CPU upgrades

[jennstar133]

can I upgrade my intel core 2 quad q820 to a i5 or i7 what do I need to know

 

[cliffordcooley]

Core 2 uses LGA775 socket design.

Core i3, i5, and i7 uses a different socket.

• LGA1156 - older mainstream Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU's
• LGA1155 - newer mainstream Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU's
• LGA1366 - older enthusiast Core i7 CPU's
• LGA2011 - newer enthusiast Core i7 CPU's

An upgrade from Core 2 to Core i3, i5, or i7 would require a new motherboard and possibly memory.

 

[jennstar133]

thanks for the fast reply.i have the chance to get a new mobo,cpu and ram combo but I don't wont to by a new os.i have widows 7 on my hdd now but i read somewhere that it probably wont work on a new motherboard is this true?. I have a dell xps 420 and i was hoping to use the windows disk that came with it as i feel I have paid for it as part of the computer and shouldn't have to pay for a new disk just because my pc has issues.douse any one know if this would work.... I'm learning as I go so please bear with me any help would be appreciated

 

[cliffordcooley]

thanks for the fast reply.i have the chance to get a new mobo,cpu and ram combo but I don't wont to by a new os.i have widows 7 on my hdd now but i read somewhere that it probably wont work on a new motherboard is this true?.

Thats true if your version is OEM. If Windows 7 was bundled with your Dell it's most likely OEM.

Another thing to think about is your drive interface. If your HDD/SSD/CD/DVD/BD drives are SATA, there is nothing to worry about. However if they are IDE, most of the newer motherboards don't support IDE.

 

[Leeky]

Your Dell supplied recovery OS disk will not work if you replace the motherboard. So it is something to consider, not to mention you need to access whether the hardware is installed in the industry generic fashion -- Dell has a habit of making hard work for those wanting to upgrade, like cases and motherboards in non-generic configurations, and screw down cpu coolers that won't line up with replacement motherboards/coolers.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I always forget about the BTX form factor. Leeky is correct, the Dell XPS 420 is a BTX form factor and is not compatible with ATX motherboards. I'm thinking BTX was abandoned long before the Core i3, i5, and i7 era.

 

[faster]

You Can Use That Install

You may well be able to use that same hard drive to boot your new mobo/processor/memory. As long as you are not using onboard RAID that would require a special driver. Once you get Win 7 to boot, then you can just load your new MB drivers. The common sentiment is that its always better to do a fresh install, but you certainly do not have to if it will boot.

That being siad, the single best upgrade you can make to a system is an SSD boot drive. Swapping out your mechanical HD for an SSD would be a more noticible upgrade than changing a core2 duo to an i7

 

[agissi]

IDE is still supported, you'll just need an IDE PCI Card if you need that connectivity. They're only like $10 or so.