Upgrading a computer's central processing unit is a fairly easy, although major, endeavor. While upgrading a CPU, keep in mind concerns such as thermal characteristics, motherboard compatibility and system performance. Upgrading a CPU should only take a few minutes, but it does require careful attention to detail.
Preparing the Motherboard
Remove the motherboard from the computer's case. This process requires removing the motherboard mounting screws and add-in cards. Removal of the old heat sink and fan are required as well. Once these tasks are completed, the motherboard CPU socket is ready for the new CPU to be installed. It is good practice to examine the motherboard's CPU socket for any thermal compound that might have accidentally been applied while installing the last processor. This compound is sometimes conductive and should be removed.
Preparing the CPU
First, remove the CPU from its package; always handle it by its edges. If your CPU has pins, be careful not to bend or touch them. Oils from your fingers can cause irregular thermodynamics and electrical shorts within the motherboard. Furthermore, any contact with the pins might bend one because they are very fragile. Bent pins make a processor useless and rarely repairable. Alignment of the pin patterns from the motherboard CPU socket and the CPU itself is crucial because they are engineered to fit in only one orientation. Trying to insert a CPU incorrectly could bend the pins on it or the motherboard.
Finishing up the Installation
After the CPU has been successfully inserted into the motherboard's CPU socket, reattach any retention brackets that were there previously. Replace the heat sink and fan. It's important to note the CPU's thermal design point. The TDP is a measure of the amount of heat, in watts, that the processor will emit while operating. Be sure your current heat sink and fan are capable of dissipating an amount of heat equal to or greater than the CPU's TDP. You will otherwise risk overheating and destroying your new CPU.
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