Many people have been asking about upgrading laptop CPU. Yes, you can! The good news is that it’s not as hard as you think. I will show you how to do it step by step in this blog post.
The first thing you need to do is find your laptop model on the internet and see if there are any instructions for upgrade available. If so, follow those instructions carefully and make sure to disconnect anything plugged into the laptop before opening up the case (except the power cord of course). You may also want a toolkit with a Phillips head screwdriver, a metal spudger or pry bar, and some cotton swabs with alcohol on them handy during this process which might take an hour or two depending on how complicated your laptop is.
Once you have the case open, you will see the motherboard. The CPU is usually located near the top-left corner of the motherboard. It’s a square or rectangular chip with a bunch of tiny pins in the middle. There are usually markings on the top that will say Intel or AMD. Before you touch anything, make sure to ground yourself by touching something metal like the case of your laptop. This will discharge any static electricity that you may have built up.
Once you’ve located the CPU, remove it by gently prying it up at one end with your metal spudger or pry bar. Be very careful not to damage the pins. If there are any clips holding it in place, you will need to release them before pulling it out.
Upgrading your laptop’s RAM
most of our laptops have been designed so the user can open the unit with a Phillips screwdriver and add new or upgrade computer memory with relative ease. Other computers have soldered the device shut making it impossible for users to upgrade memory. We’ve put together a guide to installing RAM into an HP laptop, but we strongly advise double- and even triple-checking before committing to a specific unit.
Upgrading your laptop’s hard drive
Most manufacturers allow for the existing hard drive to be replaced with one that has more storage. How much you end up spending on this depends on how much room you’ll need. A 480GB SSD can approach $400 or $500 rather quickly, while a 1TB standard hard drive can cost just $50 or $100. With laptops that make it easy to replace the hard drive, you’ll usually be able to find a compartment that houses the hard drive.An external hard drive is an attractive solution for many users because you can simply plug it into the USB port to get started. Plus, you’re able to keep using it when you do end up buying a new laptop.
Upgrade graphics card
A lot of people want to know how to upgrade the laptop graphics card (GPU), typically within the context of gaming. Like your CPU, your GPU is generally soldered into the motherboard, making it difficult to change.Interestingly, there is a way to upgrade your graphics capabilities: buy an external unit that connects to your USB port. You’ll get improved graphics output that provides the ability for a second display to complement your laptop screen.
Now that you have the old CPU out, it’s time to install the new one. Simply line up the pins on the chip with the holes on the motherboard and press down until it clicks into place. Replace any screws that were removed earlier and close up the case. Reconnect any devices that were disconnected and reconnect the power cord. Boot up your laptop and check to see if everything is working properly.
If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, there are plenty of places where you can find someone who can do it for you. Just be sure to ask around and make sure you’re using a trusted source.
