[SOLVED] I need help upgrading my cpu and this is my first time

[TempoMan]

So I have a pretty bad pc and I want to change my cpu. My motherboard is a so called "MSI OAB8" and my current processor is a "Intel Core 2 Duo e4600". I want to upgrade to a "core 2 duo quad q6600" and my question is that what are the steps after I have finally put in the new processor...do I need to reinstall windows? do i need to upgrade bios(if i have to pls help I have not found anything related to my mobo), Do i need to upgrade anything else/change anything from the boot menu?

 

[CountMike]

So I have a pretty bad pc and I want to change my cpu. My motherboard is a so called "MSI OAB8" and my current processor is a "Intel Core 2 Duo e4600". I want to upgrade to a "core 2 duo quad q6600" and my question is that what are the steps after I have finally put in the new processor...do I need to reinstall windows? do i need to upgrade bios(if i have to pls help I have not found anything related to my mobo), Do i need to upgrade anything else/change anything from the boot menu?

If there has to be any update to BIOS ( ) it has to be done before switching CPUs, Check your BIOS version and see if it's same as this one http://mxdtr.com/msi-0ab8-driver-bios-update/
If you do o don't update BIOS, make sure you rest CMOS. Just take picture or write down settings in BIOS you have now so you can reenter them if need be. Don't have to do anything in OS.

 

[TempoMan]

If there has to be any update to BIOS ( ) it has to be done before switching CPUs, Check your BIOS version and see if it's same as this one http://mxdtr.com/msi-0ab8-driver-bios-update/
If you do o don't update BIOS, make sure you rest CMOS. Just take picture or write down settings in BIOS you have now so you can reenter them if need be. Don't have to do anything in OS.

what is cmos and where do i find the cmos/bios settings? also i went on a website to scan my pc and it says that something that my bios version is "Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG " and the manufacturer is "Phoenix Technologies, LTD ". Pls help me I dont get what to do

 

[CountMike]

what is cmos and where do i find the cmos/bios settings? also i went on a website to scan my pc and it says that something that my bios version is "Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG " and the manufacturer is "Phoenix Technologies, LTD ". Pls help me I dont get what to do

You could use CPU-Z https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html in Motherboard tab to see exact BIOS version.

 

[TempoMan]

You could use CPU-Z https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html in Motherboard tab to see exact BIOS version.

Hey man the cpu z thing is a virus, i literally went on virustotal and checked it, it has 2 trojan files and btw from another website, i found that my exact bios version is "phoenix award bios v6.00pg" and when i went to yt, there were no tutorials, only a few doing some weird things with rufus and blah...pls send help

 

[TempoMan]

You could use CPU-Z https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html in Motherboard tab to see exact BIOS version.

hey now what do i do? install bios from that mxtdr website or u have a new solution for me?and btw do i even need to update bios if im upgrading my cpu (details above)?????here are some images for bios info

 

[geofelt]

My reading shows that a Q6600 is supported on your motherboard:

MSI 0AB8 Mainboard Specs

www.findlaptopdriver.com

Sometimes newer processors will require a bios update to run on an older motherboard.
I do not think this is the case for the Q6600.
Go to the msi web site and see what, if any bios updates are available for your motherboard.
There will usually be a description of what the update fixes.
I did a cursory search for the bios section, but I did not find it.
Your current bios level will be in the bios menu, or you can see it by running cpu-Z

Once you know that the Q6600 is supported, just install it and no other action will be needed.
A tip..
Before you remove the old processor, run it a bit to heat it up.
That softens the thermal paste, making it easy to remove the cooler.
When you drop the Q6600 into the socket, be careful.
Just drop it in cleanly.
If you smoosh it around to seat it, you may damage the socket pins which are delicate.

----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.

Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.

When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.
Too much paste is bad, it will act as an insulator.
It is hard to use too little.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[TempoMan]

My reading shows that a Q6600 is supported on your motherboard:

MSI 0AB8 Mainboard Specs

www.findlaptopdriver.com

Sometimes newer processors will require a bios update to run on an older motherboard.
I do not think this is the case for the Q6600.
Go to the msi web site and see what, if any bios updates are available for your motherboard.
There will usually be a description of what the update fixes.
I did a cursory search for the bios section, but I did not find it.
Your current bios level will be in the bios menu, or you can see it by running cpu-Z

Once you know that the Q6600 is supported, just install it and no other action will be needed.
A tip..
Before you remove the old processor, run it a bit to heat it up.
That softens the thermal paste, making it easy to remove the cooler.
When you drop the Q6600 into the socket, be careful.
Just drop it in cleanly.
If you smoosh it around to seat it, you may damage the socket pins which are delicate.

