[SOLVED] Upgrading my CPU for the first time - Need help please

[warmdigit]

Details
I am upgrading my CPU for the first time. I will be upgrading from a Ryzen 3 2200g to a Ryzen 5 3600.

My hardware
Ryzen 3 2200G
RX 570 4GB
16 GB DDR4 RAM

Motherboard - A320M PRO-VH PLUS (MS-7B07)


Help
This is a scary new experience and I would like to know how to upgrade a CPU properly, I don't know what to do. I have some questions below that are stuck in my mind. It would be helpful if I could get linked to some useful guides as well.

Will my motherboard be compatible with this upgrade from Ryzen 3 2200g to Ryzen 5 3600?

Will I have to update BIOS? - I have heard it is unsafe to do this and should I update to the newest version as the version I am on is old

 

[Mr.Spock]

check the version you have vs. the minimum required for the 3600. If you haven't updated within the past year you probably need to. your board doesn't OC so you may not be able to take full advantage of the upgrade

 

[warmdigit]

check the version you have vs. the minimum required for the 3600. If you haven't updated within the past year you probably need to. your board doesn't OC so you may not be able to take full advantage of the upgrade

Sorry I'm not quite sure I understand when you said check the version you have vs. Also yeah I haven't updated since I first got the pc which would had been more than a year ago. when should I update? before I put the cpu in on the current cpu?

 

[Karadjgne]

Go to the msi motherboard website and search specifically for your exact motherboard page. You'll see a tab for support or downloads, follow it until it shows bios.

 

[RodroX]

Details
I am upgrading my CPU for the first time. I will be upgrading from a Ryzen 3 2200g to a Ryzen 5 3600.

My hardware
Ryzen 3 2200G
RX 570 4GB
16 GB DDR4 RAM

Motherboard - A320M PRO-VH PLUS (MS-7B07)


Help
This is a scary new experience and I would like to know how to upgrade a CPU properly, I don't know what to do. I have some questions below that are stuck in my mind. It would be helpful if I could get linked to some useful guides as well.

Will my motherboard be compatible with this upgrade from Ryzen 3 2200g to Ryzen 5 3600?

Will I have to update BIOS? - I have heard it is unsafe to do this and should I update to the newest version as the version I am on is old

Hello, (if you are going to go ahead with this, be 100% sure the following links are the correct ones for your motherboard brand and model)

I believe this is your motherboard: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/A320M-PRO-VH-PLUS#support-cpu, so if you see at that official page as long as you have the correct BIOS version you will be able to run the Ryzen 5 3600.

If your BIOS version is too old you will have to update it. Updating BIOS could be somehow difficult if you never done it.

This should be the donwload page: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/A320M-PRO-VH-PLUS#down-bios

You shall find your current one (down the stack) and start to look up and follow the instructions for each upgrade.

Example:

If you have this version: 7B07v30, and you wana update to this one directly: 7B07v36 (which you should be able to do it), the instructions said: "It must install nvidia graphic driver ver 391.01 or latest version when using AMD Raven Ridge CPU and nVidia graphic card. " So before updating the BIOS you have to be sure you are using the latest nvidia/amd drivers.

From Bios: 7B07v38, it seems Windows 7 is no longer supported.

Version: 7B07v3B said: - MSI strongly recommend to update AMD chipset driver 18.10xxxxxxx or latest version before update BIOS.

And so on.


After all that if you managed to go up to BIOS version: 7B07v3GV(Beta version) and the PC is still working fine (most likely should be if you did all ok) , then you should be able to see if the R5 3600 works. But yeah is a beta BIOS so I would really check on the web for other users comments on the matter.
-------------------------------------------------

As for installing the new CPU, my best advice will be go and see at least 2 or 3 diferent videos on youtube, for example:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5jFXl0GZJo



The most important advice I would give you are:

1. Make sure once again you have the right BIOS version installed before doing anything.
2. Turn On the PC and play a game for 10 mins or run a cpu benchmark a few times (Cinebench R20 for example) to heat the old CPU and the old thermal compund a bit.
3. Turn Off the PC, unplug the power cable, and if you like to you can go ahead and press the power buttong a few times to discharge every electronic component the best you can before opening the case side panel.
4. Unless you have lots of experience installing CPUs, is not a bad idea to have extra isopropyl alcohol and thermal paste in case you need to remount the cooler a few times for whatever reason (usually because the first time it wasn't right mounted and the CPu overheated).
5. Follow the guide/video you read/saw.
6. Please use your head, this is not rocket science, and if you follow the steps there should be not many issues to prevent you from doing it right.
7. Motherboard and CPU manuals (yeah those no one ever read) have also instructions on how to install the CPu and other parts of your PC. So yeah, go and read them too!

