Author Topic: Upgrading CPUs (Read 300 times)

715 · « **on:** January 09, 2003, 10:43:47 PM »

I know that when you change a motherboard you must reinstall Windows (as all the MB drivers are now different) but if I stay with my current MB and just upgrade to a faster (and supported) CPU (say from 1.8 P4 w 256K cache to 2.4 or 2.6 P4 w 512K cache, both 400 MHz FSB) that should be transparent and I shouldn't have to reinstall Windows... right?

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #1 on:** January 09, 2003, 10:53:21 PM »

Yes, it should be up to your motherboard whether or not your new CPU works so long as it's the same type. (regardless of cache size)
-SW

Charon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 09, 2003, 10:59:53 PM »

That shouldn't be a problem at all. maybe I'm lucky, but I've not even had a problem with the MB swap. A short while ago I had the retail fan on my Athlon XP freeze solid resulting in a bios beep code situation on boot.

I was in the middle of an edit cycle, on deadline with 3 90% completed articles due the next day, so I hooked the HD up to a secondary lan gaming machine and a few automatic plug and play moments later and I was up and running with good stability. It helped that both systems used different via chipsets (but the same 4-1 driver pack) and different video cards (but the same Nvidia driver pack) and the same sound card (SB Live) Lo and behold, after an involved troubleshooting process that led to finally to porked memory (with an new MB and new processor which had to be blown too, I hope), I hooked the HD back up to the new system (again a via MB), and it plug and played its way back into a stable system after the second boot. All with Win 98 SE. YMMV of course, I was amazed.

Charon

bockko · « **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2003, 03:16:52 PM »

your system should pick up the change of cpu's and run fine. On older setups you would have to change either the bios settings or jumpers to get the cpu working right but I believe current cpu's self detect and the mobo just goes.

I just contacted HP about my pc, it is a 1.8 gig p4 and I needed to know how fast of a chip I can put in -- 2.4 gig, 400 mhz bus. For you, just find out what the mobo can handle and then get the cpu that you want (err or can afford).

cu

bockk