Installing a new generation MB/CPU

Pocah · 14 Feb 2018 at 13:36

Normally when I update a PC with new mb/cpu from a newer generation ( new chipset etc) I re-install windows. Habit I suppose. But I added a hard drive to a system yesterday that unknown to me had a copy of Win 10 on it. Windows created a dual boot and happily booted up from the wrong disk. The main thing here is that the "wrong disk" was from a completely different generation of hardware, yet Win 10 happily just "adjusted" and got on with it. Now this makes me think ~ I am about to update my main gaming PC and it would be a lot easier if I can just replace the mobo/cpu and Win 10 sorts it all out. I think perhaps I am out of date - once upon a time it was pretty lethal to try something like that. Windows could fatally crash or continue to use the wrong drivers. Is it safe these days??

mattyfez · 14 Feb 2018 at 19:42

Sometimes it will work, YMMV.
If it runs then there's no reason you can't update motherboard drivers, graphics drivers at your leisure, which is preferable as Windows update may on may not pick up the latest greatest drivers.

8 Pack · 25 Feb 2018 at 22:51

Windows 10 usually works. No need to reinstall if its working!!

HeX · 26 Feb 2018 at 15:48

On the whole Windows 10 is pretty good at just getting on with it. When I switched from Sandy Bridge to Ryzen my Win10 just picked up the new gear and adjusted. Used it like that for a week or so no problems until I got around to doing a fresh install (not due to any issues, just because it felt wrong not doing it

).