Upgrade processor iMac (mid 2010 specifically) I have a mac from mid 2010.

I want to know if I can upgrade the processor from the current 3.6 Ghz dual core i3 processor to a quad core i5 or i7.

There seems to be very little information on the subject on the internet, with most people saying "OMG IT VOIDZ YOUR WARRANTYZ". My warranty has been expired for the best part of 6 months now, so I don't really care about it.

I want to know - Can I buy a quad core i5 or i7, take out the current i3, replace it with the new i5/i7 and have the computer still work? Are all processors the same size/fitting? Is my motherboard/hardware/bios/firmware/software compatible with a different processor?

My reasoning is that this would be a much cheaper way to upgrade my current computer, rather than splashing out for a new computer.

Thanks
Yes, it is possible. By that I mean it is not physically soldered onto the logic board. However, as you mentioned, it will void your warranty. More importantly, Apple has not divulged the inner hardware workings of their system. Since Apple makes the logic board, and does not simply order stock motherboards, we do not know the exact number of chipsets that each physical board is designed to support. I have also heard that Intel sometimes will make the number of pins on Apple processors just slightly different than the PC version of the same processor.

All of that said, while it may be possible, it is not advisable, because messing up during an undocumented, unsupported process is more expensive than buying the new system.