CPU Update for iMac 27 mid 2011

[grillbiller]

my iMac 27 from mid. 2011 have a 3.1ghz i5 CPU.

im not scared to open my iMac…

but is it possible to upgrade the i5 to a Core™ i7-4960HQ haswell cpu?
it use the same LGA2011 socket.

 

[chscag]

Not possible because the CPU like the GPU in a late model iMac is surface mounted to the logic board. In other words, it's soldered not socketed. And even if it was socketed, you could not swap the older CPU for the Haswell because that requires a whole new supporting chipset and power requirements. If you want a Haswell iMac, wait until next year and buy one when Apple starts to sell them.

 

[Slydude]

I meant to mention something about this on the videocast tonight. We had a few hiccups, which can be chalked up to an error on my part, and in the confusion I forgot to mention it.

Thanks Chscag for a good explanation of why that processor switch would not work. You hit on a few things I had not considered. Here's consideration I can tell you from experience. Even when it is possible to change out the CPU the speed bump may not be as large as one would expect. I once changed the 300 Mhz G3 processor in a desktop Mac for a 500 MHZ G4 upgrade.

Although I did see a bit of a speed bump it was not as much as I expected and probably not worth the cost. In fact, I did a memory and hard drive upgrade at the time and that might also have contributed to the performance increase.

 

[osxx]

Most of my gaming buddies don't build them anymore because a new processor usually requires a new logic board which will then need updated ram (higher MHz) and a better video card only to find out the power supply does not meet the demands so only the case remains hardly worth it.

 

[Slydude]

I think that is basically what I ran into. You don't like traveling 60 mph so you upgrade the engine in your car. Afterward you discover that no matter what engine you use the highway to work, the grocery store etc. won't handle speeds above 70 mph. Not much higher than the speed you started with. In computer terms the extra speed is lowed by the bus speed and speed of other components.

 

[grillbiller]

Not possible because the CPU like the GPU in a late model iMac is surface mounted to the logic board. .

in the 2011 mid model..
the cpu is not soiled on the logic board it can be easy removed…

Ok if haswell not an option.. what is the lates i7 Cpu i can change it to?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

It's not soiled..but it is certainly soldered.

If you see the 2011 21.5" Teardown at iFixit and the logicboard picture, the orange box is the CPU. The CPUs have a lot of pins and aren't easily replicaed by hand and if you COULD do it, you'd have to stick with the same family but perhaps the i7 version instead of the i5. As stated by others, you couldn't jump families since it isn't just the socket that is the limiting factor..

 

[Stretch]

It's not soiled..but it is certainly soldered.

If you see the 2011 21.5" Teardown at iFixit and the logicboard picture, the orange box is the CPU. The CPUs have a lot of pins and aren't easily replicaed by hand and if you COULD do it, you'd have to stick with the same family but perhaps the i7 version instead of the i5. As stated by others, you couldn't jump families since it isn't just the socket that is the limiting factor..

Razor, in that image the CPU definitely looks socketed, and if that's the case it could be changed if desired. Whether it would make a noticable difference is another question.

 

[harryb2448]

Well the 2010 model can be upgraded so maybe the 2011 as well and Op asking about 27" rather than 21.5" if that makes any difference:-


Upgrade iMac Intel Core i3 CPU to Core i7 - iFixit