Should I change my laptop's power brick if I want to upgrade my CPU?

[Introvert_Monk]

I am thinking about upgrading my laptop's processor to an i7-2670QM or i7-2630QM. I made sure that they are compatible with everything and all that.

I want to know if I should buy a new power brick. My current one is 90W.

Laptop model: Toshiba Satellite C670-18C.

Laptop's specs: i5-2430M, Geforce 315M with 512MB DDR3 VRAM, 2*4GB DDR3 1333MHz system RAM, Kingston SSDNow V300 240GB SSD, 1600x900 17.3" TN display, DVD - RW drive.

I don't like using the touchpad so I always have a Mionix Castor connected. Aside from the mouse, I don't usually have any other external device connected and my laptop only has 2 USB 2.0 ports to one of which I sometimes connect a USB 2.0 hub. I may also connect a Xbox 360 controller from Microsoft on some occasions and I usually charge my phone from my laptop.

I also overclock my GPU with 100MHz on the core and with 240MHz on the memory when I play some "demanding" games.

I do not expect my laptop to perform better in games after the upgrade. I know that the GPU will be a severe bottleneck in any task that puts enough load on it.

I want to upgrade because I want to keep using my laptop for some more years and because I do not have enough money to buy a new laptop.

So, with all of that out of the way, do I need to change my current power brick?

[DnFx91]

8 minutes ago, Introvert_Monk said:

I am thinking about upgrading my laptop's processor to an i7-2670QM or i7-2630QM. I made sure that they are compatible with everything and all that.

I want to know if I should buy a new power brick. My current one is 90W.

Laptop model: Toshiba Satellite C670-18C.

Laptop's specs: i5-2430M, Geforce 315M with 512MB DDR3 VRAM, 2*4GB DDR3 1333MHz system RAM, Kingston SSDNow V300 240GB SSD, 1600x900 17.3" TN display, DVD - RW drive.

I don't like using the touchpad so I always have a Mionix Castor connected. Aside from the mouse, I don't usually have any other external device connected and my laptop only has 2 USB 2.0 ports to one of which I sometimes connect a USB 2.0 hub. I may also connect a Xbox 360 controller from Microsoft on some occasions and I usually charge my phone from my laptop.

I also overclock my GPU with 100MHz on the core and with 240MHz on the memory when I play some "demanding" games.

I do not expect my laptop to perform better in games after the upgrade. I know that the GPU will be a severe bottleneck in any task that puts enough load on it.

I want to upgrade because I want to keep using my laptop for some more years and because I do not have enough money to buy a new laptop.

So, with all of that out of the way, do I need to change my current power brick?

and heres me thinking im the only person in the world that actually values PGA chips lol. Just check intel ARK for both the current processor and the intended replacement, if there is a difference in power draw then you can make up for it with a bigger PSU, more than likely to be the same power requirements though. Another thing to consider is that your can't change the cooling in a laptop, so if the new CPU's TDP is too high, ittl just get too hot and underclock itself all the time.

[Mira Yurizaki]

Going from an i7 to an i7 generally doesn't increase your power requirements significantly enough. And Intel assigns blanket TDP values to processors, without regard if they really do need it or not.

[Introvert_Monk]

1 hour ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Going from an i7 to an i7 generally doesn't increase your power requirements significantly enough. And Intel assigns blanket TDP values to processors, without regard if they really do need it or not.

you mean going from an i5 to an i7, right?

[Introvert_Monk]

1 hour ago, DnFx91 said:

and heres me thinking im the only person in the world that actually values PGA chips lol. Just check intel ARK for both the current processor and the intended replacement, if there is a difference in power draw then you can make up for it with a bigger PSU, more than likely to be the same power requirements though. Another thing to consider is that your can't change the cooling in a laptop, so if the new CPU's TDP is too high, ittl just get too hot and underclock itself all the time.

Would going from a 35W chip to a 45W mean a lot for a single copper heat pipe? (I think it's an 8mm heat pipe).

[DnFx91]

4 minutes ago, Introvert_Monk said:

Would going from a 35W chip to a 45W mean a lot for a single copper heat pipe? (I think it's an 8mm heat pipe).

honestly im not too familiar with the thermal dissipation capacity of a standard heatpipe, in my experience, i have a fleet of dell precisions, some with 2nd gen i5's and some with 2nd gen i7's, and the cooling solution is identical in both types. 

 

Best to give it a try and keep an eye on thermals, at the end of the day you won't break anything, you just might end up with a crotchburner

[Mira Yurizaki]

15 minutes ago, Introvert_Monk said:

you mean going from an i5 to an i7, right?

Oh, no, I meant what I said, but I didn't really read your post carefully enough.

 

But usually the i5s are the same TDP as the i7s, leading me to believe they have similar power consumption.

[Introvert_Monk]

1 hour ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Oh, no, I meant what I said, but I didn't really read your post carefully enough.

 

But usually the i5s are the same TDP as the i7s, leading me to believe they have similar power consumption.

My i5 has a TDP of 35W and the sandybridge i7s have a 45W TDP. Most probably because of the higher core count. Thanks for the help!

[Mira Yurizaki]

The worst that can happen is you won't be able to charge your battery while plugged in and the laptop is on.

[Introvert_Monk]

1 hour ago, DnFx91 said:

honestly im not too familiar with the thermal dissipation capacity of a standard heatpipe, in my experience, i have a fleet of dell precisions, some with 2nd gen i5's and some with 2nd gen i7's, and the cooling solution is identical in both types. 

 

Best to give it a try and keep an eye on thermals, at the end of the day you won't break anything, you just might end up with a crotchburner

Ok then. Thanks for the help!

[Introvert_Monk]

1 hour ago, M.Yurizaki said:

The worst that can happen is you won't be able to charge your battery while plugged in and the laptop is on.

The battery is almost dead anyway (It's got like 2 minutes or so) so that's not really my problem. I only keep it in as a UPS.

[DnFx91]

2 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

The worst that can happen is you won't be able to charge your battery while plugged in and the laptop is on.

true, didnt think of that