Question Can I upgrade the processor in my R50-B-138 Toshiba Satellite Pro

[Cleggsta]

Hi! I'm a full time working single parent with a neuro diverse teenage girl at home! Time and money are in extremely short supply!

I'm running a fairly old laptop and want to try and get as much bang for my buck from it as I can. I DJ with Serato DJ Pro and have a couple of pro controllers which I use on this machine. This is my only real way to let off steam outside of working shifts and dealing with a teenager!

I've put a 1TB SSD in, upgraded the 4GB RAM to 12GB. I also made a stack of performance altering adjustments to Windows 10 Pro to reduce resource hogging by the OS. I clean installed my windows, it has nothing in it but Serato DJ Pro now.

Short of replacing the entire machine (which I intend / need to do at some time in the short to mud term future), the only realistic option I have is upgrading the processor I guess. I was thinking of finding a newer i7 that is the same fitment as the i5 (if there is such a thing!) My software doesn't seem to hog all of the RAM so at this point I don't see that adding even more is going to help!

It's an R50-B-138 Toshiba Satellite Pro. Core i5 4210 1.70Ghz. 4gb ram as standard.

Thank you so much for your help in advance! You really will be improving my quality of life with your advice ❤

 

[bignastyid]

While technically physically possible to upgrade a BGA cpu its rarely feasible. Takes special equipment and you'd also have to research if the systems bios and cooling system would even support a different cpu(many laptops have very limited bios support and limited cooling capacity).

 

[USAFRet]

Not really, no.
Your current processor is a BGA socket, soldered directly to the motherboard.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/u...r-3m-cache-up-to-2-70-ghz/specifications.html

A BGA socket CPU can't really be changed manually, like a regular decktop CPU.

In addition, you could only change within that same generation. 4th Gen i5 to 4th Gen i7, giving little real improvement.
That is if the Toshiba specific BIOS allows that change, and the cooling situation does as well.

Laptops are not really upgradeable beyond SSD and adding RAM. As you have already done.


Putting a Ford Mustang engine in a Honda Civic is probably an easier swap than a laptop CPU change.

 

[Cleggsta]

Nice one! It's good to know!

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

 

[USAFRet]

Just for clarity, this is what your CPU looks like.
Top half of this is what you see, bottom half is what is soldered to the motherboard.

There are literally 1,168 individual balls (the "B in BallGridArray(BGA) )

This was put on there by a robotic machine in the factory.
Unless you are a cyborg with a robotic arm...not happening.