Upgrading processor

Which new i7? If you're referring to the yet to be released Sandy Bridge versions of the i7, then no you cannot upgrade as they will be on a totally new socket (socket 2011).

According to the Dell site, the XPS 8100 uses a i7 870 CPU which uses Socket 1156 (please correct me if im wrong). If you wish to keep your motherboard then the only CPU you can upgrade to is the i7 870K which is the same CPU just unlocked. And there are chances that your motherboard may not support it. Not worth the money in eyes!

If you wish to upgrade to a i7 9XX (socket 1366) or a i7 2600 (socket 1155) then you will need a new motherboard.

I expect you mean to the new Sandy Bridge I7 processor. That would require a new 1155 socket motherboard and new memory. With a DELL you might as well buy a new computer.

In any case you should not do this now because there is a design flaw and recall by Intel on the motherboard chips that support the Sandy bridge processors.

If you are overclocking, the Sandy Bridge seem to do quite a bit better than their predecessors. Since it is a DELL, you can't overclock in any case so I agree with you in this case.

ZenixNet said:

I currently have a Dell XPS 8100 with an i7. I am considering upgrading to the new i7, how complex would it be? What would I have to do?

Thanks

It's a socket 1156 system, H57 chipset.

The "new" i7 (Sandy Bridge) uses Socket 1155 (incompatible), and a new chipset (H67 or P67). It's completely incompatible. You'd need a new motherboard. Dell still uses boards with proprietary features, so it wouldn't be a trivial transplant.