What are the steps to upgrading a CPU?

[Ajayajayaj]

I know there is a sticky about up about upgrading cpus, but I know my laptop's cpu is socketed, as you can see here:

So, I have an Asus K55A, with an i5-2450M currently, and am looking to upgrade to a i7-3610QM. I have found a very neat website that shows what CPUs are compatible with different laptop's motherboards: http://www.userbenchmark.com/System/Asus-K55A/791 and found that this laptop supports this cpu.

To upgrade the cpu, do I just need to take out the cpu, put in the new one, apply thermal paste, then install the drivers? Is there something in the bios that needs to be done? Is what I'm doing a stupid idea?

 

[Mark RM]

first off, compatible doesn't mean you have the cooling required to make it work, believe it or not, higher powered processors use more energy than lower powered ones which results in more heat.

In your specific case, the i7 3610QM is actually rated for your notebook. But Userbench is the worst place to look for anything, I looked in the service manual.

Before you replace it, upgrade the BIOS to the latest revision available. Have thermal grease on hand. clean EVERYTHING when you take the mobo out of the laptop. Generally when I do this, I find a new heatsink and fan for the laptop and install it, they just get so crappy over time and it's the number one cause of laptop issues after batteries.

It should give you a quite a bump in CPU performance, good luck to you Sir.

 

[Ajayajayaj]

first off, compatible doesn't mean you have the cooling required to make it work, believe it or not, higher powered processors use more energy than lower powered ones which results in more heat.

In your specific case, the i7 3610QM is actually rated for your notebook. But Userbench is the worst place to look for anything, I looked in the service manual.

Before you replace it, upgrade the BIOS to the latest revision available. Have thermal grease on hand. clean EVERYTHING when you take the mobo out of the laptop. Generally when I do this, I find a new heatsink and fan for the laptop and install it, they just get so crappy over time and it's the number one cause of laptop issues after batteries.

It should give you a quite a bump in CPU performance, good luck to you Sir.

Thank you so much for the advice, do you think there might be any issues relating to there not being enough power? Well I guess since it's in the user manual it's fine.

 

[Mark RM]

No, the unit is designed to feed that CPU, if it was working with the old one it should work with the new. I don't think you'll have any issues, just lay your screws out in the same pattern you have to replace them in.