----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.

Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.

When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.
Too much paste is bad, it will act as an insulator.
It is hard to use too little.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thnx for your sincere help and btw i will get technician to install new cpu but a question i have is since the cpu is supported by the mobo, what if by any chance it requires a bios update? what do i do? and what if i face newer issues like my pc is running a lot slower due to cpu change?i might sound stupid but as i said this is my first time

 

[TempoMan]

My reading shows that a Q6600 is supported on your motherboard:

MSI 0AB8 Mainboard Specs

www.findlaptopdriver.com

Sometimes newer processors will require a bios update to run on an older motherboard.
I do not think this is the case for the Q6600.
Go to the msi web site and see what, if any bios updates are available for your motherboard.
There will usually be a description of what the update fixes.
I did a cursory search for the bios section, but I did not find it.
Your current bios level will be in the bios menu, or you can see it by running cpu-Z

Once you know that the Q6600 is supported, just install it and no other action will be needed.
A tip..
Before you remove the old processor, run it a bit to heat it up.
That softens the thermal paste, making it easy to remove the cooler.
When you drop the Q6600 into the socket, be careful.
Just drop it in cleanly.
If you smoosh it around to seat it, you may damage the socket pins which are delicate.

----------------how to mount the stock Intel cooler--------------

The stock Intel cooler can be tricky to install.
A poor installation will result in higher cpu temperatures.
If properly mounted, you should expect temperatures at idle to be 10-15c. over ambient.

To mount the Intel stock cooler properly, place the motherboard on top of the foam or cardboard backing that was packed with the motherboard.
The stock cooler will come with paste pre applied, it looks like three grey strips.
The 4 push pins should come in the proper position for installation, that is with the pins rotated in the opposite direction of the arrow,(clockwise)
and pulled up as far as they can go.
Take the time to play with the pushpin mechanism until you know how they work.

Orient the 4 pins so that they are exactly over the motherboard holes.
If one is out of place, you will damage the pins which are delicate.
Push down on a DIAGONAL pair of pins at the same time. Then the other pair.

When you push down on the top black pins, it expands the white plastic pins to fix the cooler in place.

If you do them one at a time, you will not get the cooler on straight.
Lastly, look at the back of the motherboard to verify that all 4 pins are equally through the motherboard, and that the cooler is on firmly.
This last step must be done, which is why the motherboard should be out of the case to do the job. Or you need a case with a opening that lets you see the pins.
It is possible to mount the cooler with the motherboard mounted in the case, but you can then never be certain that the push pins are inserted properly
unless you can verify that the pins are through the motherboard and locked.

If you should need to remove the cooler, turn the pins counter clockwise to unlock them.
You will need to clean off the old paste and reapply new if you ever take the cooler off.
Clean off old paste with alcohol and a lint free paper like a coffee filter.
Apply new paste sparingly. A small rice sized drop in the center will spread our under heat and pressure.
Too much paste is bad, it will act as an insulator.
It is hard to use too little.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

images of some bios things r mentioned on one post above (2 images)

 

[geofelt]

A Q6600 upgrade will give you 4 processing cores, compared to two.
The individual cores will have similar capability, but you will have more of them.
No way would performance be worse.
You will do better with 4 vs.2 cores.
And, some games now actually need 4 cores to run.
The best cpu upgrade available would be the Q9650 which sells for about $50 on ebay.
I would consider that since it is some 30% stronger than a q6600.
If the motherboard requires a bios update, then one of three things will happen.

1. The motherboard will not post, and the old processor will need to be reinstalled to do the update.
2. The motherboard will post but a bios update will be needed for some reason. This can be done with the new processor installed.
3. All runs well with no issues.

If you will have a technician available to do the install, I would have him first do any bios update that might be required.
A bios update can be a bit risky if the process is interrupted or not done well.
It may look like nothing is going on for 15 minutes or more.
Do not get impatient and stop the process.

I might add that changing windows from a HDD to a ssd will be one of the best performance improvements you can make.
It is not hard to do.

