CPU switch possible?

ACTechy

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Can I switch CPUs of the same socket without causing system/OEM Windows issues? I currently use an i3-2100 system, however there is a machine I could swap CPUs with that has an i5-2400S (I know it's only a slight improvement, but it would be a free upgrade). I'm just wanting to switch out CPUs and continue using my current machine, but I'm not sure if there are system consequences with OS or anything. Any help on this would be great, thanks!
 
Solution
As long as your current motherboard is compatible with the new CPU, you will be fine. The OEM license is tied to the motherboard, not the CPU itself.

Also, make sure to clean and use new thermal compound when swapping the CPUs into the respective systems.

Good luck!

COLGeek

Cybernaut
Moderator
As long as your current motherboard is compatible with the new CPU, you will be fine. The OEM license is tied to the motherboard, not the CPU itself.

Also, make sure to clean and use new thermal compound when swapping the CPUs into the respective systems.

Good luck!
 
Solution

chriss000

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Feb 24, 2010
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use an aftermarket cooler to keep the i5 in turbo.. it is quite an upgrade for games,
The cpu passmark for the I3 is 3621,
' ' ' ' ' ' for the I5 2400s its 4820.
or pluss THIRTY THREE Percent cpu performance.
Very worthwhile indeed,
 

ACTechy

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For sure, good points!
 

chriss000

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Feb 24, 2010
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Well, bless my cotton socks! All those aftermarket coolers are a waste of time, and intel neednt have bothered setting turbo boost to work according to thermal dynamic headroom at all, they should have just set the chip to run at 3.3 gig all the time because the standard cooler is more than adequate.
 

ihog

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They aren't a waste of time, obviously. I have a water cooling loop in my rig. But he won't need to spend the extra money for an aftermarket cooler unless he wants less noise. And I wouldn't say it is more than adequate; the stock cooler is simply adequate.
 

chriss000

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Feb 24, 2010
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So intel wasted all that effort with the thermal headroom calculations and the turbo boost because it will run 4 cores x 3.3 gig 100% of the time on a $4 cooler anyway?