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Replace CPU - reinstall OS ?

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vilius   08-10-2006 at 04:44:33 PM

Hi,
For example if I change motherboard for my system I must reinstall my os.
How about CPU, is it necessary or not ? - I don't want to risk and want to have absolutely stable system. Is it always safe, impossible, or depends on hardvare ? Anyone tried to replace CPU wihout reinstalling ?

My example:
I have AMD Athlon 3800 soc. 939 - want to replace to X2 4800 soc. 939

thanks
Vilius

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ScottyHutch   08-10-2006 at 04:59:58 PM
- 0 +

whenever I change a mobo or cpu I've always done a clean install. I've been told that you should reinstall the os in anycase, as most of the loaded driver from your old mobo will not work with the new mobo.

back up your data and give it a try.

Reply to ScottyHutch
jap0nes   08-10-2006 at 05:29:52 PM
- 0 +

Quote :

Hi,
For example if I change motherboard for my system I must reinstall my os.
How about CPU, is it necessary or not ? - I don't want to risk and want to have absolutely stable system. Is it always safe, impossible, or depends on hardvare ? Anyone tried to replace CPU wihout reinstalling ?

My example:
I have AMD Athlon 3800 soc. 939 - want to replace to X2 4800 soc. 939

thanks
Vilius


not for cpu, as usually when you upgrade your cpu, you upgrade to a same-class. The thing is different with motherboards, as each board can have a lot of different components.

Reply to jap0nes
roorunner   08-10-2006 at 05:47:33 PM
- 0 +

dont need to re-install your OS as folks here have told ya, but please check to make sure your mobo can handle whatever you plan to use and update your BIOS if you have too.

Reply to roorunner
Pain   08-10-2006 at 06:22:12 PM
- 0 +

The only thing you have to check is that the OS loads the multiprocessor driver correctly, and you can check that in device manager, and also just look to see if task manager shows 2 cpu charts.

There is also a optimizer you can download from AMD.

http://forums.amd.com/index.php?showtopic=73727

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en [...] +Optimizer

Reply to Pain
roncpem   08-10-2006 at 06:40:51 PM
- 0 +

mine worked fine with no O S change. i have an asus a8v deluxe, had to update bios first, installed new proc, ran set up in bios, then when it booeted to windows, O S stated new hardware found, it installed it, then had to reboot for it to work

Reply to roncpem
Pain   08-10-2006 at 07:00:43 PM
- 0 +

For a new MB, it sort of depends on the chipsets of the old and new MB. Sometimes it will boot, install the new hardware and work fine. Sometimes it will BSOD and you have to start over.

In either case, I would recommend reinstalling the OS, but if you aren't concerned with overall system performance and are happy with how the machine runs, then do it however you like. It may not have any problems with performance, or it may have some problems. It's sort of a personal choice and what you are willing to live with.

ADDED: Oh, I see you are talking about a new processor, I thought you meant you swapped motherboards without a reinstall.

Reply to Pain
Alyarbank   08-10-2006 at 07:00:56 PM
- 0 +

You shouldn't have to re-install the OS. I've upgraded my CPU 2x and I have a dual boot with WinXP and SuSE 10.1. The only thing I had to do was chage the kernel to the -smp kernel for SuSE. Even with the original kernel it ran fine,it just didn't see the second core in the x2 CPU. XP installed the driver code on the initial boot and all was in order.

Reply to Alyarbank
xxsk8er101xx   08-12-2006 at 06:22:55 PM
- 0 +

You can replace the cpu without a clean install on the OS.

The reason why you have to do a clean install on a motherboard is because the OS has all the drivers installed for that motherboard. When you pop in the new motherboard the drivers for the old motherboard are going "ahh thats not my hardware" and crashes.

If you take a motherboard and replace it with the same motherboard it'll be fine. It's only when you replace it with a different motherboard that it becomes a problem.

for cpu its fine because its not a drastic change in drivers.

Quote :

Hi,
For example if I change motherboard for my system I must reinstall my os.
How about CPU, is it necessary or not ? - I don't want to risk and want to have absolutely stable system. Is it always safe, impossible, or depends on hardvare ? Anyone tried to replace CPU wihout reinstalling ?

My example:
I have AMD Athlon 3800 soc. 939 - want to replace to X2 4800 soc. 939

thanks
Vilius

Reply to xxsk8er101xx
kona   08-12-2006 at 06:46:23 PM
- 0 +

You should not have to reinstall windows XP. I just did that same upgrade and is all I did was update drivers from AMD with a dual core driver and a dual core optimizer and I went ahead and downloaded the dualcore hotfix for windows from major geeks.com. All is good and very stable...no problems.

Reply to kona
c0mpu2er   02-29-2008 at 02:52:46 AM
- 0 +

so i dont have to re-install my os next time thank you

Reply to c0mpu2er
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