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Red CPU error led on motherboard

Did you clear the CMOS and see if that helps? If you didn't reset it and just swapped the CPU over, it could've been trying to run your overclocked profile on the 2600K.
 
Did you clear the CMOS and see if that helps? If you didn't reset it and just swapped the CPU over, it could've been trying to run your overclocked profile on the 2600K.
I guess it would have but as it's also a Sandybridge chip I figured it'd just work. When I put my old cpu back the motherboard detected there was a new cpu and took me into the bios. This didn't happen for the i7-2600k so I think there's something wrong with it
 
It's all I've tried, wanted it to last :)

Sandybridge is pretty robust chip. It's not like the 14nm stuff. You have to be a little careful with voltage + heat and loading up with 4 sticks of RAM, but the 2500K is a tank.

I guess it would have but as it's also a Sandybridge chip I figured it'd just work. When I put my old cpu back the motherboard detected there was a new cpu and took me into the bios. This didn't happen for the i7-2600k so I think there's something wrong with it

You should reset the CMOS as a matter of couse. Changing from any chip even the same model with different stepping can balls things up.
 
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At the end of the day, clearing the CMOS costs you nothing and takes 2 minutes. It doesn't matter whether it should or should not work. It worth trying to rule it out.
I've had stranger things happen when moving CPUs around between boards.

It does sound like a deal CPU though.
 
Would take more than 2 minutes, not a huge deal but would need to remove a case fan to get to mboard jumper. I think I'll just try and return it, if the shop gives me grief and doesn't refund it then I may give it a go.

The store sent it by post, a naked cpu in a bubble wrap pocket just wrapped in the courier bag :-/
 
Just to say... the shop is exchanging the CPU for another. Hopefully this one will work, I'd be unlucky to get two faulty ones in a row, surely
 
I've got a replacement CPU, at a glance it looks in better condition than the last ie the model information is still clearly legible.

Plan is to reset bios settings with current CPU and then swap out. Good plan?
 
A motherboard will always reset the BIOS to defaults when putting in a new CPU. In fact, my mobo resets to default even when reseating the exact same CPU. Can't hurt to reset the bios before though.

Report back with your findings!
 
Duh- I forgot to reset bios settings before swapping out cpu but no matter the PC posted okay and detected the different processor. Motherboard took me into the bios and all the settings were the same so I just lowered the multiplier setting to 35, saved and exited. All seemed well, did a couple of test video encodes using handbrake.

Have now upped multiplier to 40 and run the same video encode using handbrake. The 2600k @ 4Ghz does it in 1m54s whereas the 2500k @4.5Ghz did it in 2m14s.

CPU temp peaked at 59c during a 3DMark run of the Fire Strike Extreme benchmark. At present I'm just relying on the thermal paste that was left on the cooler.
 
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Now running the 2600k @ 4.5 GHz and I'm relieved that all seems well. This means that I'm getting the same per core performance as I had with the 2500k except with the benefits of the additional threads.

The video encode at 4.5Ghz completes in 1m42s which is a pretty big improvement. 74c during 3DMark run of the Time Spy benchmark is hotter than I'd like though.
 
Just ran the Fire Strike Extreme benchmark and got a peak temperature of 67c - I'm happy with that :)
 
Cpu-Z reports that the voltage peaks at 1.386v so I think I need to try the offset setting before I up the multiplier.

Not done this before though so have to read up.
 
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