Changing Processor

[koji]

Hello it's my first time to upgrade a processor. Will it be as simple as changing RAM? Just plug it and it's good to go? Or there's more to do after changing it?

Because if im not mistaken there's a lot to do if you change the motherboard.

 

I hope you guys can help me. I know that it should be same socket I just want to know if changing it is that simple.

 

Sorry for being such a noob. Thanks in advance!

[Enderman]

yup

take the old one out, put the new one in, and dont forget to clean off and reapply thermal paste

[TwOne]

First things first, check on the site of the manufacturer of your motherboard for a CPU support list. Check if the motherboard supports the CPU you want to buy.

 

Installing a CPU is pretty simple. Remove the heatsink off the old one (steps depend on what heatsink you have), open the latch on the CPU socket and grab the CPU out by it's sides. Careful! Then, place the new CPU, add a pea-sized bit of thermal paste in the middle, and slowly lower the heatsink and basically follow the steps for installing the heatsink (once again, depends on your heatsink). Plug it in, boot it up, and if everything went correct, there you go.

[koji]

Thank you very much!

[Quinnbeast]

Swapping the CPU is marginally more difficult than swapping the RAM due to a few additional steps and necessary tools, depending on the cooler.

 

You'll need to remove the existing heatsink/fan combination, be it a push-pin stock intel mount or a bolt-through mechanism that may require a screwdriver. There's a little pin/level that holds a metal shroud in place that you pop open before you can lift the CPU out.

 

After fitting the new CPU - paying attention to the little guiding arrow as go - and you've pushed the clip back in place, you need to reattach the fan/cooler. Ideally, you'll want to clean the contact point with a suitable cleaner such as http://www.arcticsilver.com/arcticlean.htm

 

Re-apply a tiny blob of thermal compound on the CPU and you're set to reattach the cooler. It's worth checking your motherboard spec sheet to see if a bios update is required for your new CPU.