Can I install an i7 CPU in an i5 laptop?

Is it possible? Will the i7 CPU fit in my Toshiba notebook which came with an i5 CPU? or are the sockets / mobo requirements different?

Thanks

 

It depends on the model and how its set up.
With the 1st gen quads you dont got the Intel IGP integrated inside, so only notebooks using dedicated GPUs and does not use Nvidia Optimus will handle a dual core to quad core upgrade.

But i cannot say for sure because you need to post specs, or model name.

DEagleson

 

The above is very accurate.

Yes - it is generally possible and has been done, but not every i7 would do.

 

I just did i3-2310m --> i7-2720qm and it worked. The manual online listed 2620qm as an upgrade option so it was good for quads. Its much harder than a desktop and has to be the right components. Check for processors designed to run on the exact chipset you have. I'm also told apple solders them in. If you do not know your way around hardware I would not attempt.

 

i7 620M would be one option. But it could cause excess heat dissipation. To be honest I wouldn't upgrade from i5 to i7 unless you have a serious reason to do so (CPU intensive tasks, etc.)

 

Yours is a dual-core CPU, i7 are mostly quad core. The problem is that not that many applications can take full advantage of a quad-core.

So - the i7 is generally more productive, but in certain cases (certain tasks and applications) your i5 might become the better choice.

P.s. the Frequency is no longer the main measurement of speed. You need to look at the whole picture

 

No problems Hope we could help

 

i7 600 series are all dual core. You will see VERY little performance difference with one of them over your i5 480m. I do not suggest moving up.

i3/i5/i7 are just names. They mean ALMOST nothing, just names for different pins. i3's are missing turbo boost and that's pretty much the only difference.

If you move to a quad core it's a different story but I wouldn't suggest it. You have a very fast i5.

 

wo wo wo.... that's a bit too drastic! There is a difference in the number of cores, cache size and levels, frequency, turbo-boost, supported features such as Virtualization, AES Hardware Support and many others that you will not find in i3 and some i5s! They could be very important!

The i CPUs are grouped very good - i3 being the "beginner"-level, i5 the mid-class and i7 the top-class, whereas each class has pros and cons!

The Virtualization and AES are very important to me for example!

Here's the comparison between his CPU and i7 620m: http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=52952,43560,

The i5 480m does NOT have VT and AES, which as I said could be quite important to some!
i7 has 4MB cache and so on!

At the same time he could achieve those with a different i5 too.

So no - not "just names" and turbo boost definitely NOT the only difference!

 

the 4MB of L3 cache as opposed to 3MB will make virtually no difference in anything he does. The clock speed might. in very specific situations.

A more logical upgrade would probably be the i5 580m assuming the pricing is still well below the 620m

i3's do/can have virtualization and the AES is not tied to i5/i7 names at all. My i5 has AES. Just as i7's can be missing AES. Does the fact that i7's have no igp mean they're lower? No. i3/i5/i7 refer only to pins.

 

Yes, i5 520m does have VT and AES, that's why I said they are achievable with some i5s.
And cache is important

Still the 3 groups make a lot of sense.

This material could be useful
Core i3 vs i5 vs i7: Intel's Processors Explained

 

L3 cache is really not that important except for very specific tasks. 3MB is plenty. 4MB will provide negligible help unless you're doing something that specifically accesses L3 cache.

Cache is important, but L1/2 are more important than 3. Gaming will make 0 use of L3. Compiling will make almost no use of L3. Even a hugely processor intensive program like PCSX2 makes 0 use of L3 cache.

I believe I've read either that article or one by the same person.

 

I'm seeing benchmarks inline with normal 2720qm cpus (6MB) despite having 8MB on mine. That being said if your using AVX it does not matter much

i3-2310 - 4.3MB/s with avx HQ
i7-2720qm - 4.8MB/s with avx HQ

CPU encoding doubled with more cores but AVX is pretty close. I don't believe the i3 had some vmware features I do use though. Also not always going to be using AVX sometimes I want to use Premiere that does not support it.

 

Im glad you found this helpful.

Intel Core i7 2620M is actually a dual core with hyperthreading.
Only Intel Core i7 2630QM is a true quad core.

But no worries, because all second generation Core i3, i5, & i7 got the integrated IGP, and as long as you got a notebook that can deliver the power required (Also need bios support) it should work.

Also the Intel Core i3 2310M doesent support turboboost so having the quad core should help you out as mentioned in your other post.

So im glad you got it working.
(Click on my Raptr link, and check my specs. We got the same CPU.)

 

I have a 2 720 QM it is quad core with 8 threads. There is also a 2820QM and 2920XM. EDIT: Oops did not notice what you were saying. Probably got the numbers wrong but there was a quad listed in the manual as an upgrade option. Must have been 2630 not 2620.

 

ark.intel.com is the place to go for info on specific processors.

when looking at 'upgrades' for a laptop, make sure that the specific mobo that you have is set for that upgrade. A lot of times a laptop will have 2, 3, 4 or more mobos each one specific for a set of CPUs and GPUs.

The parts manual is the place you want to go for that kind of info.