How do you put in a CPU? Whereas your graphics card is undoubtedly the principle driver with regards to gaming, it’s additionally important to improve your CPU at times. With greater clock speeds, in addition to new options equivalent to AMD 3D V-cache, a CPU improve can hold your GPU fed with body knowledge at a sooner fee than your outdated chip, stopping bottlenecks in your rig. What’s extra, this can be a comparatively straightforward improve, so long as you arm your self with endurance, time, and house to work. On this information, we’ll take you thru the entire technique of upgrading your CPU.
In our exams, we’ve discovered that you just don’t want greater than eight cores for gaming, so there’s no must splash a foolish amount of cash on a 16-core or 24-core monster CPU in case your essential precedence is gaming. As a substitute, we suggest shopping for a six-core or eight-core chip with a quick clock velocity in case you’re upgrading an Intel system, or with 3D V-cache in case you’re upgrading an AMD rig. You may try our information to the perfect gaming CPU to seek out the chip that most accurately fits your wants.
How one can improve a CPU
- Preparation
- Earth your self
- Take away your CPU cooler
- Clear off thermal paste
- Take away your outdated CPU
- Set up new CPU
- Apply thermal paste
- Refit CPU cooler
- Take a look at your new CPU
1. Preparation
There’s an enormous selection of CPUs obtainable from each Intel and AMD lately, and your first job is to seek out out in case your chosen CPU improve is appropriate together with your present motherboard, or whether or not you’ll want a brand new one. In case you plan to purchase a brand new motherboard, we at present suggest going with one based mostly on AMD’s newest X870-series chipsets and shopping for a brand new Ryzen X3D CPU with 3D V-cache. These chips have an enormous additional cache chip on them, and in our exams, we’ve discovered that this additional cache supplies a big increase to gaming efficiency.
When you have a Socket AM4 motherboard, with any AMD Ryzen 1000, 2000, 3000, or 5000-series CPU, there’s additionally a superb probability you’ll have the ability to flash your BIOS (the firmware in your motherboard) and set up a brand new CPU with 3D V-cache, such because the Ryzen 7 5700X3D. Examine the producer’s webpage in your actual mannequin of motherboard, and discover the most recent BIOS on the assist/downloads web page to see if there’s a brand new replace for it, then learn our information on how you can flash your BIOS to see the way it’s finished.
Nonetheless, you’ll want a brand new Socket AM5 motherboard if you wish to set up a Ryzen 9000-series CPU, and also you’ll additionally want some DDR5 reminiscence for it too. Learn our Ryzen 7 9800X3D overview to see why we suggest this chip as your best choice for this platform, and take a look at our information to the perfect gaming RAM to see which reminiscence will finest fit your new system.
Likewise, you’ll want DDR5 reminiscence and a brand new LGA1851 motherboard if you wish to improve to one in all Intel’s new Arrow Lake CPUs, which we examined in our Core Extremely 7 265K overview. Nonetheless, you need to have the ability to improve any Twelfth-gen (12000-series) or Thirteenth-gen (13000-series) Intel system to one in all Intel’s 14th-gen Raptor Lake CPUs, that are higher choices for gaming than Intel’s new Core Extremely CPUs. You will have to replace your motherboard to the very newest BIOS first, although, not solely to acknowledge the brand new CPU, but in addition to replace it to the very newest microcode and keep away from the soundness points that plagued these CPUs in 2023.
Lastly, you’ll must be sure to have the perfect CPU cooler for the job. Your present cooler could nicely have sufficient cooling capability, however it might want an adapter equipment to suit the most recent CPU socket mounts – this info ought to be obtainable on the producer’s web site. If a equipment is on the market, it would solely price a couple of bucks and can allow you to make use of your outdated cooler together with your new chip.
You additionally must make it possible for your cooler will deal with the warmth load out of your new CPU. Search for the ‘TDP’ determine within the specs of your chosen CPU – this stands for thermal design energy, and it exhibits the everyday thermal wattage anticipated to be output by your CPU underneath load. You may then take a look at the specs lists for CPU coolers and see which of them have sufficient cooling energy to tame the warmth out of your new CPU. It’s also possible to try our information to the perfect AIO cooler in case you
After getting your most popular chip in hand and the perfect gaming motherboard for the job, it’s time to get to work getting ready your rig. Fortunately, upgrading CPUs is extremely easy and comparatively fast relying in your setup.
