What do i need to do

[uRSALOG]

ok so im going to be upgrading from a amd phenom quad 9500 2.2 to a phenom 2 quad 955 black 3.2 is there anything critical i need to to to my pc to make this upgrade? or is switching cpu's as easy as switching video cards? i probably need to upgrade my bios right i have a m2a-vm motherboard and its a two years or so old. ive never changed out a cpu before so, bear with me

 

[starams5]

This board does not support the Phenom 2 Quad 955 Black with or without a bios flash. I checked two compatibility charts and the results were the same, you will be installing that CPU at your own risk.

http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P4P800-E%20Deluxe&product=1

 

[uRSALOG]

well whats the best one that is compatible or what would you recommend, i mean i didnt go out and buy it guess i thought it might be compatible, wishful thinking lol, i wanna oc something so its pretty fast but not spend over $250

 

[starams5]

I'm more of an Intel guy and I don't want to give you any bad info so I'll let one of the AMD guys help you with that. Which ever CPU you decide, go back and check the list to see if your current bios is compatible with the new CPU. If not, you may have to update your bios before upgrading the CPU, good luck.

 

[aford10]

Here is the cpu support list for that board and the BIOS needed to support each cpu.
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ASUS/M2A-VM.html

 

[uRSALOG]

ok so here the question dual core or quad, i know its been beat to death but i need an amd expert lol tell me what i should get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103280 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103678 and how do i install it when i get it

 

[The Third Level]

I'd actually compromise.

Phenom II 720 X3 Black Edition.

 

[uRSALOG]

phenom II arent compatible or i would, smack me if im wrong http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ASUS/M2A-VM.html

 

[The Third Level]

In that case, tell us what you normally use the computer for.

 

[uRSALOG]

mostly playing WoW, i want to run it as fast as possible, and i know wow doesnt take all that much but if you havent seen the three psu's connected to my pc, i believe in overkill

 

[starams5]

Here is the cpu support list for that board and the BIOS needed to support each cpu.
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ASUS/M2A-VM.html

I thought that site was a my little secret......"I checked two compatibility charts"

 

[uRSALOG]

secret's out m8

 

[The Third Level]

mostly playing WoW, i want to run it as fast as possible, and i know wow doesnt take all that much but if you havent seen the three psu's connected to my pc, i believe in overkill

For basic gaming i'd go for the X2 7750 or 7850, then overclock the crap out of that.
What's your current GPU?

 

[uRSALOG]

evga 275gtx pre-oc then oc a lil more with oc tool

 

[aford10]

If it's for gaming, the faster dual core would be better, specially considering that price difference.

 

[uRSALOG]

ty for the help, just bought the dual cant waittt

 

[starams5]

Will you have the update the bios before upgrading? Or will it drop right in.

 

[uRSALOG]

ill update the bios first, bios upgrades are always backwards compatible? or no

 

[starams5]

"bios upgrades are always backwards compatible?" You lost me on that one please come again.

 

[aford10]

Basically, yes.

 

[uRSALOG]

like if i upgrade my bios it will still work with my current quad core 9500. computer will still boot, bells/whistles etc etc

 

[aford10]

BIOS flashes are similar to windows service packs. They simply update and fix bugs.

 

[uRSALOG]

schweet then yeah im gonna update the bios according to my manual i got here

 

[uRSALOG]

so i updated my bios sucessfully, but im not able to overclock my 9500 to what the setting i had it before, weird. hope i odnt have trouble overclocking my nre cpu when it gets here

 

[starams5]

Try this, shut down and unplug the PSU. Remove CMOS battery and discharge the motherboard by holding in the power button while touching the metal part of the case for approx 30 sec. Put the battery back in and post. Don't forget to re-apply your bios settings.