Upgrading the processor (CPU) in your laptop is not the same as updating the chip in a desktop PC. Even budget laptops are designed with a careful precision that allows them to cram all required hardware into a very tight space with a battery and enough cooling to keep it all from overheating. This engineering feat generally means that multiple parts you'd see installed separately in a desktop build are fused together in a laptop (usually to the motherboard itself) to save space. This can include, aside from the CPU, parts like RAM, solid-state drive (SSD), and Wi-Fi card. Questioning whether or not the memory and storage can be upgraded is quite common in the DIY world, but what about upgrading your laptop's processor?

Can you upgrade your laptop's processor?

As a general rule, the best modern laptops do not allow for processor upgrades. Unlike in a desktop PC where you have a modular motherboard with accessible CPU socket, the majority of laptops have a CPU that's fused permanently to the motherboard. Sure, you could remove the entire motherboard from the laptop chassis, but you'll still find yourself stuck on separating a soldered chip from the board.

This is why it's so important to consider a laptop processor's generation when buying. The two major CPU makers, Intel and AMD, update their product lines every year or so, bringing improved efficiency and performance to keep up with modern demands. For example, Intel's 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors are the current standard for fresh laptops, but they will be trumped by 14th Gen Meteor Lake chips expected to launch later in 2023.

Buying a laptop today with, say, a 9th or 10th Gen Intel Core CPU isn't advisable unless you can get a great deal. Even 11th Gen chips in anything but an affordable Chromebook is spreading things a bit thin if you're hoping to keep the laptop relevant for years to come. It's always recommended that you try to find the most modern performance hardware while sticking within your budget.

Are there any laptops with an upgradeable processor?

The general rule might be that modern laptops do not allow for CPU upgrades, but there are some exceptions. The Framework Laptop is a primary example; it's a modular laptop that lets you swap out its modules ranging from mainboard (including CPU), battery, display, ports, storage, memory, and more.

Framework recently announced that new mainboards are available with 13th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7040 CPUs; it did the same when Intel's 12th Gen CPUs hit the market. While it's not a straight CPU upgrade where you pull the chip out of a socket, it's still a relatively straightforward upgrade for your laptop that otherwise remains the same. You just buy the new mainboard separately with an updated CPU and swap it out with the old one.

And if you're coming at the Framework Laptop completely fresh, you can always buy the full system with the latest hardware. Framework also makes Chromebooks with the same idea, albeit running on ChromeOS and with a more limited CPU scope. We consider the Framework to be one of the best Chromebooks out there today if you need a modular design; check out our Framework Chromebook review for more information.

So, while many of the best laptops on the market firmly place you into one generation of performance, there is at least one outlier that's picking up in popularity to the point where it seems like it won't disappear overnight. The Framework Laptop 13 is the current flagship, but there is expected to be a larger 16-inch model coming in 2023. If you've been considering buying a new PC but would love to get your hands dirty, consider checking out our guide on how to build a beginner desktop PC. It's certainly not a laptop, but the process could teach you more than you thought possible about computers and their internal workings.