Processor Upgrade - Atom Processors

[CStaf1]

I have an HP Mini 110 with an Intel Atom N270 processor. I'm replacing the motherboard soon, and I was wondering if I could upgrade the processor to a newer Atom processor. Specifically, the Intel Atom https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/processors/atom/c-series/c3955.html C3955. I have a few questions regarding this matter.

First, is the swap possible?

Second, where can I get this processor?

Third, how would I go about replacing the processor?

[n_scott_pearson]

Technical details:

• The Intel Atom N270 is a processor designed for the BGA437 "socket". BGA stands for Ball Grid Array, which means that the processor will be directly mounted (wave-soldered) onto the motherboard. It must be partnered with a chipset - in this case, the Intel 945GSE Express Chipset - to complete its system-level functionality. This chipset includes the Intel 82945GSE GMCH (Graphics and Memory Controller Hub), which supports DDR2 DRAM.

• The Atom C3955 is a full System-On-A-Chip (SoC), which means that it needs no separate chipset. It is designed for the BGA1310 "socket", which (also) means that it will be directly mounted onto the motherboard. It has its own built-in DRAM Controllers; they support DDR4 DRAM.

So, to answer your questions, these processors cannot be swapped. Because these processors have such differing motherboard requirements and, because they need to be soldered directly onto their motherboard, they can only be replaced at the motherboard level. You will need to source such a motherboard from a third-party manufacturer (OEM or ODM). Further, you will also need to replace your DDR2 DRAM with DDR4 DRAM.

Hope this covers it,

...S