Can I put a i7 processor in the asus k55a laptop

heres the list of supported processors
Intel® Core™ i7 3610QM Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 3210M Processor
Intel® Core™ i3 3110M Processor

so, yes you can put an i7 in it.

You bought the wrong laptop. The motherboard and processor in laptops are so awkward to replace/upgrade it's just not done. Motherboards are all proprietery and designed as a match between ports and cases, there are no such thing as a standard laptop form factor. The processor is buried so deep within the laptop it's actually the last to come out. Besides, it will invalidate any warranty you might have.

If you want a better processor the best you can do is return your laptop and swap it for another with a better processor.

popatim is correct. I'd like to point out that the 2700k is a desktop processor while the 3210m that comes stock in the K55A and the CPUs that popatim listed are all mobile processors. The 2700k would fry itself using the tiny CPU heat sink and fan that the K55A has in it. Comparing the specs of the 2700k and the 3210m, you will see that the 3210m has a much higher tolerance for heat (105c vs 72c) has a much lower power consumption (28w vs 77w) and a much lower TDP (35w vs 95w). If you tried to put the desktop CPU in a laptop, it would probably catch on fire after 10 minutes. But it would never happen since the 2700k uses a LGA 1155 socket and the 3210m uses a rPGA 988B socket. I have the K55A laptop, and in the future I will probably upgrade it to the 3610QM since it has twice as many cores/threads and is even faster core for core. The 3610QM would be the best upgrade, besides an SSD. I put in a 128GB Samsung 830 and this thing flies compared to the old 5400 RPM HDD it had. Windows 7 loads in around 10 seconds from a cold boot.

Hi there,

I may have the same Asus. It's a K55A with a Celeron B820. The B820 is a second generation chip, according to wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Celeron_micr...

According to CPUZ, I have a Sandy Bridge 32nm processor with a HM76 Sandy Bridge chip set.

According to Intel, the HM76 chip set supports both 2nd and 3rd generation CPUs:
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/perform...

So, is CPUZ reporting Sandy chipset because all I have is Sandy or because my CPU is Sandy or because Ivy is just a type of Sandy bridge (as wiki implies)?

I think an 3rd gen i3 might be better than a 2nd gen i7, so I hope I can shoe-horn the bits together ... Is there bluetac for this or is the combination actually compatible?

-Ben

Differences:
Sandy Bridge = 32nm "die shrink"
Ivy Bridge = 22 nm, 3D transistors
Sandy Bridge CPUs do not work in Ivy Bridge motherboards

Similarities:
Same Socket type
Ivy Bridge CPUs work in Sandy Bridge motherboards

The HM76 chipset in the K55A motherboards came out in 2012 with the Sandy Bridge CPUs. Just like the desktop 1155 H67 and Z67 chipsets, they were designed for both Sandy and Ivy Bridge.

A 2nd gen i7 such as the 2860QM will demolish an Ivy Bridge i3. This is simply due to the fact that it has double the cores and threads.

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-2860QM-vs-Intel-C...

The comparison is between the best SB i7 and the best IB i3. The results will be similar across the board. Core for core any SB i7 will be faster than any IB i3. Even the lowest powered SB i7 is still better than the highest powered IB i3:

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-2617M-vs-Intel-Co...

Then again, any of these CPUs will be a significant upgrade from a Celeron.

Well I think I've misunderstood you...

CPUZ says the Celeron B820 is a Sandybridge. Wiki says the same. Therefore B820 is a sandy bridge working in a HM76 motherboard, which according to Intel supports both Sandy and Ivy (32nm and 22nm)

I've swapped the B820 with a 3110m and now CPUZ says I have an Ivy CPU in an IVY mobo.

Also, the correct comparison for a 2ng gen i7QM vs a 3rd gen i3M is (which makes the difference look less):
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-2860QM-vs-Intel-C...

Either way, I'm happy and for the original poster, upgrading a CPU is not easy but it's possible. Job done  

Just don't forget to check _before_ you do the upgrade for heat transfer paste! I'm glad I still had some!!

Also, there are fat and thin screws which look the same... Be careful to remember where everything goes.

Finally, 4th gen will be launched soon, so perhaps I should have waited before looking for a cheap 3rd gen. Oh well  

The CPU is the only part which uses those code names. The system as a whole becomes an Ivy Bridge now because you are actually changing several things that used to be part of the motherboard before the SB platform came out such as the PCIe controller, the internal video card and the USB controller. Even the "northbridge" which was once part of the motherboard is now part of the CPU. The NB controls the RAM as well as the expansion slots and is an interface between those components and the CPU. Since all of those components are now part of the CPU, to CPUz it looks like you have a new motherboard, but in reality it is the same one. CPUs are becoming more of a "SOC" or "system on a chip" as the die shrink keeps getting smaller and they are able to fit more components on a single die. The Apple iPad and other tablets actually are SOC. On the iPad, the GPU and even the RAM and the SSD is part of the single chip. The rest of the tiny board is just a wifi and audio controller. What once use to take up about a half a foot of real estate and several separate integrated circuits now can all be fit on a single chip such as the IB or SB. This is why when you swapped CPUs, you basically swapped out half your motherboard as well.

As for Haswell, it is a good thing you did not wait. The Haswell is not going to be compatible with SB and IB boards. They are releasing a brand new chip set and socket and are incorporating even more parts that were once part of the motherboard into the chip. But, if you meant the IB CPU might be cheaper when Haswell comes out, it might be a little. Even the 1st gen Core CPUs are not that much less than when they first came out and the SB 2700k is almost the same exact price ($300) as it was when released. You probably would have had to wait another 4 or 5 years before an IB CPU got to the point where it is 50% or less than what it is now.

I wasn't suggesting I would buy a Haswell for a HM76 - that's lunacy! I was suggesting the price of 3rd gen CPUs will drop. I got the second-hand 3110M for £34 and the i7 is seling for around £84. A second-hand 2nd gen i3 can be picked up for around £13. Perhaps you're saying the new-price market won't be affected b the release of Haswell, however the second hand market certainly will be.

I read your explanation of how part of the southbridge is on the CPU. Thanks, didn't know that!

That's what I figured you meant. The used IB i3 & SB i3 is very cheap where you are. The 3110m is still around $80 used in the US. Your price converts to around $50 US. I might start shopping online at UK sites that ship to America. Even with an international shipping premium, it might still come out cheaper. The 3610qm is going for around $200 US used. Your prices convert to $130 US. How much are the K55A laptops? If it comes with a Pentium or Celeron, it is probably dirt cheap compared to an i5 or i7. I like that idea of getting a Celeron laptop then swapping out the CPU. That is a very efficient way to obtain a 3rd gen. i7 laptop. I've already disassembled 3 laptops to clean them and change the thermal paste so I know how it is done. Here the K55A Celerons are around $350 refurbished, maybe less used. I got my K55A with the i5 3210m for $410 refurbished from newegg last Christmas. The price has actually gone up. I got it with a rebate, but the non-rebate price has also gone up by $40.