Cheers

 

[warmdigit]

Hello, (if you are going to go ahead with this, be 100% sure the following links are the correct ones for your motherboard brand and model)

I believe this is your motherboard: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/A320M-PRO-VH-PLUS#support-cpu, so if you see at that official page as long as you have the correct BIOS version you will be able to run the Ryzen 5 3600.

If your BIOS version is too old you will have to update it. Updating BIOS could be somehow difficult if you never done it.

This should be the donwload page: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/A320M-PRO-VH-PLUS#down-bios

You shall find your current one (down the stack) and start to look up and follow the instructions for each upgrade.

Example:

If you have this version: 7B07v30, and you wana update to this one directly: 7B07v36 (which you should be able to do it), the instructions said: "It must install nvidia graphic driver ver 391.01 or latest version when using AMD Raven Ridge CPU and nVidia graphic card. " So before updating the BIOS you have to be sure you are using the latest nvidia/amd drivers.

From Bios: 7B07v38, it seems Windows 7 is no longer supported.

Version: 7B07v3B said: - MSI strongly recommend to update AMD chipset driver 18.10xxxxxxx or latest version before update BIOS.

And so on.


After all that if you managed to go up to BIOS version: 7B07v3GV(Beta version) and the PC is still working fine (most likely should be if you did all ok) , then you should be able to see if the R5 3600 works. But yeah is a beta BIOS so I would really check on the web for other users comments on the matter.
-------------------------------------------------

As for installing the new CPU, my best advice will be go and see at least 2 or 3 diferent videos on youtube, for example:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5jFXl0GZJo



The most important advice I would give you are:

1. Make sure once again you have the right BIOS version installed before doing anything.
2. Turn On the PC and play a game for 10 mins or run a cpu benchmark a few times (Cinebench R20 for example) to heat the old CPU and the old thermal compund a bit.
3. Turn Off the PC, unplug the power cable, and if you like to you can go ahead and press the power buttong a few times to discharge every electronic component the best you can before opening the case side panel.
4. Unless you have lots of experience installing CPUs, is not a bad idea to have extra isopropyl alcohol and thermal paste in case you need to remount the cooler a few times for whatever reason (usually because the first time it wasn't right mounted and the CPu overheated).
5. Follow the guide/video you read/saw.
6. Please use your head, this is not rocket science, and if you follow the steps there should be not many issues to prevent you from doing it right.
7. Motherboard and CPU manuals (yeah those no one ever read) have also instructions on how to install the CPu and other parts of your PC. So yeah, go and read them too!

Cheers

Thank you to you all I really appreciate your time helping me out. I will follow what you have said, this is very helpful.

I have a few questions. I can't seem to find my bios version there however I found it in system info but not sure what it means/where to find it on the website:

BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 3.GM, 26/06/2019

Also by installing the bios do I flash it with USB? Another thing I might had misunderstood when you said "So before updating the BIOS you have to be sure you are using the latest nvidia/amd drivers." - Does this mean I have to get the latest drivers for my gpu?

I just wanted to mention I don't have the cpu yet should I perform this now or when I get the cpu, or does that not really matter?

 

[Karadjgne]

Ok. In the bios listing on the motherboard page, you'll see a bunch of version updates. Scroll down the list until you find yours. You can find yours by booting into bios (F1, F2, F12, Del, whichever is right for you) and on the homepage you'll see a version #.

