Quoted from EveryMac
Specifically, Intel reports that the applicable Core i3 processors ++each++ ++support++ an FCLGA 1156 socket and the applicable Core i5 processor ++supports++ an LGA 1156 socket. It isn't entirely clear how, or if, the ''FC''LGA 1156 socket that the Core i3 supports is different from the LGA 1156 socket that the Core i5 supports, but it is believed that the sockets are the same and just the Core i3 "package" is different.
For the "Sandy Bridge"-powered "Mid-2011" iMac models -- the stock configurations of which are the ++iMac "Core i5" 2.5 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 27"++ and ++"Core i5" 3.1 27"++ -- Intel ++reports++ that all have an LGA 1155 socket (also referred to as an "H2 socket"). The custom-configured models -- the ++iMac "Core i7" 2.8 21.5"++ and ++"Core i7" 3.4 27"++ -- as well as the education-only ++iMac "Core i3" 2.1 21.5" (Late 2011)++ likewise all have the same LGA 1155 (H2) socket.
Processor Upgrade Experiment Results
Knowing how the processor is mounted in a particular Mac only is half the battle. Determining whether or not a processor upgrade will function originally required experimentation by brave souls.
The now defunct ++HardMac++ was able to successfully upgrade an ++iMac "Core i5" 2.66 27" (Late 2009)++ -- equipped by default with a 2.66 GHz "Core i5" I5-750 processor -- to a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor. It is worth noting that this model also could be equipped with a 2.8 GHz "Core i7" I7-860 processor at the time of purchase via build-to-order configuration.
Although no details are provided, multiple third-party forum readers also ++reported++ that swapping the stock 3.2 GHz "Core i3" I3-550 processor in the ++iMac "Core i3" 3.2 27" (Mid-2010)++ with a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor worked without a problem. By default, this model was available via build-to-order with a faster 3.6 GHz "Core i5" I5-680 processor.
However, there are limits to the processor upgrade options, as well. In response to a request for reader input, Jason Riley of Sydney, Australia kindly shared the results of his efforts to upgrade a ++iMac "Core i3" 3.06 21.5" (Mid-2010)++ with an LGA 1156-socketed 2.93 GHz "Core i7" (I7-870) processor. He discovered:
[quote]The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
I suggest there are one of three possibilities:
Apple have restricted the logicboard firmware to specific CPUs.There is not enough power for the i7 (95W as opposed to 74W).The logicboard requires the graphics capabilities of the FCLGA 1156 Socket chips.
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/imac-aluminum-faq/imac-intel-aluminum-processor-upgrade-instructions.html[br][/quote]
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Specifically, Intel reports that the applicable Core i3 processors ++each++ ++support++ an FCLGA 1156 socket and the applicable Core i5 processor ++supports++ an LGA 1156 socket. It isn't entirely clear how, or if, the ''FC''LGA 1156 socket that the Core i3 supports is different from the LGA 1156 socket that the Core i5 supports, but it is believed that the sockets are the same and just the Core i3 "package" is different.
For the "Sandy Bridge"-powered "Mid-2011" iMac models -- the stock configurations of which are the ++iMac "Core i5" 2.5 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 27"++ and ++"Core i5" 3.1 27"++ -- Intel ++reports++ that all have an LGA 1155 socket (also referred to as an "H2 socket"). The custom-configured models -- the ++iMac "Core i7" 2.8 21.5"++ and ++"Core i7" 3.4 27"++ -- as well as the education-only ++iMac "Core i3" 2.1 21.5" (Late 2011)++ likewise all have the same LGA 1155 (H2) socket.
Processor Upgrade Experiment Results
Knowing how the processor is mounted in a particular Mac only is half the battle. Determining whether or not a processor upgrade will function originally required experimentation by brave souls.
The now defunct ++HardMac++ was able to successfully upgrade an ++iMac "Core i5" 2.66 27" (Late 2009)++ -- equipped by default with a 2.66 GHz "Core i5" I5-750 processor -- to a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor. It is worth noting that this model also could be equipped with a 2.8 GHz "Core i7" I7-860 processor at the time of purchase via build-to-order configuration.
Although no details are provided, multiple third-party forum readers also ++reported++ that swapping the stock 3.2 GHz "Core i3" I3-550 processor in the ++iMac "Core i3" 3.2 27" (Mid-2010)++ with a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor worked without a problem. By default, this model was available via build-to-order with a faster 3.6 GHz "Core i5" I5-680 processor.
However, there are limits to the processor upgrade options, as well. In response to a request for reader input, Jason Riley of Sydney, Australia kindly shared the results of his efforts to upgrade a ++iMac "Core i3" 3.06 21.5" (Mid-2010)++ with an LGA 1156-socketed 2.93 GHz "Core i7" (I7-870) processor. He discovered:
-
[quote]
-
The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
+
[quote]The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
I suggest there are one of three possibilities:
Apple have restricted the logicboard firmware to specific CPUs.There is not enough power for the i7 (95W as opposed to 74W).The logicboard requires the graphics capabilities of the FCLGA 1156 Socket chips.