Right here’s what you want:
- Philips Kind 2 screwdriver
- Mini screwdriver set
- Tube of thermal paste
- TIM cleaner or Isopropyl alcohol
- Antistatic, lint-free fabric
- Flat, clutter-free floor
2. Earth your self
When you can usually get away with out taking antistatic precautions whenever you’re upgrading your CPU, we suggest taking precautions simply in case. In any case, there’s a cause why your elements are shipped inside anti-static baggage and only one mistake can flip your new CPU into an costly (to not point out ineffective) paperweight.
For a begin, flip off your PC on the wall and unplug your energy provide earlier than tampering together with your PC’s innards, after which take the next steps earlier than trying to take away your present CPU:
- Press the ability button as soon as after you’ve unplugged the ability provide to flush out any residual energy.
- Place your desktop on a tough floor, equivalent to wooden, and keep away from putting it on carpets or blankets – in any case, you don’t need to encourage static electrical energy to construct up.
- Both stand on a tough floor in naked toes, equivalent to tile, or put on footwear with rubber soles in case you should stand on a carpet.
- Cotton clothes is your finest good friend, when you ought to keep away from sporting wool and a few artificial materials that would conduct static.
Even in case you’ve ticked off all these steps, it’s finest to floor your self in order that the static discharge is pushed away out of your elements. That is simply achieved by sporting and attaching an antistatic wristband to a metallic a part of the case.
Alternatively, you may contact an unpainted metallic portion of your PC case each couple of minutes to earth your self reduce the danger. That is my regular method if I’m in a rush, and it’s the chosen route of {most professional} PC builders too, however a small probability of discharge stays with this technique.
3. Take away your CPU cooler
It’s now time clear your path to your CPU socket. When you’ve eliminated the facet panel out of your PC case, your subsequent job is to detach your CPU cooler, which can be hooked up by a few totally different strategies. When you have an air cooler, begin by unplugging its energy cable out of your motherboard, so there’s no resistance whenever you take off the cooler.
When you have an air cooler that makes use of the inventory plastic mounts on an AMD motherboard, there shall be a latch mechanism to unhook it, the place you may push down the latch on one facet of the CPU to loosen the clamp, after which unhook that facet of the cooler from the mount. You’ll then have the ability to unhook the opposite facet.
As soon as each side are unhooked, wiggle the cooler gently in slight rotations backwards and forwards to loosen the thermal paste – ultimately, you’ll have the ability to work it free and elevate it up – don’t be tempted to yank it upward straightway, otherwise you threat damaging your CPU, significantly if it’s a Socket AM4 CPU, which might be pulled straight out of the socket with injury to the pins in case you’re not cautious.
When you have an Intel inventory cooler, it will likely be surrounded by 4 plastic circles, every of which corresponds to a pin on the cooler and a gap within the motherboard. Push down on the circle together with your thumb, and switch it to loosen the clamping mechanism – it would both flip clockwise or anti-clockwise – the circle will then pop up when it’s unlatched. Repeat this course of for all 4 pins, after which rigorously jiggle the cooler gently in slight rotations backwards and forwards – this may loosen the thermal paste and ultimately allow you to elevate the cooler off your CPU.
Lastly, you probably have an AIO cooler, begin by assessing the cables hooked up to the pump unit – the block that’s sitting straight on high of your CPU. You must have the ability to take away this unit with out eradicating the radiator out of your PC case as nicely, however take a superb take a look at all of the cables and the place they connect to the pump unit first – make it possible for, whenever you take away the pump unit, there shall be sufficient slack within the cables and tubing to maintain it out the way in which of your motherboard.
If doubtful, it’s usually finest to only take away the entire AIO cooler, radiator and all. Begin by ensuring all of the followers are unplugged from their energy sockets, and take away any cable ties securing them to the again of the case, then unscrew the radiator out of your case utilizing your Kind 2 Philips screwdriver. If you get to the final two screws, maintain the radiator with one hand to verify it doesn’t drop onto your motherboard whenever you take away the final screw, then put the radiator and followers safely out of the way in which by the facet of your motherboard.
If you’re assured you may safely take away your AIO cooler’s pump unit, or in case you’re utilizing an air cooler that makes use of a customized backplate, it would normally be secured in place by 4 thumbscrews, which might be eliminated together with your Philips Kind 2 screwdriver. Unscrew all of them a bit at first to loosen the clamp, then totally unscrew each individually and put them someplace protected for later.
You’ll now have the ability to take away the pump unit or air cooler out of your CPU, however don’t immediately pull it up, otherwise you threat damaging your CPU and motherboard socket. As a substitute, gently wiggle it backwards and forwards, backward and forward, to loosen the thermal paste, earlier than you elevate it up. In case you’re eradicating an AIO pump unit, now’s the time to be additional cautious and make completely positive that this heavy block with its metallic mounting plates doesn’t get dropped in your motherboard – transfer it securely out of the way in which.
