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I have a 21.5 inch iMac (2017) with i5 processor, and I would like to upgrade the processor to a i7 7700K,
Is this CPU (i7 7700K) compatible with this iMac (2017, 21.5") ?
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Yes! You can replace the CPU in this system. Here's the IFIXIT guide: iMac Intel 21.5" Retina 4K Display (2017) CPU Replacement.
As to what CPU you can use Apple only used an Intel i7-7700 as the highest in this series so its hard to say if a i7-7700k will work or not.
Even if it does the power load & heat maybe to great depending on what you are doing on the system (heavy intensive processing)
The last issue here is this is such a new system you'll void your warranty and this is still a hard system to open as you need to carefully remove the display which is glued on. Many people have damaged it in the process if you don't follow the guides to the letter and use the correct tools.
Are you sure you want to risk it?
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yes you can add i7 7700K on the Mac and its very easy
In the comments of the link from the OP above, it is specifically stated the 7700K version does NOT work (while 7700 does), just to be clear.
hey !! thanks for your specific answer!!!
but do you know iMac 21.5 2017 mid support the latest one which 8 or 9 gen? coz i want to upgrade recently, just make sure about it
@roberthaolei - You are limited to the generation of CPU's the system came with you can't jump to the newest CPU's as Apple does not have the needed micro code in the BIOS (EFI) the newer chips need. Basically the i7-7700 is the highest you can go with.
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It's not possible to upgrade or replace the processor (cpu) or the graphics controller (gpu) in an iMac. You can add more memory (RAM) up to the limit of your particular model, and you can replace the hard drive with a larger capacity drive.
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Sorry, Felix this is inaccurate. The graphics is not upgradable but the CPU is.
Dan’s answer is correct you can upgrade the CPU chip!
Depending on the 2017 iMac configuration you start off with you may be able to upgrade the Intel CPU, SATA HDD, Blade SSD and the DDR4 memory modules. If your 2017 iMac has a fusion drive in it, then it has an Apple SSD controller. You can either source a genuine Apple blade SSD from somewhere or obtain a third party blade ssd that uses the same interface. Alternatively you can source an adapter to use NVME M2 modules. The highest compatible Intel CPU that will fit the socket may work but not be appropriate for the upgrade. Best to fit it with one of the CPUs that came as an option for that model as there could be multiple issues that arise in the short term and later on. SATA HDD and memory upgrades are fairly straight forward. Apple listed the maximum memory upgrade as 32GB for my model however it is definitely upgradeable to 64GB. The CPU is one of the things you need to check for maximum memory support.
Does someone knows if i can make a cpu upgrade to the 2017 21.5 iMac base model? It’s the one that’s only FH and came with the i5 7360U cpu
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Sorry there is no alternative CPU's for this model
@danj Thanks for your answer! Do you know if this model can be upgraded to 32 gb? Apple offers only 16gb as a maximu, but I searched the processor on the web and it says it supports 32gb...
thanks for explaining me :)
I only can tell you my references state 16 GB is the max. Maybe it would be smarter going with a different model than trying to push this one so far.
Most apps are still stuck at 16 GB. And the ones that are able to run with more RAM are more CPU/GPU intensive apps like photo editing, music & video production.
UPDATE: Apple updated the system firmware! Apple now sells the system with 32GB.
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Hi,
is it possible to upgrade my 21,5” 4k 2017 iMac with a i7-7700k 4,2GHz?
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Sadly, you won't get the added performance as the systems clocking won't let it boost to 4.2 GHz.
Does that mean I can install the i7-7700k 4.2GHz, but it will run at mx 3.6GHz?
That’s correct, the systems firmware is locked. If you need more performance you should look at going more RAM or better drive SSD over HDD as well PCI over SATA.
If you are doing video work the going with either a 27” system or external GPU solution.
Thanks. I got a i7-7700k 4.2GHz for free. that's why I install that and not a 3.6 GHz. Even if the 4.2 GHz only runs at 3.6 GHz. Does that work right?
Given the risks, I wouldn't temp fate!
Replacing the CPU is not a trivial task in the iMac's. Did you review the specs here: iMac18,2 Note the Comparisions are just not that different between the official models and project out what the 4.2 GHz might have offered if it was supported. Really not enough in my mind. I would rather make the effort to increase the RAM and/or improve the storage. But even that has its limits.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knMM9dRw... with i7-7700K
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This video is for 2017's 27 inch model. On behalf this thread, the i7 7700K is also able to be installed on 21 inch, but as stated above it would not benefit of K unlocking (TDP limits), as so would act as standard i7 7700.
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