AMD Phenom II x4 Black Edition Not Compatible?

Kizika

Honorable
Jul 3, 2012
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10,510
I recently bought an AMD Phenom II x4 Deneb Black Edition to upgrade from my AMD Athlon II.
When I installed it, there wasn't a hitch. I removed the thermal paste that came with it, applied my Arctic Silver 5, and locked down the Heatsink/Fan.
I reconnected everything and powered my computer on. My graphics card screen comes up, then my HP startup screen, and suddenly it says "CPU not Compatible. Powering off in a few seconds."
My motherboard has an AM3 socket, and everything is installed correctly as far as I know. Why is it saying it isn't compatible?
Any help is appreciated :)
-Motherboard: Pegatron Violet6
 
Solution
My guess is that it's because the PII BE's are 125W chips and your mobo only supports 95W or less chips. Since it's an OEM HP, that doesn't surprise me at all.


If you want to use that CPU, yes, but be aware that you'll need a new copy of Windows if you do that, as well. The OEM version that comes on systems like yours can only ever be used and activated on the motherboard that it was originally installed on.
 
OEM computers are very limited in what CPU's you can upgrade. You have to look at both the CPU socket and the TDP. It's always best to check the OEM's website to see what CPU's are compatible with your motherboard. In your case the CPU isn't compatible with your motherboard because the BE Phenom II is rated at 125 Watt TDP and your motherboard is only rated for a 95 Watt TDP CPU. Also it's pretty useless to have a Black Edition CPU in an OEM motherboard. Even if it is compatible you can't overclock OEM computers. Their BIOS is locked and it doesn't allow for overclocking. At this point if you want to use that CPU you have to get a new motherboard and probably new RAM.
 
Yes at this point it's best to get another motherboard and try that. OEM's lock everything because people are stupid. If every big box computer had an unlocked BIOS OEM's would be losing millions to repair fried motherboards, CPU and RAM from people who don't know what they are doing. They lock it to keep the stupid people out.
 
the Phenom II is incompatible with that unit, now if there is a BIOS update then I would look for it.
with BIOS update you might get lucky and board will flash to AM2+ ability for chips.

I currently am not speaking about any TDP limitations for that motherboard because it seems it can run the first Gen of Phenom chips
just not the second Gen and that's what the Phenom II is...

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c01635734#N92

as you can see the mobo is a first GEN AM2 board.
it's time to upgrade the board as well, not just the CPU.

I thought about that, but how is he using an Athlon II now, if that's the case?