So far, so good. If you have never installed components like this before, it is not impossible, but replacing a CPU is not as straightforward as popping in a new video card or RAM. Do your homework, research thoroughly, and watch some videos. If you're buying a CPU upgrade, I'm sure you're already familiar with the research and review process, but definitely do your homework on the system you intend to use it with. Also, don't forget to buy some good thermal paste (such as Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound - Retail, or something similar) if you don't already have some.I happen to be using this on a Mac Pro 5,1 (mid-2010) tower, replacing my stock 2.8 GHz processor. The X5690 was a tested option for this range of model, so all reviews pointed to success. After installing, I went ahead and ran the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool (free from the Intel web site), which passed all default tests.I haven't put it through anything too rough, so I will update in the future if anything changes, but the operating systems seem happy, and I am pleased so far!