In light of [url=http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2121095,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532]Intel's recent price cuts,[/quote] what would be the hardware considerations in dropping a quad Core2 into an Intel iMac, or re-cased Mini? I'm talking cooling, CPU socket matching, stuff like that. Is this feasible?
Intel Price Drops
Socket 478/M vs Socket 479 vs Socket T/LGA775... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_socket
The mini uses a 32-bit Core Solo or Duo chip using Socket M. THe iMac has had both Core and Core 2 CPUs.
The iMac and Mini use the miniature "laptop" form-factor CPUs. I don't know if Intel sells the quad-core in that package yet.
Other then that, well, I know from helping someone shop for the perfect gamer-boy PC that Intel has a lot of specific requirements regarding power supply capacity and whatnot that a board has to meet to be "qualified" for the quad core CPUs. The iMac and Mini undoubtedly don't qualify. (Among other things they're based on what is now a fairly old motherboard chipset.)
--Peace