What an Intel Upgrade Kit Replaces, and What It Does Not

An upgrade of this kind swaps the foundation of a machine and leaves the rest of it alone. Graphics card, storage, case and usually the power supply all carry over, which is what keeps the cost well below a fresh build. Memory is the exception, and it is the one that catches out anyone moving up from an older platform.

Work out what you are keeping before choosing a tier. If a strong graphics card is already in the case, the kit is there to stop the processor holding it back, and the money is generally better spent on the board's features than on the highest processor in the range.