Help! What do i do when i change my CPU?!

O.k. instead of buying a full new rig like i had planned. I researched my Dell and it seems it can hold a bunch of CPUs. So Instead of going the i7 route, i ordered a CPU, 8 gigs ram, and a 9800gt card (A savings of $1050.00 over the system that i had put together and was saving for). All of it can work in my computer according to the Dell Community XPS 420 FAQ (and according to the plethora of 420 owners that have made these same upgrades).

The CPU i ordered is this one: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9550 - Retail.

Thankfully the Dell owners manual is like 230 pages and includes step by step instructions for updating every single piece of the computer including the CPU.

But what it does not tell me is what happens when i change my CPU? Does my machine just boot up and all is well and windows vista see's the extra cores? Or, do i need to fully reinstall an OS before my machine will boot at all?

I downloaded Windows 7 RC 64, from the Microsoft website and decided to hold off on purchasing Vista 64 Premium and wait to buy Windows 7 when it is released (i sure wish 3DS ran in Ubuntu).

Thanks in advance!

I don't know what CPU you have now but if it's working now on your motherboard (apparently it is ) and the CPU you plan to purchase is also compatible with the same motherboard, you should have no problems after installing the new CPU. You may need to update your motherboard drivers to get the full function of your new processor but other than that there's not much else to do.

I remember there was some sort of issue with moving a installation of WinXP to another CPU (specially if one was AMD and the other Intel), as well as copying the installation into a new hard drive, I think both can be solved by reinstalling over the existing installation (the HD thing can also be solved by some trickery with the registry, but the CPU issue I think only works with a file from the installation disk that is different depending on the CPU)

What motherboard is both Intel and AMD compatible?

there was a time they were compatible I think, I guess nowadays you would also be changing motherboards when you change processor brands (or simply placing the HDD on a different machine)

You'll want to make sure the frontside bus speed is set properly so the new CPU runs at the correct speed. You shouldn't have to configure Windows to recognize the new CPU.

Deep in the mysts of time, there was only one basic architecture, and it used the ubiquitious 486 CPU, and doth AMD came and upset the apple cart with a faster version than Intel . . .

socket 7 / super socket 7, but again thats old history

pretty much any design before the Pentium III all manufactures used intel pin compatible designs, i have some 386's that if you sanded the paint off of them you could not tell one from the other

currently there is no socket compatible with amd and intel

Why do we keep these old CPUs, hoping to sell them to the Smithsonian one day? lol. The other day I found an 8" shugart floppy drive in my garage, now there's some serious metal work . . . from my days of association with Ohio Scientific Computers . . .

Okay.......thanks for the history lesson. A little before I built my first computer so I assumed AMD cpu's needed AMD motherboards and Intel cpu's needed Intel motherboards. And it looks like in today's world of computers I'm correct. I just got a little confused when a post stated issues with Windows XP and switching from an AMD cpu to an Intel (and vice versa).

The OP has a Dell 420 XPS system. That system is way after the 486 era........so, I see no issues when upgrading to another CPU. Since she's looking at a Core 2 Quad it's an Intel motherboard. The CPU installed in that system is also and Intel.

Mixing historical issue for ancient machines with current issues on modern machines sometimes confuses me.

Didn't the Dell forums tell you to update your BIOS? I have a much older Dell and to go from a 1.6GHz P4 to a 2.8GHz P4, I was advised to have the latest BIOS installed. However, it may merely be that you have to go into your BIOS and make sure that the BIOS recognizes what you have, since you have a more modern machine. At least for XP, that's all there was to it: be sure to have the latest BIOS.

Oh i am so miffed at Newegg for my stuff not arriving today, and i even selected "RUSH" and priority overnight, placed the order Thursday 8pm their time.

My Dell as of now has an Intel Duo Core E8400 3.0ghz, the one i am replacing it with is a Q9550 2.83ghz Quad Core.

I did update the motherboard bios the other day to the most recent for my system, which was advised in the Dell forum.

The Dell forum is a very interesting place. There are people doing some crazy mods on their systems which include overclocking and a lot of after market upgrading that doesn't come from Dell. It is nice to know there is a large upgrade path for this machine, you can change everything except for the motherboard unless you go with a BTX motherboard - which from i read are either not popular or not used by any motherboard manufacturers anymore.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Will Windows detect a change in hardware that makes you have to re-register with Microsoft?

maybe could, but doubt it

and as far as shipping, 8 pm their time no one was working, so the order went out friday, and unless you requested Saturday delivery, priority overnight doesn't count the weekend

you will have it before 10am monday

Wow, what a bummer. I thought 'priority' would deliver on Saturday and they do not give you an option to specify Saturday... So i guess Monday by10am it is.

i use a fedex terminal everyday, so i dont know what joe public sees, but in their own software you have to go digging for saturday delivery, and then it doubles (if not more) the price instantly

could be worse, on the first monday in june first i ordered some electronic parts and they got sent ups ground, their system said 3 days once it was on the way

i just got those parts this last friday