Is it possible to upgrade from i3 to i5?

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Obnoxious
Honestly, I'm not entirely sure if your laptop can take processor upgrades. Some Fujitsu Lifebook's can be upgraded, and some cannot. Personally however, I do think that if you can open a large component/segment of your laptop, then you should be able to upgrade your processor. Based on the design of your laptop, you should be able to upgrade your CPU, as my laptop has a similar design which can.

If you could take a photo of the bottom of your laptop (where all the screws are), perhaps I may be able to determine what you have to remove to get to the processor. Of course, if that's not too much trouble.

If you can upgrade your CPU, then there is the obstacle of CPU compatibility. These processors listed below are guaranteed to work...
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diablo1892

diablo1892

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Mar 21, 2014
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It'll produce more heat than the i3 because it's slightly better.
It can take more weight and pressure than the i3.
I don't recommend doing it since a laptop can easily overheat (if the case isn't built for it).
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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The i3 and i5's have the same TDP rating. They are both dual core chips. There really isn't much difference between the i3 and i5 in mobile. I plan on upgrading my Asus laptop to an i7 2630qm, as it was an option for mine.

http://ark.intel.com/compare/53438,53450
 
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Obnoxious

Obnoxious

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In the past, laptop manufacturers were notorious towards consumers replacing the CPU; therefore they soldered in the CPU to the motherboard. If you can open your laptop, and can actually remove the CPU, then yes you can upgrade your CPU.

You're on the socket G2, which supports i3, i5 and i7 too. But to know for sure which processors are supported, you'll need to check with your laptop manual, or post your chipset here and i'll do the research for you.

If you want to upgrade, the best i5 which is similar to your current processor is the i5-3380M. That i5 is also the best i5 for your socket, and it will provide a great boost in performance; putting it on par with earlier i7's. However you could look into purchasing an i7, if you're willing to extend your budget.

If you'd like, post your motherboard chipset (feel free to use CPU-Z to determine this), and I'll research into supported processors.

All the best.
 
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T

TheCluelessPerson

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Apr 16, 2014
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Wow thanks for the help all!
Im not really comfortable opening up my laptop but
if you really could do the research for me that would
be a HUGE help. This should be all the info you need
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0166&SUBSYS_16C210CF&REV_09
Display Memory: 759 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 695 MB
Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: unknown
Monitor Id: SEC3941
Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (59.997Hz)
Output Type: Internal
Driver Name: igdumd32.dll,igd10umd32.dll,igd10umd32.dll
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2626 (English)
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2626
DDI Version: 10.1
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 1/18/2012 17:12:34, 6117888 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: n/a
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-4226-11CF-3D79-C836A9C2C535}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x0166
SubSys ID: 0x16C210CF
Revision ID: 0x0009
Driver Strong Name: oem10.inf:IntelGfx.NTx86.6.0:iIVBM0:8.15.10.2626:pci\ven_8086&dev_0166&subsys_16c210cf
Rank Of Driver: 00F60001
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_A ModeM
PEG2_C ModeWMV9_C ModeVC1_C


------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 4/17/2014, 17:52:10
Machine name: INDIS-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_gdr.101026-1503)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: FUJITSU
System Model: LIFEBOOK LH532
BIOS: Phoenix BIOS SC-T v2.2
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-3110M CPU @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 1902MB RAM
Page File: 1722MB used, 2082MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7600.16385 32bit Unicode
 
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Obnoxious

Obnoxious

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Jul 24, 2012
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Honestly, I'm not entirely sure if your laptop can take processor upgrades. Some Fujitsu Lifebook's can be upgraded, and some cannot. Personally however, I do think that if you can open a large component/segment of your laptop, then you should be able to upgrade your processor. Based on the design of your laptop, you should be able to upgrade your CPU, as my laptop has a similar design which can.

If you could take a photo of the bottom of your laptop (where all the screws are), perhaps I may be able to determine what you have to remove to get to the processor. Of course, if that's not too much trouble.

If you can upgrade your CPU, then there is the obstacle of CPU compatibility. These processors listed below are guaranteed to work with your laptop:

Intel® Core™ i7-3520M (4MB cache, up to 3.60GHz)

Intel® Core™ i5-3320M (3MB cache, up to 3.30GHz)
Intel® Core™ i5-3230M (3MB cache, up to 3.20GHz)

Intel® Core™ i3-3120M (3MB cache, 2.50 GHz)
Intel® Core™ i3-3110M (3MB cache, 2.40 GHz)

Intel® Pentium® B970 processor 2.30GHz
Intel® Pentium® B960 processor 2.20GHz

However, I have performed upgrades to laptops before which were stated as not compatible, but worked perfectly fine with no errors at all. So I'm going to assume that you can also try out different processors in your laptop too. The above processors I have listed are directly from Fujitsu, therefore should be compatible, however the processors I list may not be compatible (but I believe they should work, therefore I have listed them; however I cannot guarantee their compatibility as I have not tested them, nor have a machine to test).

You currently have an Intel Core i3-3110M, where you should be able to upgrade to a Intel Core i3-3130M safely IMO. This is a minor upgrade, but does provide a nifty boost in performance. The Intel Core i3-3130M is the best i3 for your socket.

I also believe you can take an Intel Core i5-3360M, although it's not listed as supported, I believe it will still work. However you should stick to the Intel Core i5-3320M if you want to upgrade, as it's guaranteed to work and the 3360M only provides a very minor increase in performance, which you may not notice. Therefore it's safer to go with the Intel Core i5-3320M.

Your laptop can also take Intel i7 processors, and if you desire to upgrade to one of those, feel free to reply and I will try and research into which are compatible (I have listed above the one which is guaranteed to work). Upgrading from your i3 to the i5-3320 will provide a decent performance boost, but it won't be ground-breaking or anything, regardless it is still an upgrade.

The compatible i7 processor listed above does provide a performance boost, but it's not so great either. If your laptop can take some of the other mobile Intel i7 processors, then you should see some major performance increase; putting your laptop in the high-end spectrum. That is of course, only if your laptop can take other Intel i7 CPU's on the same socket. I'll take a look into those i7's which I believe may be compatible with your laptop if you desire.

All the best.
 
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