A Question on a Laptop APU Upgradablity

Benjio · January 26, 2013

I'm helping my friend to pick a laptop, he doesn't want to spend over $300 and he wants to do light gaming on it. I found a HP G6-1B60US laptop with a a4-3300m APU in it for under $300. What I was wondering though is if the motherboard of the laptop support a better APU if he wanted to upgrade in the future. For example, would it work with an a8-3520m? They both have the same socket type (FS1) and the same wattage. I would think that it would work, but I've heard from somewhere that some motherboards don't support some processors even if they have the same socket type. Any input is appreciated :)

ScottStevens · January 26, 2013

The processor should technically work, but there are a few things to keep in mind. a) Heat output and b) BIOS Bus Speed settings. It's possible the motherboard has a locked bus speed which could prevent the A8-3520M from running at its maximum frequency. It's also possible the BIOS in the motherboard doesn't support the A8 processor.

The A8 does produce more heat which could cause issues if the heatsink it comes with can't handle it. It's possible it will work, but it's impossible to give you a definitive answer. Sorry.