New motherboard, CPU and RAM. Do i need to reinstall Windows 7?

Realist81

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Dec 9, 2013
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I've just acquired an i5 4440, an MSI B85-G41 PC Mate mobo and 8GB of DDR3 1600 RAM to replace an Intel E2180, a Gigabyte EP35-DS3R Mobo and 4gb of DDR2 RAM.

Do I need to reinstall Windows 7?

Normally I'd do it without any questions however i'll be getting an SSD in a month and will be definitely reinstalling the OS then so i'd like to avoid installing the OS twice within a month.

Also I currently don't have a DVD drive, my last one went kaput and I never replaced it as I didn't need it - I can download drivers and I use Steam for gaming. I was planning on borrowing a spare from a friend but he's out of town until after Christmas and I can't currently afford a DVD drive what with christmas expenses mounting up.
 

fjaesbog

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Aug 6, 2013
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If it's the same motherboard it will boot just fine, and you won't need to do anything.

If it's a similar motherboard, it may boot, but you should do a fresh install once you've backed up your data. This will eliminate possible driver conflicts, and general clutter.

If it's a different model motherboard, and it doesn't boot right away, do the windows repair. You can do this by booting off your OS disc, and follow this guide.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ss/window...
Once the repair is done, you should be able to boot into windows normally. Then you should still backup your data, and do a fresh windows install.