Going from Intel Hyper-Threading to AMD X2

[glasgowc1]

I currently have a system with a D865PERL motherboard and an Intel 3.2E
Prescott 800 Mhz Hyper-Threaded, running Windows XP Pro.

I just ordered a barebones kit with a Mach Speed Viper MK8-939A Socket
939 Motherboard and an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Socket 939 CPU. I
intend to be taking the hard drives and optical drives out of my old
case/motherboard/CPU combo to transplant them into the new ones. (The
old case/mobo/CPU is being sold to someone else, if you're curious.)

So my current installed XP set-up (which is already on a
multi-processor HAL layer, to support the Hyper-Threading 3.2E Intel
P4) will suddenly wake up one morning to discover that it's seeing a
new mobo/CPU combo. It'll also be seeing a new video card, but they're
both Radeon ATI, and my just-updated Catalyst drivers shouldn't hiccup
/too/ much going from a 9550 to an X1600 Pro.

My question is, should I reinstall Windows XP Pro from scratch? I know
I'll have to install the AMD processor drivers for Cool N' Quiet to
take up, but will there be any other threading/performance issues that
will require a full nuke-and-reinstall, or will the brain transplant I
have coming up run w/o complication?

Thanks.

 

[SteveH]

I currently have a system with a D865PERL motherboard and an Intel 3.2E
Prescott 800 Mhz Hyper-Threaded, running Windows XP Pro.

I just ordered a barebones kit with a Mach Speed Viper MK8-939A Socket
939 Motherboard and an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Socket 939 CPU. I
intend to be taking the hard drives and optical drives out of my old
case/motherboard/CPU combo to transplant them into the new ones. (The
old case/mobo/CPU is being sold to someone else, if you're curious.)

So my current installed XP set-up (which is already on a
multi-processor HAL layer, to support the Hyper-Threading 3.2E Intel
P4) will suddenly wake up one morning to discover that it's seeing a
new mobo/CPU combo. It'll also be seeing a new video card, but they're
both Radeon ATI, and my just-updated Catalyst drivers shouldn't hiccup
/too/ much going from a 9550 to an X1600 Pro.

My question is, should I reinstall Windows XP Pro from scratch? I know
I'll have to install the AMD processor drivers for Cool N' Quiet to
take up, but will there be any other threading/performance issues that
will require a full nuke-and-reinstall, or will the brain transplant I
have coming up run w/o complication?

Thanks.

You could try a repair install, but personally I would go for a clean
install in this situation every time.

SteveH

 

[Brian K]

You could try a repair install, but personally I would go for a clean
install in this situation every time.

SteveH

I tend to agree. I just went from an Intel processor to an AMD 64
3700+. Just doing a hard drive transplant with os and applications
isn't going to work unless you like unexpected crashes. You are better
off doing a clean install. Just be sure you backup critical data before
you do the install.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

 

[JAD]

I tend to agree. I just went from an Intel processor to an AMD 64 3700+.
Just doing a hard drive transplant with os and applications isn't going to
work unless you like unexpected crashes. You are better off doing a clean
install. Just be sure you backup critical data before you do the install.

--

ditto clean install. a LOT less hassle.....oh and get ready to give MS a
call for activation.

 

[sbb78247]

ditto clean install. a LOT less hassle.....oh and get ready to
give MS a call for activation.

why? they didn't complain when i moved a copy of xp from an intel to amd on
a clean install.

 

[JAD]

why? they didn't complain when i moved a copy of xp from an intel to amd on
a clean instal

clerify.....any legit copy (other than a volume/commercial license) will
most likely need reactivation with that radical of a change.

 

[sbb78247]

clerify.....any legit copy (other than a volume/commercial license)
will most likely need reactivation with that radical of a change.

you get more than one try at activation. yes you will have to reactivate,
but unless you have done it multiple times within the last 120 days your
chances of sucess are rather high.

you can also use the sysprep utility, it will remove the drivers for the
intel system and then install the amd drivers. but alas, you will still
have to activate.

 

[JAD]

you get more than one try at activation. yes you will have to reactivate,
but unless you have done it multiple times within the last 120 days your
chances of sucess are rather high.

you can also use the sysprep utility, it will remove the drivers for the
intel system and then install the amd drivers. but alas, you will still
have to activate.

Yeah i agree it will be no problem...done it many times

 

[glasgowc1]

Well, the parts got here, and I bashed 'em together and got it up and
running -- clean install, as suggested.

Two particular teething troubles, so far:

* The Mach Speed MK8-939A motherboard is listed as supporting
Cool-N-Quiet technology, but I cannot find the setting to enable CnQ in
the BIOS. (The AMD CPU driver and Dual-Core Optimizer is already
installed, Minimal Power Management already selected.)

* My Kingston ValueRAM, which was reporting as DDR400 dual-channel on
my old Intel D865PERL motherboard, is now reporting as DDR333
single-channel.

Everything else seems to be functioning adequately so far. But these
two things annoy me.

Tips?

 

[Geoff]

I tend to agree. I just went from an Intel processor to an AMD 64 3700+.

Just doing a hard drive transplant with os and applications isn't going to
work unless you like unexpected crashes. You are better off doing a clean
install. Just be sure you backup critical data before you do the install.

Yes, I had my computer sent to the Daystrom Institute where they imprinted
new ingrams on the neural net. After that, I needed a clean install.

-g

 

[glasgowc1]

* The Mach Speed MK8-939A motherboard is listed as supporting
Cool-N-Quiet technology, but I cannot find the setting to enable CnQ in
the BIOS. (The AMD CPU driver and Dual-Core Optimizer is already
installed, Minimal Power Management already selected.)

False alarm. According to manufacturer's tech support, Cool-N-Quiet is
enabled by default on this motherboard.

* My Kingston ValueRAM, which was reporting as DDR400 dual-channel on
my old Intel D865PERL motherboard, is now reporting as DDR333
single-channel.

And this appears to be a known issue re: more than 2 sticks of RAM (I'm
using 4 512-mb sticks) and an AMD 64 X-2.

*shrugs*

Well, guess that means it's stable at idle. Barring malfunction, over
the next couple of days we'll give it some load tests.

 

[glasgowc1]

Well, guess that means it's stable at idle. Barring malfunction, over
the next couple of days we'll give it some load tests.

Finally got Speedfan to recognize the K8 CPU sensor, and the
manufacturer HD sensors, even if it's entirely unable to figure out
Mach Speed's idiosyncratic motherboard temp sensors.

So, while using Virtualdub to totally recompress and resize a large
..mpeg file on the one hand while playing a CD with the other, for 100%
load on one CPU and 75% load on the other, I got a core temp of 45-50C.
On idle, it's 29-32C.

God bless Cool N' Quiet and 120mm rear case fans. These temps are
great for any system, but for somebody who just managed to switch away
from an Prescott 3.2E in another case with only 80mm fan ports (44C
*idle*, 60-65C loaded!), it's like going from the desert to the Arctic.

Barring the box bursting into blue flames on my desktop in the next
couple of days, I'm going to call this kit-bash a success.