CPU upgrade on ASUS K73SV 17''

makroman · Mar 31, 2014

I want to upgrade my CPU on my laptop, but I don't know exactly which CPU should I get. I would like to get i7 and would like to know which one you recommend. My current CPU is Intel Core i3 2310M @ 2.10 GHz Sandy Bridge. Now I would like to know if all i7 Sandy Bridge mobile CPUs are compatible, if not what exactly do I need to look after when buying a processor? And also I am a little concerned about the heat i7 could generate if switched with i3. Basiclly I am looking for a moderate i7 processor not an extreme edition, but would still like something fast.
Here are all information I got with CPU-Z:

NAME -> INTEL CORE i3 2310M
CODENAME -> SANDY BRIDGE MAX TDP -> 35W
PACKAGE -> SOCKET 988B rPGA
TECHNOLOGY -> 32nm CORE VID -> around 1.100 V as it is constantly changing a bit
SPECIFICATION -> Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M CPU @ 2.10 GHz
FAMILY -> 6 MODEL -> A STEPPING -> 7
EXT. FAMILY -> 6 EXT. MODEL -> 2A REVISION -> D2
INSTRUCTIONS -> MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, EM64T, VT-x, AVX

So this is it, I know some of this info is probably useless but still better to be sure than sorry.

Geek Jed · Mar 31, 2014

If you want more bang out of it, it can handle the i7 2630QM Processor or the i5 2410M Processor.

breakfastdude · Mar 31, 2014

Though people have had success replacing the CPU's of their notebooks (myself included), there's still no guarantee that it will work. Some manufacturers lock the BIOSes of their notebooks, making the swap futile (especially when swapping from a lower TDP model to a higher TDP one). You better research on this first, if no one here is able to chime in with their experiences with the same notebook.

That said, your temps will definitely go higher (and battery life lower) if ever you're able to pull this off. I, for one, switched from a 35W i3 to a 35W i5 (Arrandale, not Sandy Bridge) on my old notebook, and temps still increased by 4 to 5 degrees celsius (using the same thermal paste). I imagine it would be a greater increase from a 35W i3 to a 45W i7.

My recommended sandy bridge mobile i7 would the lowest quad-core ones, the 2610qm or the 2630qm. Prices tend to really shoot up from there. There are dual-core i7's (which are also 35W TDP), but it's not really much of an upgrade from an i3, so I don't recommend those.

Oh, and I generally don't recommend upgrading mobile CPU's in the first place, unless you're getting your new CPU for dirt cheap (like I did), since mobile parts are really hard to find and quite expensive. But that's just me.

makroman · Mar 31, 2014

breakfastdude :

Though people have had success replacing the CPU's of their notebooks (myself included), there's still no guarantee that it will work. Some manufacturers lock the BIOSes of their notebooks, making the swap futile (especially when swapping from a lower TDP model to a higher TDP one). You better research on this first, if no one here is able to chime in with their experiences with the same notebook.

That said, your temps will definitely go higher (and battery life lower) if ever you're able to pull this off. I, for one, switched from a 35W i3 to a 35W i5 (Arrandale, not Sandy Bridge) on my old notebook, and temps still increased by 4 to 5 degrees celsius (using the same thermal paste). I imagine it would be a greater increase from a 35W i3 to a 45W i7.

My recommended sandy bridge mobile i7 would the lowest quad-core ones, the 2610qm or the 2630qm. Prices tend to really shoot up from there. There are dual-core i7's (which are also 35W TDP), but it's not really much of an upgrade from an i3, so I don't recommend those.

Oh, and I generally don't recommend upgrading mobile CPU's in the first place, unless you're getting your new CPU for dirt cheap (like I did), since mobile parts are really hard to find and quite expensive. But that's just me.

Thanks for reply.. How do I check if I have a locked bios on my laptop?

breakfastdude · Mar 31, 2014

There's no definite way to verify aside from trying to do the CPU swap itself and see what happens. That's why I'm advising you to scrounge the interwebs first and try to find out if anyone with the same/similar laptop model has had success with what you want to do. A good first step would be to look for it in the notebook review forums: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/
People are also quite eager to help there, so if you can't find anything you could try starting your own thread.

bridgeridoo · Dec 19, 2017

update 2018-05-26 -- 6 months later and it's still running strong!

I successfully installed a 2760QM (not 2670QM) in my Asus K73E-A1. I bought the used CPU on eBay for $60, from some kind of electronics salvage company (wastecom). I replaced the original 2310M. I just popped it in, cleaned & applied a line of thermal paste, re-assembled the laptop, & it worked. Temps are great. Turbo speeds reach 3.2ghz (4 cores) & 3.5 (single core). The BIOS is the latest version (208). Proof: http://www.userbenchmark.com/UserRun/6360349

I assume the 2670QM would also work, since similar models (K73SM) offer the option. And I have little doubt that the 2630QM would be fully compatible, since it is an option on this specific model: https://www.asus.com/us/Laptops/K73E/specifications/

- 6GB RAM 1333
- Win 10 Pro x64
- SSD + HDD

After the CPU upgrade, I also upgraded the motherboard itself, swapping in a K73SM motherboard, which has a GT 630M GPU onboard. This was $70, but also required a new heatsink/fan assembly, which was $25 or so.

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CPU upgrade on ASUS K73SV 17''

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