4. Clear off outdated thermal paste
You’ll now be offered with a gooey mess on each your CPU and your cooler’s contact plate, and this must be completely cleaned earlier than you do anything.
You’ll want some TIM (thermal interface materials) cleaner or isopropyl alcohol for this job, in addition to a lint-free fabric. I’ve at all times used ArctiClean for this job, and have discovered it really works very well. It is available in two bottles, one to wash off the thermal paste, and one to re-prep the floor, however it’s the previous that’s most necessary.
Put just a few drops of your cleansing resolution on the material, after which wipe off all of the thermal paste out of your CPU cooler, ensuring you take away each final little bit of it. It’ll take just a few wipes, however you’ll ultimately have the ability to see your cooler’s shiny contact plate once more.
Your subsequent job is to wash the CPU, and I like to recommend leaving it in its socket for this job, because it retains a superb grip in your CPU and lessens the possibility of you wiping thermal paste onto the pins or contact plates of your CPUs, whereas additionally stopping you from getting thermal paste throughout your arms.
Once more, put just a few drops of your cleansing resolution in your fabric – utilizing both a unique space of the material than earlier than or, ideally, a brand new fabric, and gently (however completely) wipe all of the thermal paste off your CPU’s metallic heatspreader, and off the metallic overlaying across the motherboard socket, being cautious to not get any on the motherboard. As soon as you may see all your CPU’s heatspreader once more, and clearly learn all of the textual content on it, then you definately’re prepared for the following stage.
5. Take away outdated CPU
All CPU sockets, whether or not they’re utilized by Intel or AMD, depend on a latch mechanism to safe the CPU within the socket, and also you’ll discover a deal with subsequent to your CPU socket. When you have a Socket AM4 CPU, then this job is simple – gently transfer the lever barely to the facet, after which elevate it up.
This may loosen the socket’s grip on the CPU, and also you’ll have the ability to elevate it out of the socket. Take care right here, being light, as you completely don’t need to find yourself bending any of the pins on the CPU. When you’ve eliminated your chip, clear off any final remaining thermal paste and put it again in its field for safekeeping. In case you don’t nonetheless have the field, put it someplace protected, safe, and agency, the place there’s no probability of damaging the pins.
When you have an Intel LGA1700 or LGA1851 CPU, or an AMD Socket AM5 CPU, then these use land grid arrays (that’s what LGA stands for) of pins, quite than having holes within the sockets. You completely don’t need to find yourself damaging or bending one in all these pins, so take additional care with this a part of the method.
Push down the deal with subsequent to the socket, then push it to the facet and it’ll elevate up, loosening the metallic plate on high of the CPU. You may then gently flip up this metallic plate, and be sure to’ve eliminated each final little bit of thermal paste from the highest and backside of it. You’ll then have the ability to rigorously elevate your CPU out of the socket – grip it firmly by each side, then gently elevate it up and out of the way in which. No matter you do, don’t be tempted to the touch the socket, as you don’t need to threat damaging it.
Clear off any final bits of thermal paste out of your CPU if there’s any left, after which put it again in its field, or a protected and safe various place. Thermal paste usually will get caught within the crevices of the heatspreaders on Socket AM5 CPUs, so attempt to get all of it eliminated earlier than you progress to the following stage.
6. Set up new CPU
Now comes the thrilling bit, the place you get to put in your new CPU. When you have an Intel CPU, or a brand new Socket AM5 CPU, then take it out of its field now, and maintain it rigorously on the edges. Have a look at the the form of the socket in your motherboard, and the positions of the little notches on the edges of it, and also you’ll have the ability to see how your CPU matches into it.
Someplace in your CPU you’ll additionally discover a gold triangle, which denotes the place of pin 1 in your processor – the triangle is way greater on AMD CPUs than on Intel ones, however it will likely be there someplace. There shall be a corresponding triangle form within the CPU socket as nicely, and also you simply must make it possible for the triangle in your CPU is true subsequent to the triangle on the motherboard socket – your CPU will then undoubtedly be the appropriate method spherical to suit into the socket.
You now simply want to softly place your CPU within the socket on high of the pins, and when it’s sitting flat and snugly, you may then shut the metallic lid, pull down the deal with, after which lock it in place.
In case you’re putting in a Socket AM4 CPU, it’s even easier. Once more line up the pin 1 triangles on the CPU and socket, and gently place the CPU in its socket. In case you face any resistance, then cease, as you actually don’t need to injury the pins. It ought to slot easily into place with no resistance. When it’s within the socket, you may then push down the deal with to lock it in place and also you’re finished.
