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I want to upgrade the CPU on my Mac Mini (Late 2012). I currently have the i5 2,5GHz version but want to upgrade to a better CPU. Will it be possible to upgrade to the i7 2,6GHz that is on some of the other late 2012 mac minis?

I know it is recommended to upgrade the motherboard instead, since the soldering is very difficult to do, but will I have compatibility issues if i manage to replace the CPU successfully?

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  • Sell your existing Mac Mini, or donate it to an organization which can use it, and purchase a newer Mac Mini. IMHO, this is the easiest solution with added benefits: you get cutting edge technology and a year warrantee, with the option for three years with AppleCare.
    – IconDaemon
    Commented May 12, 2020 at 13:41

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"The soldering is very difficult" is rather an understatement.

The CPU architecture is BGA [Ball Grid Array] which requires a special machine to replace.

If all you have is a soldering iron, you can forget it.
eBay has BGA rework stations from about $£€ 400 to 4,000.

Once you've got the gear, then you could watch this YouTube video to see how easy it is… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK62KML0D04

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  • I'm a little curious if upgrade from late 2012 mac mini's i7 CPU would make any sense even if it could be just picked up and replaced. Like I wonder that the ceiling is there if you don't change the motherboard. Would you just be paying big bucks to gain .3GHz or something? If anyone has the answer, let me know.
    – Joonas
    Commented May 12, 2020 at 12:41

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