 

[TempoMan]

A Q6600 upgrade will give you 4 processing cores, compared to two.
The individual cores will have similar capability, but you will have more of them.
No way would performance be worse.
You will do better with 4 vs.2 cores.
And, some games now actually need 4 cores to run.
The best cpu upgrade available would be the Q9650 which sells for about $50 on ebay.
I would consider that since it is some 30% stronger than a q6600.
If the motherboard requires a bios update, then one of three things will happen.

1. The motherboard will not post, and the old processor will need to be reinstalled to do the update.
2. The motherboard will post but a bios update will be needed for some reason. This can be done with the new processor installed.
3. All runs well with no issues.

If you will have a technician available to do the install, I would have him first do any bios update that might be required.
A bios update can be a bit risky if the process is interrupted or not done well.
It may look like nothing is going on for 15 minutes or more.
Do not get impatient and stop the process.

I might add that changing windows from a HDD to a ssd will be one of the best performance improvements you can make.
It is not hard to do.

thnx man, i was actually thinking about finding a q9650 for my pc and anyways, could u run me through a tutorial for ituation 1 &2 and maybe provide a link to download the bios?

 

[TempoMan]

A Q6600 upgrade will give you 4 processing cores, compared to two.
The individual cores will have similar capability, but you will have more of them.
No way would performance be worse.
You will do better with 4 vs.2 cores.
And, some games now actually need 4 cores to run.
The best cpu upgrade available would be the Q9650 which sells for about $50 on ebay.
I would consider that since it is some 30% stronger than a q6600.
If the motherboard requires a bios update, then one of three things will happen.

1. The motherboard will not post, and the old processor will need to be reinstalled to do the update.
2. The motherboard will post but a bios update will be needed for some reason. This can be done with the new processor installed.
3. All runs well with no issues.

If you will have a technician available to do the install, I would have him first do any bios update that might be required.
A bios update can be a bit risky if the process is interrupted or not done well.
It may look like nothing is going on for 15 minutes or more.
Do not get impatient and stop the process.

I might add that changing windows from a HDD to a ssd will be one of the best performance improvements you can make.
It is not hard to do.

hey dude, i actually dont have a $50 budget for the cpu, could you tell me the best core 2 duo quad processor for under $20?pls man?

 

[geofelt]

I do not think MSI OAB8 is an actual motherboard name.
I can not find one by that name.
CPU-Z will identify the motherboard name as well as the current bios level.
CPU-Z is a well respected app and NOT a virus.
Download directly from CPUID, not some other, possibly infected site.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
Then you should be able to use google to find the bios download file on the MSI web site.
There should also be a description of what the update does.
One possibility is that a certain update is required to support your selected processor.
In the absence of such an update, assume that the processor is supported and install it.
No damage will occur if it is not supported; it simply will not work and you will need to go back to your current processor.



Possible quad core upgrades are:
Q6600
Q6700
Q8200
Q9400
Q9650
In ascending order of capability.
Prices vary if you are shopping on ebay.
They are unavailable and expensive new, so used is the only way.

 

[TempoMan]

I do not think MSI OAB8 is an actual motherboard name.
I can not find one by that name.
CPU-Z will identify the motherboard name as well as the current bios level.
CPU-Z is a well respected app and NOT a virus.
Download directly from CPUID, not some other, possibly infected site.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
Then you should be able to use google to find the bios download file on the MSI web site.
There should also be a description of what the update does.
One possibility is that a certain update is required to support your selected processor.
In the absence of such an update, assume that the processor is supported and install it.
No damage will occur if it is not supported; it simply will not work and you will need to go back to your current processor.



Possible quad core upgrades are:
Q6600
Q6700
Q8200
Q9400
Q9650
In ascending order of capability.
Prices vary if you are shopping on ebay.
They are unavailable and expensive new, so used is the only way.

thnx for the info and it shows for trojan.

 

[TempoMan]

I do not think MSI OAB8 is an actual motherboard name.
I can not find one by that name.
CPU-Z will identify the motherboard name as well as the current bios level.
CPU-Z is a well respected app and NOT a virus.
Download directly from CPUID, not some other, possibly infected site.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
Then you should be able to use google to find the bios download file on the MSI web site.
There should also be a description of what the update does.
One possibility is that a certain update is required to support your selected processor.
In the absence of such an update, assume that the processor is supported and install it.
No damage will occur if it is not supported; it simply will not work and you will need to go back to your current processor.



