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Intel CPU upgrading help
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TheHig
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That’s a mobile CPU and I’m guessing it’s a laptop? It might even be soldered to the board which means an upgrade is not impossible but likely not easily done or worth it.
Grebuloner
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BGA processors are soldered to the motherboard instead of using a physical socket like a desktop, so you can't upgrade it. If your CPU isn't cutting the mustard anymore, it's time to shop for a new system.
Alternatively you could buy a replacement motherboard for the laptop with a better CPU in it (any i7 4xx0HQ CPU with a higher number than 4710 is faster than what you've got), but those are already half the cost of a new, much faster, system.
Alternatively you could buy a replacement motherboard for the laptop with a better CPU in it (any i7 4xx0HQ CPU with a higher number than 4710 is faster than what you've got), but those are already half the cost of a new, much faster, system.
Yes it's a mobile CPU and it's not soldered to the board, and easy to get to it and replace. I prefer just to replace the CPU and have seen a few faster ones with the HQ lettering at the end for sale on eBay. What am cautious is to find one with the right socket. The one am really interested in is the Intel Core i7-4930MX (Haswell) but can't find out if it has the right socket.
TheHig
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Right on. If it’s socketed then why not if the price is right. Can be a fun project as well.
kirbyrj
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From your CPU-Z Screenshot, it says your processor is a BGA 1364 package (soldered) and the Intel ARK relates the same information. Are you sure it comes out? It might be easy to get to, but that doesn't mean it will slide right out. The Intel ARK for the i7-4930MX is FCPGA946/Socket G3. The comparable chip in PGA946 is the i7-4710MQ (NOT the HQ like you have).
Here's a list of BGA1364 processors, but since they are BGA (Ball Grid Array) I would assume they are soldered as opposed to a PGA (Pin Grid Array) socket like that 4930MX you are looking at. This doesn't mean it can't be done with a soldered BGA processor, but it definitely is a lot more complicated. If you look at the list of processors for BGA1364, you can see that some of the later ones come with 128MB of Lvl. 4 cache. One of those is the one you'd want as they are essentially Broadwell CPU's (Crystal Well in notebooks maybe...I don't remember). Looks like the top dog is probably the i7-4980HQ. I don't know if you'd see a huge reduction in battery life as everything but the i7-4770R is rated at 47W like the CPU you already have.
Here's a list of BGA1364 processors, but since they are BGA (Ball Grid Array) I would assume they are soldered as opposed to a PGA (Pin Grid Array) socket like that 4930MX you are looking at. This doesn't mean it can't be done with a soldered BGA processor, but it definitely is a lot more complicated. If you look at the list of processors for BGA1364, you can see that some of the later ones come with 128MB of Lvl. 4 cache. One of those is the one you'd want as they are essentially Broadwell CPU's (Crystal Well in notebooks maybe...I don't remember). Looks like the top dog is probably the i7-4980HQ. I don't know if you'd see a huge reduction in battery life as everything but the i7-4770R is rated at 47W like the CPU you already have.
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OFaceSIG
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Can you crack your laptop open and give us a picture of the socket?