Laptop CPU Upgrade - Samsung NP300E5E

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nvercrst

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Dec 18, 2012
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I have the Samsung NP300E5E-A02US, which I believe is a special Best Buy model. I want to upgrade the CPU which is currently an i3 3120M to something a little more powerful. CPUID says (image attached) that the socket is 988B rPGA, which (correct me if I'm wrong) is also known as a socket G2?

I was looking at this Intel Core i7-2670QM on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/300923496168?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 Does anyone know if this would work as an upgrade, and help my performance? Any info would be great, including other processor suggestions!

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goonbar79
Samsung NP300E5E is 3 series laptop, which is basically the lower end, lower priced models, with i3 Ivy Bridge cpus. i3 3120M is a socketed version, so physically i7 (IVB or Sandy) will fit. The problem with upgrading cpus for laptops is that even though technically it should work, you really don't know for sure until you try. (Not even Samsung support knows this for sure, only the tech support in Korea would know for sure). This is because a single model line has several mobo part# based on the last part of the digit (A01US, A02US, etc), and that mobo is specific for i3 cpus, and mobo may not support the higher end ones (though higher end mobo supports lower end cpus for sure), because any OEM tries everything to cut manufacturing...
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goonbar79

goonbar79

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Dec 31, 2008
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Samsung NP300E5E is 3 series laptop, which is basically the lower end, lower priced models, with i3 Ivy Bridge cpus. i3 3120M is a socketed version, so physically i7 (IVB or Sandy) will fit. The problem with upgrading cpus for laptops is that even though technically it should work, you really don't know for sure until you try. (Not even Samsung support knows this for sure, only the tech support in Korea would know for sure). This is because a single model line has several mobo part# based on the last part of the digit (A01US, A02US, etc), and that mobo is specific for i3 cpus, and mobo may not support the higher end ones (though higher end mobo supports lower end cpus for sure), because any OEM tries everything to cut manufacturing costs of parts, especially mobos. When we look at the model's BOM list (shows list of parts attached to the unit), it doesn't have i5's or i7's.

So my recommendation is that you will need to think about if the risk is worth it, and then go with the identical architecture (go with IVB instead of Sandy is possible) to minimize power and thermal related issues. My experiences tell me that it works "most of the time" as long as swapping with same generation architecture. I used to test out lower end laptops with higher end cpus for fun (even though manual doesn't support the cpu), and they worked. I can't be sure about the longevity of this experiment, but I think it should be okay. Just remember that if something goes wrong, it is entirely on you, so be cautious.
 
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dextermat

dextermat

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Sep 21, 2007
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Hi,

Installing the cpu cand be easy or hard, depending how the laptop is design.

Also keep in mind that replacing the cpu might give you thermal problem since the laptop you have is design to kind of dissipate the heat of the core i3. Laptop already has a bad time with thermal issues.

If you upgrade to play games: defectively not worth it, you video card is probably junk: again, not worth it.

Keep in mind, it's a gamble.
 
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nvercrst

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Dec 18, 2012
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Thanks! Yeah I understand that it is kind of a risky project (but that's part of the fun, right?) I will definitely try looking for an IVB i7, and I'm pretty sure you're right about the socketed part.

I don't really do any gaming or anything too intense with this laptop, so I don't think temps should get too bad, but I will definitely keep an eye on it. Thanks so much for all the information!
 
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