Possible quad core upgrades are:
Q6600
Q6700
Q8200
Q9400
Q9650
In ascending order of capability.
Prices vary if you are shopping on ebay.
They are unavailable and expensive new, so used is the only way.

So so far, here is my understanding:
for situation 1: I will see that new cpu is installed but not posting, so i put bacc the old one, then install the bios from http://mxdtr.com/msi-0ab8-driver-bios-update/ and after that I just put in my new cpu
for situation 2: i put in the new cpu but still get to update bios..
BUT HERE COMES THE DIFFICULTY, as for yt videos, the bios is not a exe files but a 360 file, what i am getting from that website is a exe file and i hav no idea on how to update an exe file bios

 

[Karadjgne]

Not sure what you have going on but cpuid/cpu-z is virus/Trojan/malware free. It's one of the standard software used by everybody, including Intel and Amd. It's Pedigree, seriously.

I'd not trust that outcome. Win32.swrort has been around since @ 2012, is easily detected by Microsoft Defender, so you can bet anything you like that Avast and AVG and Acronis would also pick it up. And yet it's a no-name brand/never heard of before AV that picks it up.

Many times its a false positive, especially from half-assessed anti-virus, because that software is designed to reach deep into the pc components to read their identification info, something viruses do too. AV doesn't look for the entire virus code, it looks for certain markers/tags. Often legit software can h ave the same marker, either because it was used as the base for the virus, or it's a common marker, like looking for the word 'The'.

Cpu-z is legit, cannot say the same about 'Antiy-AVL'

 

[TempoMan]

Not sure what you have going on but cpuid/cpu-z is virus/Trojan/malware free. It's one of the standard software used by everybody, including Intel and Amd. It's Pedigree, seriously.

I'd not trust that outcome. Win32.swrort has been around since @ 2012, is easily detected by Microsoft Defender, so you can bet anything you like that Avast and AVG and Acronis would also pick it up. And yet it's a no-name brand/never heard of before AV that picks it up.

Many times its a false positive, especially from half-assessed anti-virus, because that software is designed to reach deep into the pc components to read their identification info, something viruses do too. AV doesn't look for the entire virus code, it looks for certain markers/tags. Often legit software can h ave the same marker, either because it was used as the base for the virus, or it's a common marker, like looking for the word 'The'.

Cpu-z is legit, cannot say the same about 'Antiy-AVL'

so do you think running the exe file will not give me any virus?

 

[Karadjgne]

This is the other identification from Zillya.

SUMMARY

A generic detection has identified a program or file that has code or behavior similar to trojans.
Security programs use generic detections that look for broad patterns of code or behavior to identify similar programs or files. If you suspect the file was incorrectly detected, go to: Removal: Suspect a file is incorrectly detected (a False Positive)?.

Cpu-z has been around 20 years now, if it was buggy or had virus/Trojan it wouldn't be supported by Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Intel, Amd, Evga and over 100 other serious PC name brands.

Being as that win32.swrort is over 8 year old virus and only 1 no-name AV picks it up as a Trojan, you can pretty much bet its a false/generic positive. I have 3 different versions of cpu-z on my pc.

 

[TempoMan]

So I just downloaded cpu z and I can see that my bios version is running 1.09 and from the mxtdr website, it has version 1.16, so there definitely is a bios update, now problem is, the bios is an exe file, instead of a 360 file which is often the case, how the heck am i supposed to update a exe file bios?

 

[TempoMan]

This is the other identification from Zillya.


Cpu-z has been around 20 years now, if it was buggy or had virus/Trojan it wouldn't be supported by Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Intel, Amd, Evga and over 100 other serious PC name brands.

Being as that win32.swrort is over 8 year old virus and only 1 no-name AV picks it up as a Trojan, you can pretty much bet its a false/generic positive. I have 3 different versions of cpu-z on my pc.

So I just downloaded cpu z and I can see that my bios version is running 1.09 and from the mxtdr website, it has version 1.16, so there definitely is a bios update, now problem is, the bios is an exe file, instead of a 360 file which is often the case, how the heck am i supposed to update a exe file bios?

 

[Karadjgne]

Should be listed with directions for install, there's an exact procedure which must be followed EXACTLY, NO deviations, no user shutdowns or resets because of impatience or worry etc. , but many times the exe is used to unpack several files or make downloading possible since some AV can have serious issues with allowing the download/install of non specific file designations. If it's not exe, jpg, png, etc then it has to be a virus.. Right?