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Future Upgrade CPUs for 8930?
I was looking at possibly getting an XPS 8930 with a low-performance processor (e.g., i3-8100) now, and upgrading the processor in a couple years when the prices come down for the higher performing chips.
How can I determine now what the range of compatible "drop-in" processors are. Will every processor that is currently available for the XPS 8930 be an upgrade option for this machine? Does Dell list this information somewhere?
Is there a rule of thumb about which processors are and will be compatible with this machine (e.g., chipset, number of cores/threads, etc.)?
scruffylg
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January 2nd, 2018 19:00
Thanks to all who contributed responses--ejn63, techgee, and vtoy116.
To summarize what I'm reading, it sounds like:
1) You can only count on compatibility with the processors Dell already offers for this model, and even so, there may be issues to beware of in upgrading such as a higher power requirement, or a different heat sink/cooler, etc. It's possible they could support later chips for the same socket, but you're rolling the dice.
2) Moreover, it may not be worth it. I'd have to buy the new processor (and any of the possible aforementioned upgrades), as well as sell the original processor, in order to make it economically sensible.
3) There may be easier upgrade paths with custom-assembled PC makers that use more off-the-shelf parts.
I think this answers my question quite well. I'll just post an addendum to explain my thinking a bit more.
When I've shopped in the past, Dell often offers the highest CPUs only in computers whose base configurations have other upgrades that I wasn't interested in. (For example, I'm not a gamer, so I'd rather save my money and not buy a videocard.) So, paying for the higher CPU required also paying for other hardware, which made the purchase prohibitive. That's part of the reason I asked this question...the idea being that I get a bare-bones computer that has all the latest "guts" (e.g., ports, chipsets, etc.) with the option to juice it up later as required. (According to Passmark scores, the i7-8700K is 100% faster than the i3-8100, a very nice bump.)
However, I took a closer look at the configurations for the 8930, and it looks like Dell now allows you to upgrade the lowest sample configuration with the i7-8700K without requiring other upgrades. Also, the premiums they are asking for with the upgraded processor and additional memory are not as out-of-whack with the parts market as I seem to recall in past years.
For my purposes, the premium I'd have to pay for one of the more custom-assembled PC makers probably outweighs the savings I get from using a mass market seller like Dell.
Thanks again for all your contributions...I really appreciate it.
ejn63
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January 1st, 2018 17:00
Any of the current 8xxx CPUs will work - whether any future CPU released in the Coffee Lake series is compatible is not something anyone can answer for you.
Each new generation of CPU has seen a different model system release (Skylake, XPS 8900 and 8910; Kaby Lake, XPS 8920), so expect the current generation to be the only one your system will support -- the next generation CPU (Cannon Lake) will mean a completely new XPS system.
Techgee
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January 1st, 2018 22:00
The general rule is that you can only count on processors that Dell sold the system with.
A new processor that Intel comes out with later for the same CPU socket (LGA 1151 for the XPS 8930) will often require a BIOS update with new Intel CPU microcode. From personal experience, Dell can either not update the BIOS (the case with one old Dell in my house) or update it in advance of new CPUs but not test it (another Dell in my house), leaving the newer processors working, but with issues (in this case no Turbo Boost and Power Management issues). And, of course there's no guarantee Intel will come out with newer processors for a given CPU socket.
So, an i7-8700K is the highest upgrade you can currently count on for the XPS 8930. But any future CPUs Intel comes out with for the LGA 1151 socket might work. Even so, I would verify with Dell that a XPS 8930 you plan to buy can be upgraded to an i7-8700K, especially since it requires more power (95W) than the i3-8100 (65W).
vtoy116
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January 2nd, 2018 05:00
In my opinion, it is not a good idea to purchase a system with the plan to upgrade the CPU in the future. In the future you would be upgrading an old system with other parts that have degraded with age, you would have lost years of not using an upgraded CPU since you had not purchased it to begin with, and the cost difference in the future would probably not be much different than it is today.
Techgee
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January 2nd, 2018 09:00
At the very least, it seems the CPU cooler is different on the model with the i7-8700K. See this Dell forum thread where someone is looking for its part number.
ejn63
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January 2nd, 2018 11:00
That is true - the heatsinks are different.
Since your concern is upgradeability, you may want to skip manufacturer D (and A, A, L, H as well) and go for a home-built or a custom-assembled PC that uses standard parts. Retail mainboards are often kept up to date with BIOS releases that transcend CPU generations -- within limits -- and you can select much better core components (such as the power supply and the chassis) than price-constrained OEMs do. You also won't be locked into proprietary heatsinks, fans, etc.
Yes, it will likely cost more -- but you'll see far fewer upgrade headaches down the road in exchange for the added cost.