Clevo W150ERQ, Considering CPU upgrade

I have a Clevo W150ERQ with a i7 3630QM processor, and I'm considering changing the CPU to a i7 3940XM. The socket matches and it doesn't look hard to replace. The 3940XM will run a little hotter (54w vs 44w). Does anyone see a problem with doing this? I've never done this before so any advice is welcome.

Specifically, will the bios support the 3940XM processor, or will the bios need to be updated too?

 

the bios shouldnt be a problem (also i do recommend updating it to the latest version, same goes for the EC). the only issue u could run into would be thermals. make sure to use a high performance thermal paste when changing the cpu, i would recommend either Gelid GC Extreme or Thermogrizzly Kryonaut. good thing about the XM cpus: theyre unlocked, so u will have completely control of clocks and voltages. if it runs too hot in your machine at stock clocks, u might consider undervolting the core to shave off some degrees without sacrificing any performance

 

Great, thanks so much. The bios on my system is 1.02.16, KBC/EC 1.02.08. Is that current? It's getting harder to find drivers and updates.

 

Check the bios thread on here or grab one from Prema.

 

yep, a good bet is to check premamod.com for the latest stock bios & ec

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

You're current BIOS should be fine (there's risk involved in flashing; consider that and the fact that you may not need to do so). Since you're getting a hotter running chip, invest in a good thermal compound. Other than that, you should be good!

 

Well, I've already updated to Prema bios
I also got some of the Gelid GC-Extreme thermal compound, and the new processor should arrive tomorrow.

 

Sounds good! The Gelid compound works very well.

 

I am a little nervous about replacing the CPU since I've never done it before. It looks very straightforward but you know how these thing sometimes go...
Any advice is appreciated.

 

take out battery and briefly touch a metal surface to get rid of any potential static electricity before u open up ur machine.

use isopropanol to get rid of any old thermal paste residues on the old cpu and best to clean the new cpu with it as well and let it dry before applying the new thermal paste

as for application, i can recommend the line method, thus pushing out a thin line of TIM in the center of the cpu die and let the heatsink do the spreading for you when u reinstall it.

if u dont have any isopropanol around u can also use a slightly damp cloth / toilet paper to get rid of any fatty residues that might inhibit the thermal conductivity of your tim.

last but not least: stay calm! itll be over in a breeze and its not that difficult, im sure ull be fine buddy

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks. I already installed the CPU and it was a breeze.

 

And you used the Gelid compound? How are your temps?

 

Yes, I used the Gelid paste. CPU temps are just a bit higher than with the old 3630 chip, but that's to be expected. Idle temp on the CPU is about 56C and the GPU is about 39C. Running a benchmark test pushes the CPU up to about 85C max and steady around 80C.

I've just started to learn a bit about overclocking since the 3940XM is unlocked, but unfortunately trying to overclock just a little bit pushes the temp up to the mid 90s and thermal throttling starts to kick in. So I guess I'll have to be content with stock speed, which is still a substantial improvement over my old CPU.

 

Ah, yeah there is only so much you can do here. The compound sounds like it's treating you fairly well, though. Thanks for the follow up.

 

Try lowering the voltage slightly and it may give you some thermal headroom.

 

Actually I was just informed that this generation cpu does not allow undervolting, so I guess I'm stuck at stock speeds in my system.

 

Ah, that would be an issue, it's pretty fast at stock at least.