The important part comes next. Read all the notes from the newer versions, starting with the one above yours. Some of them are just bug fixes and can be skipped as the fix will also be in the next version. But some will tell you you need the previous version and/or the multimedia files (you must have those for your APU). So you'll end up probably doing several bios and media updates, just to bring you current. Do NOT just skip to the latest as it will contain fixed code, but not the instructions on the fixes.

At some point, youll get to a version that's for the 3000 series cpus. You'll stop there until you have the new cpu in hand. Once ready, you'll do that next bios update, swap cpus, then boot up. After that, you'll finish updating the bios as needed, most likely just the latest.

That A320 mobo has the small bios chip, so does not have room for the full size of 1,2,3000 series cpus, so running through and bringing the bios up to date must be done in stages, only putting the 3600 in when ready to as there's no guarantee that the older APU will be viable after that bios update.

 

[RodroX]

Thank you to you all I really appreciate your time helping me out. I will follow what you have said, this is very helpful.

I have a few questions. I can't seem to find my bios version there however I found it in system info but not sure what it means/where to find it on the website:

BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 3.GM, 26/06/2019

Also by installing the bios do I flash it with USB? Another thing I might had misunderstood when you said "So before updating the BIOS you have to be sure you are using the latest nvidia/amd drivers." - Does this mean I have to get the latest drivers for my gpu?

I just wanted to mention I don't have the cpu yet should I perform this now or when I get the cpu, or does that not really matter?

Karadjne answered most if not all of your newer questions:

Ok. In the bios listing on the motherboard page, you'll see a bunch of version updates. Scroll down the list until you find yours. You can find yours by booting into bios (F1, F2, F12, Del, whichever is right for you) and on the homepage you'll see a version #.

The important part comes next. Read all the notes from the newer versions, starting with the one above yours. Some of them are just bug fixes and can be skipped as the fix will also be in the next version. But some will tell you you need the previous version and/or the multimedia files (you must have those for your APU). So you'll end up probably doing several bios and media updates, just to bring you current. Do NOT just skip to the latest as it will contain fixed code, but not the instructions on the fixes.

At some point, youll get to a version that's for the 3000 series cpus. You'll stop there until you have the new cpu in hand. Once ready, you'll do that next bios update, swap cpus, then boot up. After that, you'll finish updating the bios as needed, most likely just the latest.

That A320 mobo has the small bios chip, so does not have room for the full size of 1,2,3000 series cpus, so running through and bringing the bios up to date must be done in stages, only putting the 3600 in when ready to as there's no guarantee that the older APU will be viable after that bios update.

BIOS installation instructions can be found at the manual, and also on the page I linked from MSI.

If the link I posted is the right one for you motherboard brand and model, then you should have at least the BIOS version: 7B07v36, which you should be able to confirm following Karadjne steps and going inside your motherboard BIOS to check this.

MSI posted some notes about each BIOS versions, all of them tells you whats new (functionality wise) and some of them will also have an important notice like the ones I posted: "MSI strongly recommend to update AMD chipset driver 18.10xxxxxxx or latest version before update BIOS. ". This are MSI instructions, not me.


One thing you didn't mention is What operating system are you using on the PC, is it Windows 10, or 7, or Linux?

What version is this operating system? (you can check Windows version by pressing Windows Key+R to open the "run" windows, write down on there "winver" and press ENTER. a new "About Windows" windows should popup, in there you will find the version. For example my Windows 10 version is 2004.

And finally yes before you start updating the BIOS, it does not hurt to update not only Windows, but also the GPU drivers (you can downloaded them from NVIDIA or AMD website), and chipset drivers (Chipset drivers should be downloaded from AMD website: https://www.amd.com)./en/support/chipsets/amd-socket-am4/a320)

Cheers

 

[Mr.Spock]

you can go into your motherboard bios page (as prev mentioned) or use a utility like CPU-Z or Belarc.
(although you'll wind up needing to use the bios screen to eventually)

Sorry I'm not quite sure I understand when you said check the version you have vs. Also yeah I haven't updated since I first got the pc which would had been more than a year ago. when should I update? before I put the cpu in on the current cpu?

 

[warmdigit]

Ok thanks all again for details I will soon start this once I have free time.
@RodroX I am using windows 10 64bit version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1198)
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