that I don't have too much to lose, hell I could even make more money if it fails and I resell at a higher price lol. Anyways thank you for your opinion. It eases my anxiety about purchasing the product.
 

Exmuramasa

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May 24, 2014
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So I got the CPU and after updating the BIOS, everything went really well. Running 2.80GHz with turbo boost on the i7 compared to the 2.13GHz w/o turbo. Things feel a bit more snappier and faster in terms of performance. Really happy that thing went well and nothing went wrong, cause while I could have sold it if it failed, i'd be a bummer since I had so much faith in other forums and info pages if things didn't go as planned.