Defective CPU boot loop?

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bull_rider

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Sep 9, 2013
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I have a Dell XPS730x H2c with 12GB RAM, Windows 7-64 Ultimate, i7-920 with all basic settings (no overclock) and BIOS v 1.0.5. Dell offered this machine with the 965 Extreme CPU using the same mobo and X58 chipset. I thought it would be a good easy upgrade so I bought a used 965 Extreme and swapped it in. (I did all the thermal paste etc. properly.) Upon booting up it gets to 'Starting Windows' and then reboots. It comes up to the 'Windows did not start properly' screen. If I choose 'use last known good configuration' it will again get to 'Starting Windows' and reboot. If I select to do a repair, it briefly indicates that it is copying files and then again, it reboots. I tried booting into Safe Mode and the same thing happens. I put the i7-920 back into place and the machine boots and works fine. My understanding is that the 920 and the 965 Extreme are both the same 'family' and should interchange. Can anyone suggest why the 920 boots and the 965 Extreme loops? I am not sure whether to just send the 965 back and overclock the 920 a bit, or if there is something I can do to make this work. Thanks.
 
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bull_rider

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Sep 9, 2013
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Dell shipped these machines with my current BIOS (1.0.5) and I believe even earlier versions of the BIOS in machines that had the 965 Extreme CPU. They only shipped a handful of machines at the end with a later BIOS (1.0.6) but they never officially offered anything past 1.0.5 for the XPS730x, so I don't think it's a BIOS issue. The 965 Extreme CPU was bought used, and I wondered if it was possible that it was damaged by overclocking / overheating.
 
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bull_rider

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Sep 9, 2013
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I thought that might be the case. I work in an IT dept though and the Windows gurus there said that Win7 would probably make me authenticate again instead of just failing to boot. I had read that a bad CPU wouldn't even get through the POST so perhaps I can rule that out. Not sure if I should try a Win7 reinstall over the existing Win7 (so I don't lose everything) or if I should just settle for overclocking the 920 a bit and send back the 965.
 
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Shaun o

Shaun o

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Oct 7, 2007
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Yes you can damage any cpu, if it is overclocked.
But it does not happen over night, but over a long period of time.
By overclocking a cpu you increase the rate that the electrical path ways on the cpu die degrade.

The circuits be come weaker unable to carry voltage, its called electron migration of circuits.
The result is the cpu no longer works at the overclocked speed, or at worst does not function correctly at stock factory set speed.

Just out of interest, you did factory reset the bios when you swapped the 920 for the 965 cpu, to clear all of the settings ?

I have not know windows not to boot when a new cpu has been placed in a board where a existing cpu has been.

Instead what happens is the licence key of windows becomes invalid as a new cpu is classed as a major upgrade.

I have not tried the next step, but if you try safe mode, and go to device manager and delete the cpu`s listed then re start the system it may boot into windows in normal mode.



 
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bull_rider

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Sep 9, 2013
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Shaun, yes, I did a 'set all to optimal settings' when I changed to the 965 extreme CPU.

I suppose the real test would be to swap the 965 back in, boot it off a USB stick and run Prime 95 and see if it works. If the CPU checks out then I can try installing Win7 over the top of the existing install.
 
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