I have a mid 2011 27in iMac with a 2.7ghz i5 which is running well. I also happen to have a 3.29ghz Sandy Bridge i5 CPU. Is there anything to be gained from putting it into the iMac? I'm pretty handy, so I could do the job myself at zero cost.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sandy Bridge i5 in mid 2011 iMac
- Thread starter Willholmania
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I don't know for sure as I have never done it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.
I think it would totally depend on what you do with the iMac, but I don't think it would be a huge difference in performance for most things.
Not sure what you do with your Mac, but if you things like video encoding, you would probably save reduce the encode times.
Personally, if I had the CPU and some free time, I would just give it a try. I would also do some tests with the old i5 and the upgraded one, and compare the results just to see the difference.
But again, I don't think it would be like a major upgrade. Changing the HDD to a SSD would give you a much more dramatic performance increase than changing from one Sandy Bridge i5 to another.
This shouldn't take too long to do, especially if you have already opening your Mid 2011 before. Maybe less than an hour, two hours if it is your first time.
The performance increase from changing that old thermal paste just might make the swap worth it.
Thanks. I use it for magazine design work, so I run a lot of InDesign and Photoshop. I already have a a pair of SSDs in it and it's a great machine. It's just that I already have the CPU so it seems rude not to stick it in.
I love that model iMac.
A friend found one in the dumpster at his job, and let me have it when it wouldn't boot up for him. After swapping the HDD for a SSD and baking the GPU in the oven, I got it working, and it ended up being a maxed out BTO Mid 2011 27" iMac. The display was beautiful, and it was pretty fast, almost as fast as my Late 2012 iMac.
I ended up giving it back to him as he needed a new computer.
I recently bought one for my daughter for really cheap. I am installing a K4100m GPU in it, along with three SSDs, one in place of the ODD for Windows, and two in a SW RAID0 for the main MacOS boot drive.
Maybe I might swap the CPU as well while I have the logic board out.
You have to be careful, that is how my now 18 year old son was conceived.
Yeah - they're cracking machines. I've just bought another one for my wife. Maybe I'll try the 3.3ghz CPU in it just so mine is faster than hers.
The only real issue would be whether or not Apple included the Microcode to enable your i5 in the firmware. Which I assume is the 2500. If it has the Microcode it'll work. If not then it won't.
Although if I was to go with all the bother of tearing it apart. I'd buy a used i7-2600 and install it. Then sell the 2500. As it is faster and will work. Given that it was an option at the time it was built.
Although if I was to go with all the bother of tearing it apart. I'd buy a used i7-2600 and install it. Then sell the 2500. As it is faster and will work. Given that it was an option at the time it was built.
If you feel comfortable enough with the disassembly there’s no loss at least. Performance will go up a little but it’s going to be a very minor difference. - Since they are otherwise identical chips the difference in clock speed should fairly accurately depict the actual performance difference, though keep in mind it’s a base frequency and turbo/multi-core loading will alter results according to burst behaviour. It won’t be like a newer computer’s performance gains since generational improvements quickly outpace higher tiers within the same family of chips, but you’d probably see between 10 and 20% better CPU perf depending on task
So in practice it sounds like it wouldn't make a lot of difference. Maybe the i7 idea is better bet.
Is this the one?
Intel Core i7 2600 3.4GHz Quad Core CPU 2nd Gen Socket 1155 Processor SR00B ** | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Intel Core i7 2600 3.4GHz Quad Core CPU 2nd Gen Socket 1155 Processor SR00B ** at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
Yes just i7-2600 not 2600s or 2600k
Is this the one?
Intel Core i7 2600 3.4GHz Quad Core CPU 2nd Gen Socket 1155 Processor SR00B ** | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Intel Core i7 2600 3.4GHz Quad Core CPU 2nd Gen Socket 1155 Processor SR00B ** at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!www.ebay.co.uk
Yes
1. Others have tried, but none has been successful with a Sandy Bridge in iMac 2011.
2. The other days, I stumbled across a core i7-2700k. I think this is the maxed out core-i7 for iMac 2011.
forums.macrumors.com
2. The other days, I stumbled across a core i7-2700k. I think this is the maxed out core-i7 for iMac 2011.
CPU Upgrade iMac Mid 2011
This is a Wiki post with information collected from the entire thread. Before you post, read this first. The difference between Mid 2011 21.5" and 27" concerning CPU upgradability is mainly caused by the available power from the power supply. --- The 21.5" has 210W power supply, the 27" has...
forums.macrumors.com
The K model works, you just don't get any additional benefit out of it because you cant overclock the iMac