I know that for some experts around here, a 5.1 CPU upgrade can be done while simultaneously calculating 80 digit prime numbers and watching Friends on TV. but I suspect there are some others who, like me, are extremely cautious about getting involved in the "innards" (technical term) of their cMPs.
While I have a 41-year old degree in Computer Science, the last CPU chip I actually handled was a 6502 - the mega-fast 4MHz version, of course.
Having bought a 2.8Ghz 4-core 5.1 cMP a few months ago, I was tempted by the possibility of a low-cost upgrade to a 6-core CPU. Checking out this forum's excellent CPU-compatibility chart showed me the options, and checking eBay showed that the fastest 6-core CPUs are very expensive. So, I decided that the 3.2GHz W3670 offered the best bang per buck, and noted that whereas UK sourced CPUs typically made £120+, a seller in China was charging £72 inc P&P. So, I bought it, and a kit for CPU cleaning and preparing and thermal paste from an Amazon seller, and also an anti-static wrist strap.
So today, following the instructions at
I did the deed this afternoon. It really is very straightforward with the right cleaning and purifying fluids, and it worked first time.
Apologies to any experts who have read so far, and can't understand why I even bothered posting about a trivial process, but I do want to encourage the hyper-cautious to consider a similar upgrade. Like me, you may not need the extra speed, but given how cheap it is, I couldn't resist.
Stuart
While I have a 41-year old degree in Computer Science, the last CPU chip I actually handled was a 6502 - the mega-fast 4MHz version, of course.
Having bought a 2.8Ghz 4-core 5.1 cMP a few months ago, I was tempted by the possibility of a low-cost upgrade to a 6-core CPU. Checking out this forum's excellent CPU-compatibility chart showed me the options, and checking eBay showed that the fastest 6-core CPUs are very expensive. So, I decided that the 3.2GHz W3670 offered the best bang per buck, and noted that whereas UK sourced CPUs typically made £120+, a seller in China was charging £72 inc P&P. So, I bought it, and a kit for CPU cleaning and preparing and thermal paste from an Amazon seller, and also an anti-static wrist strap.
So today, following the instructions at
Apologies to any experts who have read so far, and can't understand why I even bothered posting about a trivial process, but I do want to encourage the hyper-cautious to consider a similar upgrade. Like me, you may not need the extra speed, but given how cheap it is, I couldn't resist.
Stuart
