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New Processor = New Install?

PeterH

PeterH

PeterH

Associate
Joined
10 Jan 2007
Posts
23
I'm about to buy an E6600 to replace my super old Intel Pentium 4 2.80GHz. The motherboard I'm using is the Gigabyte 965P-DS3.

I'm running Windows Vista at the moment. I want to know whether I'll need to reformat and reinstall when I install the new processor. Is there an issue over 32/64bit windows installations? That's my worry, because the current install will be 32bit if I have a Intel Pentium 4 2.80GHz, right? And I need the 64bit version for the E6600?

I really didn't want to have to do a clean installation, but it seems that I might have to. If someone could just clarify this for me I'd be thankful.

By the way, I have Windows Vista Business N Edition - though I doubt it makes any difference.


EDIT: Also, same question for my Fedora Core 6 installation on my second hard drive.
 
No, and the E6600 is both 32 and 64 bit compatiable. If you want to run 64 bit windows you'll have to install that version. By the sounds of things you're not only changing cpu, but Motherboard etc.. might or might not get away with it but the reccomended way is a clean install of Windows etc.. especially with a generation jump like that.
 
Last edited:
Concorde Rules said:
What mobo do you have? Does it even support C2D?

A 2.8ghz P4 is quite old you need to have a 965/975 chipset mobo for it to work AFAIK.
Click to expand...

Yeah he said DS3 above, so should work fine
 
Concorde Rules said:
What mobo do you have? Does it even support C2D?

A 2.8ghz P4 is quite old you need to have a 965/975 chipset mobo for it to work AFAIK.
Click to expand...

Theres VIA and Nvidia alternatives too, also other Intel Chipsets like the 945 and 865 etc.. that can run core 2 cpus. I thought he originally had an older 478 2.8 cpu as well :D
 
I went from an amd 939 system to a c2d system and all i did was uninstalled the mobo drivers and its running problem free, well i had to re-instal the XFi drivers.
 
Snakey said:
Changing a mobo or CPU requires a clean install imho
Click to expand...
no it doesnt, changing your mobo means re-registering windows.
Im on my 4th MOBO with one rig and its still using the OEM package that i used brand new in 2001. Not a single Windows re-install.
 
pegasus1 said:
no it doesnt, changing your mobo means re-registering windows.
Im on my 4th MOBO with one rig and its still using the OEM package that i used brand new in 2001. Not a single Windows re-install.
Click to expand...


Actuallly he is correct - unless you get the same mobo with the identical componants (ie lets say a cap broke off or something) only in this way would you not need to install a fresh copy

Yes it is possible to go from a mobo with the same chipset to another one with the same chipset and windows will probably work - but its certainly not gaurentedd, Windows may have several critical or non critical issues during 1st boot (due to change in componants) and you probably will never get the full performance out of the new mobo

This is is you are still keeping the same sata controller (same main chipset doesnt mean you are using same sata controller - its possible but not definite) in which case your hdd may not even be found, and if it is original os install could be read as corrupt

to OP - no you shouldnt have to reinstall - the only thing I would double check is that once the E6600 is installed both cores of the new cpu have been detected in Device Manager (if it still says "uniprocessor" then right click and select update driver, and you should be done)
 
pegasus1 said:
no it doesnt, changing your mobo means re-registering windows.
Im on my 4th MOBO with one rig and its still using the OEM package that i used brand new in 2001. Not a single Windows re-install.
Click to expand...


Well up to you, but If they are different chipsets thats pretty silly IMO.

When i booted up on my 965 C2D rig with a Nf4 mobo and drivers it booted to windows first time, performance was dire, and still was worse than it was when the Intel drivers were installed.

So reinstall for new chipset > not reinstalling.
 
shadowscotland said:
If you want windows to recognise the second core - you need a reinstall.
Click to expand...

I have to say I think he's right, I don't think you can change the hal without major messing unless you reinstall.

If anyone can confirm different I'd love to know, 'cos I'm going from a single core to dual next week and have just got my vista installation how I like it after the last reinstall.

Mind you for a mainboard change in the same cpu architecture all you should need to do is set the ide drivers to windows vanilla before you swap the boards, incorrect ide drivers will stop windows booting but all the other system devices get loaded on a "if you ask for it" basis (as the componets get recognised) You will never have say an intel pci bridge running on an nvidia driver, windows would default to its vanilla or the device would be unrecognised.

turbotoes
 
Only had an issue once or twice with going from single to DC cpus on the same windows and changing to multiprocessor pc in device manager sorted it both times, most times it was just a matter of pop it in and Windows found and installed it with both cores active. So, in most cases no, a reinstall is not needed.
 
I changed from an Opteron 146 (single core) to a Opteron 175 (dual core) in the same motherboard and I did not need to reinstall Windows. It asks for a reboot on first boot, after that it's hunky dory.
 
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