Specifically, Intel reports that the applicable Core i3 processors ++each++ ++support++ an FCLGA 1156 socket and the applicable Core i5 processor ++supports++ an LGA 1156 socket. It isn't entirely clear how, or if, the ''FC''LGA 1156 socket that the Core i3 supports is different from the LGA 1156 socket that the Core i5 supports, but it is believed that the sockets are the same and just the Core i3 "package" is different.
For the "Sandy Bridge"-powered "Mid-2011" iMac models -- the stock configurations of which are the ++iMac "Core i5" 2.5 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 27"++ and ++"Core i5" 3.1 27"++ -- Intel ++reports++ that all have an LGA 1155 socket (also referred to as an "H2 socket"). The custom-configured models -- the ++iMac "Core i7" 2.8 21.5"++ and ++"Core i7" 3.4 27"++ -- as well as the education-only ++iMac "Core i3" 2.1 21.5" (Late 2011)++ likewise all have the same LGA 1155 (H2) socket.
Processor Upgrade Experiment Results
Knowing how the processor is mounted in a particular Mac only is half the battle. Determining whether or not a processor upgrade will function originally required experimentation by brave souls.
The now defunct ++HardMac++ was able to successfully upgrade an ++iMac "Core i5" 2.66 27" (Late 2009)++ -- equipped by default with a 2.66 GHz "Core i5" I5-750 processor -- to a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor. It is worth noting that this model also could be equipped with a 2.8 GHz "Core i7" I7-860 processor at the time of purchase via build-to-order configuration.
Although no details are provided, multiple third-party forum readers also ++reported++ that swapping the stock 3.2 GHz "Core i3" I3-550 processor in the ++iMac "Core i3" 3.2 27" (Mid-2010)++ with a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor worked without a problem. By default, this model was available via build-to-order with a faster 3.6 GHz "Core i5" I5-680 processor.
However, there are limits to the processor upgrade options, as well. In response to a request for reader input, Jason Riley of Sydney, Australia kindly shared the results of his efforts to upgrade a ++iMac "Core i3" 3.06 21.5" (Mid-2010)++ with an LGA 1156-socketed 2.93 GHz "Core i7" (I7-870) processor. He discovered:
-
[quote]The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
+
[quote]
+
The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
I suggest there are one of three possibilities:
-
Apple have restricted the logicboard firmware to specific CPUs.There is not enough power for the i7 (95W as opposed to 74W).The logicboard requires the graphics capabilities of the FCLGA 1156 Socket chips.[br][/quote]
+
Apple have restricted the logicboard firmware to specific CPUs.There is not enough power for the i7 (95W as opposed to 74W).The logicboard requires the graphics capabilities of the FCLGA 1156 Socket chips.
Quoted from EveryMac
Specifically, Intel reports that the applicable Core i3 processors ++each++ ++support++ an FCLGA 1156 socket and the applicable Core i5 processor ++supports++ an LGA 1156 socket. It isn't entirely clear how, or if, the ''FC''LGA 1156 socket that the Core i3 supports is different from the LGA 1156 socket that the Core i5 supports, but it is believed that the sockets are the same and just the Core i3 "package" is different.
For the "Sandy Bridge"-powered "Mid-2011" iMac models -- the stock configurations of which are the ++iMac "Core i5" 2.5 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 21.5"++, ++"Core i5" 2.7 27"++ and ++"Core i5" 3.1 27"++ -- Intel ++reports++ that all have an LGA 1155 socket (also referred to as an "H2 socket"). The custom-configured models -- the ++iMac "Core i7" 2.8 21.5"++ and ++"Core i7" 3.4 27"++ -- as well as the education-only ++iMac "Core i3" 2.1 21.5" (Late 2011)++ likewise all have the same LGA 1155 (H2) socket.
Processor Upgrade Experiment Results
Knowing how the processor is mounted in a particular Mac only is half the battle. Determining whether or not a processor upgrade will function originally required experimentation by brave souls.
The now defunct ++HardMac++ was able to successfully upgrade an ++iMac "Core i5" 2.66 27" (Late 2009)++ -- equipped by default with a 2.66 GHz "Core i5" I5-750 processor -- to a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor. It is worth noting that this model also could be equipped with a 2.8 GHz "Core i7" I7-860 processor at the time of purchase via build-to-order configuration.
Although no details are provided, multiple third-party forum readers also ++reported++ that swapping the stock 3.2 GHz "Core i3" I3-550 processor in the ++iMac "Core i3" 3.2 27" (Mid-2010)++ with a 2.93 GHz "Core i7" I7-870 processor worked without a problem. By default, this model was available via build-to-order with a faster 3.6 GHz "Core i5" I5-680 processor.
However, there are limits to the processor upgrade options, as well. In response to a request for reader input, Jason Riley of Sydney, Australia kindly shared the results of his efforts to upgrade a ++iMac "Core i3" 3.06 21.5" (Mid-2010)++ with an LGA 1156-socketed 2.93 GHz "Core i7" (I7-870) processor. He discovered:
[quote]The new processor physically fits fine but the computer wont boot with the new chip. I tried swapping the CPUs back and forth a couple of times just in case I missed anything but each time the i7 CPU failed to boot.
I suggest there are one of three possibilities:
Apple have restricted the logicboard firmware to specific CPUs.There is not enough power for the i7 (95W as opposed to 74W).The logicboard requires the graphics capabilities of the FCLGA 1156 Socket chips.[br][/quote]
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