What should I do to bios before installing Core2 Quad?

[docsavage20]

Currently have an E8400 Core2 Duo processor OC'd to 4 gig in a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L board. Going to put in a Q9550 quad. Will the bios auto-adjust for the quad or do I need to make some changes first?

Thanks for all input.

 

[Paul]

Currently have an E8400 Core2 Duo processor OC'd to 4 gig in a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L board. Going to put in a Q9550 quad. Will the bios auto-adjust for the quad or do I need to make some changes first?

Thanks for all input.

Return the controls in the CPU section back to "Auto"
and things should work "Auto".

Let's say, for the sake of argument, you forced the FSB
on your old processor to FSB1600. That's too high for
the Q9550. You decide to do it anyway. The BIOS code
crashes. If the BIOS is clever, on the next restart,
it realizes the last shutdown was "dirty" and it
resets the CPU frequency settings to nominal
conditions (determined by the BSEL pins on the
bottom of the CPU). On my Asrock board, it works
that way, but you have to give it three tries
to start, before it automatically recovers.

Now, some older boards, they couldn't recover from
bad overclock settings. For those, you turn off the
power, unplug the computer, then use the "Clear CMOS"
jumper. And that returns settings to nominal.

But if the current processor is working, simply
enter the BIOS and set the clock generator back to Auto,
and verify it's working properly. Then shut down,
install the new processor, and you should be fine.
(If you're really "afraid" of the BIOS, you can
also select "Load Setup Defaults" from the Exit menu,
and that is roughly the equivalent of clearing the CMOS.)

I don't expect a microcode problem, as the Q9550 came
before the E8400, and is close enough in time, that
the microcode supplied in the BIOS should support it.
While you can check the "CPUSupport" chart for your
board on the Gigabyte site, chances are good the
support is already there.

Paul

 

[Flasherly]

Currently have an E8400 Core2 Duo processor OC'd to 4 gig in a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L board. Going to put in a Q9550 quad. Will the bios auto-adjust for the quad or do I need to make some changes first?

Thanks for all input.

As long as is it's spec'd for that series processor on that revision
board and bios. As a rule, past all that, most recommend you don't.
Wrong. I've had bios updates that helped to fix unrelated stability
issues. They're just trying to say that they hope the board isn't
returned to them, because somebody is over their head with a bios or
general upgrade. Notice that all bios updates still include a DOS
launcher -before- the Winderz launcher -before- the USB launcher or
whatever else they're up to. Bios is still a sore spot, DOS is one of
some or any known things that make computers a public nuisance by
being an unfriendly obfuscation. We want it and we want it now, and
that's our right whether we're right or wrong. Right is if I bought
it, and wrong means Gigabyte still has to take back the MB if it's
under warrantee and there's some possible way I can screw it up by
incorrectly flashing an update.