Its pretty simple as long as your comfortable taking apart your machine. Just unscrew the heatsink and remove the old thermal paste from it. Swap the processors. Reapply new paste and reattach the heatsink(watch a youtube video to learn how to spread the paste). You wont have to mess with the BIOS.
You need to check intl compatibility charts. I assume you have an AlienWare board. If so this will make it difficult to ensure the 980 processor will work with your board. Dell would most likely have to inform you whether you can upgrade to the 980.
Processors
Processor upgrade information
We receive many questions from customers asking which of our processors are supported by their motherboards. We rely on the motherboard and system manufacturers to maintain such compatibility information, as their testing would require the use of our processors for validation.
For this reason, processor upgrade information is specific to a motherboard, and it must come from the motherboard or system manufacturer. This is also true for BIOS update information. It is important to confirm compatibility with the frequency, voltage, and stepping between the processor and motherboard. It is also important to verify if a BIOS update is necessary in order for your motherboard to support a faster or different processor since older motherboards frequently do not have BIOS support for new processors.
When updating your BIOS, always do it with the newer processor in the socket. This will ensure that your system will correctly identify the CPUID and the features of your processor will operate as designed.
Older motherboards may not meet the electrical and mechanical requirements for newer processors. It is necessary to verify the supported processors with the manufacturer of your PC or third-party motherboard. If that information is not available, it is possible the board is not validated for newer processors or that the manufacturer does not support processor upgrades.
One of the best ways to verify processor compatibility with the motherboard manufacturer prior to upgrading your processor is by visiting the main Website for the motherboard manufacturer. Usually these sites will list which processors are compatible with your motherboard.
For more information on how to identify your Intel® processor or desktop board, click on the appropriate link below.
The Intel® desktop board support site will allow you to identify which Intel desktop board you have. It will also allow you to see which processors that desktop board supports.
The Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool will allow you to see which desktop processors are compatible with which Intel desktop boards and what minimum bios version is required. Support is included on Intel® Core™2 Duo and later desktop processors and their supported Intel desktop boards.
While this all sounds nice, it's not exactly true. Dell also likes to have control of the bios updates. If they DON'T update the bios to the latest one the X58 supplier has, we don't always get to use the latest and greatest CPU's and hard drives.
Such as my PC, Dell is around 5 bios's out of date on my PC and will not support it with updates. I am now stuck with what I am allowed to do for upgrades.
Thanks for all the responses. I have the most up to date (Dell offered) BIOS and it is the motherboard that came with the pc from Alienware. I just have a chance to pick up a new I7 980X for very cheap and just was curious if I could use it with my PC. I am going to do some more research just to make sure before I pop on the 980. Thanks again to all who responded.
Thanks for all the responses. I have the most up to date (Dell offered) BIOS and it is the motherboard that came with the pc from Alienware. I just have a chance to pick up a new I7 980X for very cheap and just was curious if I could use it with my PC. I am going to do some more research just to make sure before I pop on the 980. Thanks again to all who responded.
Like I and Morblore said... it will work. The 980x has been out for a long time. It was shipped with some x-58 Alienware models. So we know its compatible.
C_ronic
431 Posts
0
August 4th, 2011 10:00
Its pretty simple as long as your comfortable taking apart your machine. Just unscrew the heatsink and remove the old thermal paste from it. Swap the processors. Reapply new paste and reattach the heatsink(watch a youtube video to learn how to spread the paste). You wont have to mess with the BIOS.
AAA737flyer
2 Intern
•
757 Posts
0
August 4th, 2011 12:00
You need to check intl compatibility charts. I assume you have an AlienWare board. If so this will make it difficult to ensure the 980 processor will work with your board. Dell would most likely have to inform you whether you can upgrade to the 980.
We receive many questions from customers asking which of our processors are supported by their motherboards. We rely on the motherboard and system manufacturers to maintain such compatibility information, as their testing would require the use of our processors for validation.
For this reason, processor upgrade information is specific to a motherboard, and it must come from the motherboard or system manufacturer. This is also true for BIOS update information. It is important to confirm compatibility with the frequency, voltage, and stepping between the processor and motherboard. It is also important to verify if a BIOS update is necessary in order for your motherboard to support a faster or different processor since older motherboards frequently do not have BIOS support for new processors.
When updating your BIOS, always do it with the newer processor in the socket. This will ensure that your system will correctly identify the CPUID and the features of your processor will operate as designed.
Older motherboards may not meet the electrical and mechanical requirements for newer processors. It is necessary to verify the supported processors with the manufacturer of your PC or third-party motherboard. If that information is not available, it is possible the board is not validated for newer processors or that the manufacturer does not support processor upgrades.
One of the best ways to verify processor compatibility with the motherboard manufacturer prior to upgrading your processor is by visiting the main Website for the motherboard manufacturer. Usually these sites will list which processors are compatible with your motherboard.
For more information on how to identify your Intel® processor or desktop board, click on the appropriate link below.
The Intel® desktop board support site will allow you to identify which Intel desktop board you have. It will also allow you to see which processors that desktop board supports.
The Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool will allow you to see which desktop processors are compatible with which Intel desktop boards and what minimum bios version is required. Support is included on Intel® Core™2 Duo and later desktop processors and their supported Intel desktop boards.
The Intel® Processor Identification Utility will help you identify which Intel processor you currently have.
The Product Specifications and Comparisons tool will help you identify your processor specifications if you know your processor number or sSpec.
This applies to:
Intel® Core™ Duo Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 Mobile Processor
Intel® Core™ i5 Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 Mobile Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition
Intel® Core™ Solo processor
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Mobile Processor
Intel® Core™2 Extreme Processor
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processors
Intel® Pentium® II Xeon® Processor
Intel® Pentium® III Processor
Intel® Pentium® Pro Processors
Intel® Pentium® Processor
Intel® Pentium® Processor Extreme Edition
Mobile Intel® Celeron® Processors
Mobile Intel® Pentium® II Processors
Mobile Intel® Pentium® Processors
OverDrive® Processors
morblore
2 Intern
•
2.4K Posts
0
August 4th, 2011 21:00
So long as you have the latest BIOS it will work, 100% sure. The X58 board supports it with the new BIOS.
Before you change the CPU go to youtube and watch some videos on how to do it. You can damage it if you don't do it right.
markshaheen
2 Intern
•
372 Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 06:00
While this all sounds nice, it's not exactly true. Dell also likes to have control of the bios updates. If they DON'T update the bios to the latest one the X58 supplier has, we don't always get to use the latest and greatest CPU's and hard drives.
Such as my PC, Dell is around 5 bios's out of date on my PC and will not support it with updates. I am now stuck with what I am allowed to do for upgrades.
retirednavy2003
3 Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 08:00
Thanks for all the responses. I have the most up to date (Dell offered) BIOS and it is the motherboard that came with the pc from Alienware. I just have a chance to pick up a new I7 980X for very cheap and just was curious if I could use it with my PC. I am going to do some more research just to make sure before I pop on the 980. Thanks again to all who responded.
morblore
2 Intern
•
2.4K Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 10:00
It will work.
C_ronic
431 Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 11:00
Like I and Morblore said... it will work. The 980x has been out for a long time. It was shipped with some x-58 Alienware models. So we know its compatible.
Hat-Trick
21 Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 14:00
How about the newly released 980, not the 980x? Would that be compatible as well?
morblore
2 Intern
•
2.4K Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 16:00
Yeah it will work just make sure you have the new BIOS. Like I said before I am 100% sure it will work. Not a little sure but 100% so go for it :)
Hat-Trick
21 Posts
0
August 5th, 2011 22:00