MCU upgrade...installation question

[Drrobmiller]

Hello

I have a model X2020 and love it, ...even prefer the portrait screen instead of the landscape that seems to be the way tesla is going.

I have mcu 2 and HW 3...all good.

I've read that the new X/S refresh has a faster processor, so I'm assuming its really MCU3 or whatever.

The reason i bought my car was not only that it will last for many years without maintenance, except the usual checkups like tire rotation fluids, but I'm under the impression that there can be upgrades to the computer as CPUs get faster.

this was confirmed by owners getting MCU1 to MCU2 upgrades last year.

So my question is what is the process?....is it just get to the motherboard and swap out the CPU chip? or full motherboard exchange? screen replacement. etc.

i'm asking because my guess is as we get closer to FSD (well,..dreaming at this point) and faster CPUs come out as demonstrated in the new refresh...will I be able to upgrade the MCU2 to the newer CPU advertised in the refresh. ( For faster screens, internet, visualizations for autopilot etc.)


Or is the "gut" of the newer models that different from older ones , even 2020 models, that any future CPU upgrades will not be possible.

Rob

 

[Shane23]

Hello

I have a model X2020 and love it, ...even prefer the portrait screen instead of the landscape that seems to be the way tesla is going.

I have mcu 2 and HW 3...all good.

I've read that the new X/S refresh has a faster processor, so I'm assuming its really MCU3 or whatever.

The reason i bought my car was not only that it will last for many years without maintenance, except the usual checkups like tire rotation fluids, but I'm under the impression that there can be upgrades to the computer as CPUs get faster.

this was confirmed by owners getting MCU1 to MCU2 upgrades last year.

So my question is what is the process?....is it just get to the motherboard and swap out the CPU chip? or full motherboard exchange? screen replacement. etc.

i'm asking because my guess is as we get closer to FSD (well,..dreaming at this point) and faster CPUs come out as demonstrated in the new refresh...will I be able to upgrade the MCU2 to the newer CPU advertised in the refresh. ( For faster screens, internet, visualizations for autopilot etc.)


Or is the "gut" of the newer models that different from older ones , even 2020 models, that any future CPU upgrades will not be possible.

Rob

Based on MCU1>2 they change the entire unit

However it’s hard to answer this question as we don’t know how or if they will allow an upgrade for MCU3. Maybe someone smarter will chime in

 

[Krash]

The CPU is almost certainly soldered not socketed to something (like MCU2) so no CPU swap. MCU1/1.1 had a CPU module.

I have not seen that the 2021 CPU is faster. One argument as to why is would be the same is that it is automotive certified and that the new automotive certified hardware might not be released. My counter argument to this is that the design cycles are known and new automotive certified hardware that would be faster should be sampling by now and may be just now releasing.

Obviously the external GPU setup is new. I am unclear as to how it is connected to the CPU but I doubt the old CPU setup has the same connector, which would prevent mix-and-match of old CPU setup and new GPU.

As for retrofitting the screen and CPU assembly, there are a few problems. One is that the 3/Y is liquid cooled versus the current air cooled so if the new S/X changes to liquid cooled there is no cooling loop for it. Even if it is air cooled the odds of it having a form factor that fits in the old are iffy. The fact that it is newer helps as components and their count tend to shrink over time. But if the autopilot hardware moves into that CPU assembly, even if not water cooled it could still be too big.

And even if all the hardware issues could be resolved, the screen resolution is now higher so unless the roadster uses the same resolution in the prototype portrait mode, there may not be a way to tell the new higher resolution screens to run in something other than landscape orientation.

Elon has said 5G is coming so I am a little surprised that we haven’t heard whether this new S/X setup has 5G.