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updating i3 processor to i7


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Laptops are notoriously difficult to upgrade the hardware yourself. What's the make and model of your laptop? A jump from an i3 to an i7 is pretty drastic. If they're part of the same architecture, it might be possible (for example: Haswell, Maxwell, Broadwell, Skylake, etc). Even then though, it most likely will not work if your CPU is soldered onto your motherboard, as is the case with most laptop CPUs/GPUs. In addition, even if the CPU is not soldered on and they're from the same architectural family, the voltage requirement necessary to adequately run an i7 (as opposed to an i3) may be too much for you BIOS to handle. In all honesty, I would suggest against upgrading your i3 to an i7. It might be cheaper (money, time, and stress wise) to just buy a new laptop with an i7 in it.

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Should be possible as long as you stay within the same generation. My friend's Alienware M14X for instance came with an i5 which I later helped him upgrade to a i72670QM. This was easy because I had that exact CPU in my Alienware M14X. How much it would help your use case for would depend on what your use case actually is. If all you're doing is watching videos and surfing the web, I doubt you'll see much of a performance increase. If on the other hand, you're editing photos or videos, you'll see a sizeable jump. Might I also suggest getting to an i5 and getting an SSD? I believe that would leave you with a faster "feeling" system.

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If you have an i3 and would like to upgrade to i7 , you might as well consider if it is compatible or not.  I would just suggest replacing your computer. Find one that is built for a faster processor so that you will have better overall performance.

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Wouldnt it be better to sell your laptop and buy an i7 version back ? Could save you alot of time and effort, as you still need to buy an processor, you could better buy an laptop with it, solving compatibility problems right away. I personaly should save myself the effort of upgrading. 

 

 

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Laptops also need to be cleaned inside and repasted, and most of them are pretty easy to open up..

OP, say us your full laptop model.

Some cpu's are indeed expensive, but it depends a bit on generation, and with some luck, maybe I have some i7 that I can sell to OP a lot cheaper than you can get them on ebay :D

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An i7 will take more power than a i3, so the cooling system must be very good.

Not all CPUs can be replaced because they are soldered.

It must be the same generation of the CPU and of course the same socket.

If the same laptop model is also sold with an i7 the chances are good. But keep the points above in mind.

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