How to reliably determine which LGA 775 CPU my old PC can upgrade to.

[rafedonson]

I've got an HP G5345uk which, according to HP's site, has a H-I41-uATX (Eton/EtonL) motherboard. The site for the PC says I can install these socket 775 chips.

Core 2 Quad Q8xx0/Q9xx0 (Yorkfield core) (95W)
Core 2 Duo E8xx0 (Wolfdale core) (65W)
Core 2 Duo E7xx0 (Wolfdale core) (65W)

as well as a few lower spec CPUs. However, I got an Inten Quad Q9550 CPU and when I installed it, all I got was error bleeps - two short, one long, if I remember correctly. I tried another (both were second hand from CEX in the UK) and neither worked.

I did the usual, using new thermal paste etc, but nothing worked. There are no CPU related settings in the BIOS, most apparently being hidden away, so whether I needed to do something I couldn't do on the motherboard, I don't know. But the fact HP's website said I could upgrade suggests I should be able to upgrade with no issues.

I have a 500W power supply and I was hoping I'd be able to double the PC's speed before moving onto a new one. Can anyone suggest how I can find which chip I can definitely upgrade to, through a method other than HP's website? Or what I might have been doing wrong (I static discharged before touching the CPU).

 

[vMax]

Technically all these CPU's should work including the Q9550 on the G41 Express Chipset which you have:

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chipsets)/G41_Express.html

even HP's own website says you should be okay, either you are super unlucky which I doubt or there is some problem with the motherboard, I don't now. Have you tried re-installing the original CPU to see if everything is working just to make sure nothing happened when you originally removed it?

Also the closest I could find to the error code was the following:

2 short beeps and 1 long beep (repeats 5 times)
Unable to initialize video or video card required but not installed

Did you check everything was in properly when installing the new CPU...I am sure you did this, especially the video card but just in case..

Finally, memory seem to also be an issue as seen in this thread with a max 2GB modules:

https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thread-HP-H-IG41-uATX-45nm-microcode-update-LGA771-775-verified-working

 

[rafedonson]

ah heck. It could be the memory thing - I've got 8GB in there right now.. I didn't think it would be that. I don't have the CPU I bought, but I put my original back in and it works fine. It's not worth upgrading the CPU if I have to half the memory. Looks like a new PC is in my future.

 

[vMax]

ah heck. It could be the memory thing - I've got 8GB in there right now.. I didn't think it would be that. I don't have the CPU I bought, but I put my original back in and it works fine. It's not worth upgrading the CPU if I have to half the memory. Looks like a new PC is in my future.

Yep it could well be the memory but still you have done really well lasting for so long and right now there are some very good options to build fairly cost effectively especially on the AMD Ryzen side...maybe time to take the plunge...

 

[Danra]

Have you updated the BIOS?

HP will want the computer serial number, follow instructions as to how to update the BIOS:
https://support.hp.com/us-en/products/

 

[rafedonson]

I did update the bios, but it made no difference. I also tried an Intel E8500 CPU, but it still didn't boot up, with 8GB or 4GB. Yet when I put in the original E5400 chip it works fine.