7. Apply thermal paste
You now want to use a brand new layer of thermal goo to your CPU, to make sure that all the warmth it generates goes straight to the contact plate in your CPU cooler.
You may assume that pushing two metallic surfaces collectively could be sufficient, however in actuality neither of those surfaces shall be fully flat, and they’re going to even have tiny, microscopic pits that act as insulators. Making use of thermal paste will be certain that each space of your CPU’s heatspreader is linked on to your CPU cooler.
In case you’ve by no means utilized thermal paste earlier than, we suggest utilizing a ceramic-paste based mostly for this job, quite than a liquid metallic or silver-based paste, as you then don’t want to fret about extra paste inadvertently creating electrical connections elsewhere. I’m utilizing Arctic MX-4 for this information, and I’ve at all times discovered this paste works very well in my very own builds.
For extra element on this course of, you may learn our full information on how you can apply thermal paste, however as a basic rule, I’ve discovered that making use of a cross form in the course of the CPU will present a good unfold of protection. As soon as your CPU cooler is clamped in place, the strain will unfold the paste evenly over the CPU’s heatspreader. Don’t be tempted to use an excessive amount of right here – simply two easy traces is loads.
In case you’re putting in a Socket AM5 CPU, I additionally suggest putting a Noctua NA-TPG1 paste protect round your CPU, as this may cease it getting caught within the crevices across the edge, making it troublesome to wash later. This step isn’t important, although.
8. Refit CPU cooler
As soon as your thermal paste is in place, it’s time to refit your CPU cooler. In case you’re utilizing an air cooler, place it so the fan is directing airflow by means of the heatsink towards the again of the case or, if this isn’t potential, set it in order that it’s directing the airflow to the highest. If it makes use of the usual AMD socket mounts, then you definately simply must clip the facet with out the deal with to one of many plastic lugs, and you’ll then hook the opposite latch over the opposite clip, and push down the deal with to safe it.
In case you’re refitting an Intel inventory cooler, push down one of many pins so it goes by means of the outlet within the motherboard, then flip it to lock it in place, repeating this course of with all 4 circles across the cooler.
In case you’re refitting an AIO cooler, or certainly any cooler with a customized backplate, then you definately now simply must remount it and put the thumbscrews in place once more. Flip one of many screws part of the way in which, then screw in one other diagonally reverse a bit of little bit of the way in which, then do the identical with the ultimate two thumbscrews. Repeat this course of a bit at a time, going between the thumbscrews, till they’re screwed in tight with simply your thumb. Except your guide specifies in any other case, this ought to be sufficient rigidity to maintain your CPU cool, and also you received’t want a screwdriver to tighten them additional.
Lastly, be sure your CPU cooler is plugged into the ability header(s) in your motherboard, together with all of the followers in addition to the pump unit in case you’re utilizing an AIO cooler. In case your motherboard has a selected AIO cooler header, then plug within the pump unit’s energy connector right here, and hook up the followers to the CPU cooler header. In case you’re utilizing an air cooler, simply plug the followers into the CPU cooler header and also you’ll be good to go.
9. Take a look at your CPU
Lastly, it’s time to verify your CPU is put in accurately and being saved cool. Boot up your PC, and wait a short time in your motherboard’s BIOS to redetect your CPU – this course of can take an alarmingly very long time on a number of the newest AMD motherboards, however let it do its work, and also you’ll hopefully then have the ability to get again into Home windows.
When you’re there, obtain CPU-Z, and run it to verify your CPU has been accurately detected and is working correctly. Lastly, it is advisable stress-test your CPU to verify its temperatures aren’t too excessive. I like to recommend downloading CoreTemp for this job, after which merely working the multi-threaded benchmark stress check in CPU-Z for ten minutes.
Control the temperature in CoreTemp, and ensure not one of the temperatures go into the hazard zone. Some Intel 14th-gen and Thirteenth-gen CPUs do get highly regarded after they’re being stress-tested, but when they’re hitting 100°C and the clock velocity in CPU-Z is dropping like a stone, then you definately both want a greater CPU cooler, or it is advisable repeat the steps above to make sure that there’s an honest thermal connection between your CPU and your cooler.
And that brings us to the tip of our CPU improve information, you now simply must benefit from the improved gaming efficiency of your shiny new chip. In case you’re trying to go additional and improve the entire shebang, then try our full information on how you can construct a gaming PC, the place we take you thru the entire course of from begin to end.
