Swapping motherboards: is it possible?

[DoctorDee]

Hi to all,
I already have a macpro 2008 and I want to buy an imac 27" 2009.

I have a great deal for one who has core 2 duo.
I read that is quite impossible to change the processor to an i5 or i7 or xenon.

Is it possible according to you to swap the motherboard with core2duo into another motherboard with a i5/i7 instead?

Thank you in advance for your kind replies,
Greetings.
D.

 

[gilby101]

No. Out of interest, how were you intending to get an i5/i7 motherboard except by buying another newer used iMac?

 

[DoctorDee]

No. Out of interest, how were you intending to get an i5/i7 motherboard except by buying another newer used iMac?

By buying only a working motherboard that has i5/i7, not another used iMac.

 

[theMarble]

Is it possible according to you to swap the motherboard with core2duo into another motherboard with a i5/i7 instead?

If you're talking about taking a 27" Late 2009 iMac, which had a C2D by default and replacing it with a i5/i7, then yes 100% that is possible. No motherboard swap needed as the CPU is socketed!

Edit: Board swap is required on the 2009 if going from a C2D to a iX CPU since the sockets are different.

You can read either the Apple Service Manual or an iFixit on how to replace the CPU. On the pre-2012 iMacs, there is no adhesive as the display glass is held in place by magnets. You can use either a suction cup or careful prying with a thin card.

 

[Amethyst1]

If you're talking about taking a 27" Late 2009 iMac, which had a C2D by default and replacing it with a i5/i7, then yes 100% that is possible. No motherboard swap needed as the CPU is socketed!

The sockets are different and incompatible. Core 2 Duos use LGA775, i3/i5/i7s use LGA1156.

 

[theMarble]

The sockets are different

Forgot about that. So it would require a board replacement to go from a C2D to an iX then.

 

[DoctorDee]

Forgot about that. So it would require a board replacement to go from a C2D to an iX then.

Well at the end I've just ended up buying a 27" mid2011 model but with a faulty gpu so I will just buy a modern graphic card, put it in there and it will work fine

Thank you very much to you all for your kind replies.

 

[DoctorDee]

Nope. The sockets are different and incompatible. Core 2 Duos use LGA775, i3/i5/i7s use LGA1156.

That was my original plan to buy a imac 2009 with core2duo and replace just the motherboard with one that has the socket for i5/i7. At the end for the same price I instead bought an iMac 27 mid2011 with a faulty gpu.

 

[CooperBox]

Well at the end I've just ended up buying a 27" mid2011 model but with a faulty gpu so I will just buy a modern graphic card, put it in there and it will work fine

Thank you very much to you all for your kind replies.

You make it sound very simple......
Many have done just that and realised there are a number of headaches involved - not just for the installation but finally getting the system to function smoothly. I've been tempted many times but realised I really didn't want the hassle involved.
Please post back on satisfactory completion, especially with your experience as it could be interesting to others.

 

[Amethyst1]

Can 2009 Core 2 Duo iMacs take a Core 2 Quad? It seems the Q6600 works but with just two cores in OS X while others don’t work at all. So, nope.

 

[theMarble]

Can 2009 Core 2 Duo iMacs take a Core 2 Quad? It seems the Q6600 works but with just two cores in OS X while others don’t work at all. So, nope.

If it's true that a Q6600 would work with even half of its cores detected, I'd be curious to see how it compares to an E8600 and possibly to the i5 model.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

By buying only a working motherboard that has i5/i7, not another used iMac.

Even if a working motherboard is more expensive than a used iMac?

 

[Amethyst1]

If it's true that a Q6600 would work with even half of its cores detected, I'd be curious to see how it compares to an E8600 and possibly to the i5 model.

The Q6600 only runs at 2.4 GHz, so an E8600/i5/i7 would run circles around it. It also lacks SSE4 instructions, limiting you to El Capitan.

 

[DoctorDee]

Even if a working motherboard is more expensive than a used iMac?

A used faulty iMac costs minimum 150euros here, a working motherboard 60euros.