Intel Core i7-4950HQ socket: BGA 1364

What the Core i7-4950HQ is

Intel Core i7-4950HQ is a quad core Crystalwell part that Intel released in June 2013 for performance laptops with soldered boards. It uses the Crystalwell GT3e with 128 MB eDRAM design on a 22 nm process, running at 2.4 GHz base with turbo to 3.6 GHz. The cache is 6 MB Smart Cache plus 128 MB of eDRAM on GT3e SKUs. Power is 47 W. Graphics come from Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 (200 MHz to 1300 MHz).

The four cores carry Hyper-Threading for 8 threads. The GT3e graphics block with 40 execution units shares the eDRAM cache with the CPU cores, which lifts frame pacing in games and creative apps without a separate chip. The package integrates the dual channel memory controller and 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes on die.

At 47 W the Core i7-4950HQ belongs to the 47 W performance group. The 2.4 GHz base with 3.6 GHz turbo suits multitasking, compilation and creative work with dual heat pipes and fans. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the package before ordering parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Core i7-4950HQ solders to BGA 1364 with 1,364 balls in a 37.5 by 32 mm footprint and cannot be moved to another board. Laptop makers qualify each model with a specific board and BIOS, so even another Crystalwell part is not a drop in upgrade. HM87 and HM86 boards pair the mobile SKUs, while QM87 covers workstation bodies.

Power and firmware decide service results. The 47 W envelope sizes the heat pipes and fans, and the board BIOS must list the exact Core i7-4950HQ string. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide notes that soldered parts have no desktop mount pattern. Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works covers Intel pairing basics.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is ddr3l-1333 and 1600, two channels, up to 32 gb. Two matched modules feed both cores and graphics, so kits matter more than raw capacity. Capacity reaches 32 GB where the board allows four slots or dense SODIMMs.

PCI Express is PCIe 3.0 with 16 lanes from the CPU for graphics and fast storage, plus chipset lanes for the rest. Many Iris Pro laptops skip discrete graphics entirely, since Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 covers video and light games. NVMe support on these 2013 era boards depends on firmware.

Cooling uses the system heat pipes and fans sized for 47 W. Dual pipes with dual fans cover sustained turbo in larger bodies. Repaste and fan cleaning help sustained clocks more than any setting change.

Upgrade paths

There is no CPU upgrade path on soldered BGA 1364. The Core i7-4950HQ cannot be removed, so a faster Crystalwell part means a new board or a new laptop. Within the family Intel Core i7-4700HQ shows another option on the same package, but boards and firmware rarely mix across makers.

A platform move means a new laptop. Current Intel mobile lives on newer BGA packages with DDR4 or LPDDR4 and current wireless, which no BGA 1364 board can reach. Recycle the old unit through a proper e waste path once data is wiped.