How easy would it be to upgrade the cpu in a z81sp

Somebody told me that most laptops have the cpu glued in with thermal paste.

Does anybody know if this would be something that my reseller would have a solution for?

Once i get a summer job i want to upgrade my p4 630 to the 670, but from what i'm hearing, I don't even know if that's possible.

 

how far a cpu upgrade you can do depends on the capacity of your motherboard so be sure to check first with your MB manufacturer's website to see the max. theoretical specs your MB can handle. having cleared and verified that you can theoretically perform the upgrade according to the specs you wish to do you now have to determine whether you could actually proceed. some notebooks have a design that make cpu upgrading very tricky because the cpu socket is situated under the keyboard side instead of the chassis underside. if you believe you would not be able to readily access the cpu on your own, then don't proceed. but if you are confident enough that you can do it, then go ahead but proceed with caution.

as to the glueing thing... if the thermal conductor used is a thermal tape then you do not have to worry about glueing problem. but if what was used by the reseller or builder was a thermal paste then there is some kind of stickying of the thermal paste with the cpu overtime but it is not something that is difficult to remove. one thing to be sure is not to force separate the heat sink from the cpu while the cpu is locked onto the socket of the motherboard. the best way is to unlock the cpu first. if there is some kind of strong sticking of cpu and heat sink, gently remove cpu from socket while grabbing heat sink. you would probably remove the cpu while it is still attached to the heat sink.

once this has been accomplished, the next thing to do is to gently remove the heat sink from the cpu with a sliding or twisting motion. this would separate the hs from the cpu. then clean cpu and hs with cotton moistened with alcohol.

it has been observed that if the thermal paste used was of the ceramic or silicon kind there is a kind of cementing that happens between the hs and the cpu but this can still be removed and cleaned. many swear that arctic silver though also sticky is a better option for replacement thermal paste/grease. when you replace back the cpu and hs, be very certain that there is perfect contact between them otherwise heat transfer would not be effectively conducted and you risk overheating which would eventually fry your machine.

btw, do not forget to de-ground yourself (discharge static electricity from your body by touching grounded metal objects like a water faucet attached to the sink in the room where you will be working with the computer). static electricity is a major problem when handling sensitive electronic components.

good luck and enjoy while you learn!

p.s.
the Asus z81sp is a very customizable monster. reading through its basic specs, maximum theoretical capacities, its manual online, and looking through its design, i am sure you would have very little difficulty upgrading it as long as it is within its published capability.

 

If and when I do upgrade I will probably see if I can just have my reseller (geared2play) take care of it. My z81 is my pride and joy and I don't know if i can trust myself taking it apart.