Can I replace A5 chips to A7 chips in iPad mini 1?

These aren't plug and play chips---but rather soldered on masterpieces consisting of multiple layers of circuitry embedded in a wafer that stack on each other via an array of miniature solder balls separated from each other by less than a millimeter. One mistake, or a solder ball bridging to the next, and the whole thing doesn't work. There are only a few artists worldwide that are capable of replacing a CPU chip. In the unlikely event that such a switch was theoretically possible, it would surely be less expensive to just get a new device.

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That only works if the pin layout is the same. If you review the chip tear downs its clear they are not the same size or pin assignment compatible.

Jan 16, 2015 by Dan

@Dan That only works....never. Of course, never. My answer is addressing the idea of what it would take to replace chips. I believe that there are people in some corners of the world right now that play switcheroo with the big NAND chips from beat up boards and put them on iCloud locked good condition boards. But man. What a job!

Jan 16, 2015 by jessabethany

Guess I wasn't clear, I agree with you! Its just nonsense with the SoC chips.

Jan 18, 2015 by Dan

Desperate people will do almost anything. Look at the Lead recovery efforts in China just a few years ago thats still going on. We shipped them the old CRT's and Lead Acid batteries we had. They let their kids break up the stuff and in open pits burn the stuff letting the lead vapors pollute not only the environment but also poison them selves and their children. We saw the same thing in Japan with Mercury poisoning in the early 60's.

Jan 18, 2015 by Dan

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That only works if the pin layout is the same. If you review the chip tear downs its clear they are not the same size or pin assignment compatible. — Dan
@Dan That only works....never. Of course, never. My answer is addressing the idea of what it would take to replace chips. I believe that there are people in some corners of the world right now that play switcheroo with the big NAND chips from beat up boards and put them on iCloud locked good condition boards. But man. What a job! — jessabethany
Guess I wasn't clear, I agree with you! Its just nonsense with the SoC chips. — Dan
Desperate people will do almost anything. Look at the Lead recovery efforts in China just a few years ago thats still going on. We shipped them the old CRT's and Lead Acid batteries we had. They let their kids break up the stuff and in open pits burn the stuff letting the lead vapors pollute not only the environment but also poison them selves and their children. We saw the same thing in Japan with Mercury poisoning in the early 60's. — Dan

Richard @richard1959 Rep: 79 4 · Answer 1 · 2014-04-08T09:21:08-07:00

Richard @richard1959

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Posted: Apr 8, 2014

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Sadly no you shouldn't be able to do this due to the difference in programming I to have heard of this rumor but have not encountered any cases myself but usually you can't. Some devices are able to do this but Apple usually changes all the programming between the chips every generation from what I know.

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