A question for the techies
- Thread starter bartendr
- Start date
That's a hard question to answer. Let me ask you: does your motherboard supported the upgraded CPU?
You may also want to tell us what motherboard you have? What chipset? Is the 2.2Ghz P4 also 478 pin? Any voltage differences between the 1.6 vs. 2.2?
Best source is read the book that came with the motherboard, or download the manual from the manufacturer's website. If your system is OEM, i.e. Dell, HP, etc. then either check the service manual on their website, or else give them a call.
As for how to swap them? Make sure the power is disconnected from the motherboard. Ground yourself. Very carefully removed the heatsink/fan. Swap the CPU, reapply fresh thermal grease, and carefully remount the heatsink/fan. Boot into BIOS and adjust settings accordingly.
You may also want to tell us what motherboard you have? What chipset? Is the 2.2Ghz P4 also 478 pin? Any voltage differences between the 1.6 vs. 2.2?
Best source is read the book that came with the motherboard, or download the manual from the manufacturer's website. If your system is OEM, i.e. Dell, HP, etc. then either check the service manual on their website, or else give them a call.
As for how to swap them? Make sure the power is disconnected from the motherboard. Ground yourself. Very carefully removed the heatsink/fan. Swap the CPU, reapply fresh thermal grease, and carefully remount the heatsink/fan. Boot into BIOS and adjust settings accordingly.
i found that the new proc is on the compatibility list:
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/rl/peripherals/mainboards/cpu2.asp?Main=D1327#
can some one give me a step by step?
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/rl/peripherals/mainboards/cpu2.asp?Main=D1327#
can some one give me a step by step?
Hope this helps and YMMV
Agree with metoo113, not really worth the effort, but if you are willing to learn something, and are not afraid of breaking something, then by all means go for it.
From the CPU compatibility guide you show me, it looks like only the A12 version of the motherboard will support the 2.2 GHz Northwood CPU. You should look at the printed circuit board to see if it mentioned what hardware revision it is.
Next thing you should do is to run a BIOS upgrade. This is important because a more updated version of the BIOS maybe needed to supported the faster CPU. You can hunt down the latest BIOS update at: http://support.fujitsu-siemens.com/com/support/downloads.html
The newest one is version 4.06 1.08 released May 2002.
Here are some guides for installing CPUs:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,751531,00.asp
http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/assemble5.htm
http://www.waterwheel.com/Guides/how_to/cpu/CPU.htm
The most important thing you need to realize at this point is that this is a risky venture. Even the most competent PC tech will break something from time to time. If you cannot do without the computer, you should just give up now.
I am assuming you already got the case open. Make sure you unplug the power cord at the back. Also unplug both the 20/24 pin white ATX connector and the 4 pin 12V white connector on the motherboard. Make sure the light on the motherboard goes out before proceeding further.
It's highly recommended to have some form of anti-static protection. If not, make sure one arm is touching the metal part of the chassis at all times. Very carefully removed the heatsink/fan. You may need a flat screwdriver. Be very careful that it won't slip and scratch the motherboard. Every heatsink is different so I can't help you there.
Often times the heatsink is stuck onto the CPU like cement, so turning the PC on for 5 minutes before you work may not be a bad idea. Once the heatsink is off, you can then carefully "unlock" the CPU with the ZIF lever. When he level is at the open (up) position, carefully remove the CPU (it should require little or no force). Now install the new CPU, make certain the pins align, it should fall neatly into the socket, do not force it down. Closed the level. Reapply a very very thin layer of thermal grease (do not touch with your fingers). Thermal grease application is an art onto itself, and you should probably do some web searches for it to see some pictures. Both too little and too much is bad, so is uneven application.
Clean off the old dry grease on the old heatsink with rubbing alcohol, and make sure the towel you are using is lint-free. Remount the CPU.
There maybe jumpers or DIP switches on the motherboard that allow you to set the proper voltages, because you will need to lower the voltage on this one. Consult your manual for this. Newer boards use software settings in the BIOS, again check your manual.
If you are not able to get it to work, then you just got to put the old CPU back in, and hope you haven't damaged it.
From personal experience, removing and remounting the heatsink is the most scary part. Everything else is piece much piece of cake.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead with it. If you can afford to poon, you should be able to afford a new PC
Agree with metoo113, not really worth the effort, but if you are willing to learn something, and are not afraid of breaking something, then by all means go for it.
From the CPU compatibility guide you show me, it looks like only the A12 version of the motherboard will support the 2.2 GHz Northwood CPU. You should look at the printed circuit board to see if it mentioned what hardware revision it is.
Next thing you should do is to run a BIOS upgrade. This is important because a more updated version of the BIOS maybe needed to supported the faster CPU. You can hunt down the latest BIOS update at: http://support.fujitsu-siemens.com/com/support/downloads.html
The newest one is version 4.06 1.08 released May 2002.
Here are some guides for installing CPUs:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,751531,00.asp
http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/assemble5.htm
http://www.waterwheel.com/Guides/how_to/cpu/CPU.htm
The most important thing you need to realize at this point is that this is a risky venture. Even the most competent PC tech will break something from time to time. If you cannot do without the computer, you should just give up now.
I am assuming you already got the case open. Make sure you unplug the power cord at the back. Also unplug both the 20/24 pin white ATX connector and the 4 pin 12V white connector on the motherboard. Make sure the light on the motherboard goes out before proceeding further.
It's highly recommended to have some form of anti-static protection. If not, make sure one arm is touching the metal part of the chassis at all times. Very carefully removed the heatsink/fan. You may need a flat screwdriver. Be very careful that it won't slip and scratch the motherboard. Every heatsink is different so I can't help you there.
Often times the heatsink is stuck onto the CPU like cement, so turning the PC on for 5 minutes before you work may not be a bad idea. Once the heatsink is off, you can then carefully "unlock" the CPU with the ZIF lever. When he level is at the open (up) position, carefully remove the CPU (it should require little or no force). Now install the new CPU, make certain the pins align, it should fall neatly into the socket, do not force it down. Closed the level. Reapply a very very thin layer of thermal grease (do not touch with your fingers). Thermal grease application is an art onto itself, and you should probably do some web searches for it to see some pictures. Both too little and too much is bad, so is uneven application.
Clean off the old dry grease on the old heatsink with rubbing alcohol, and make sure the towel you are using is lint-free. Remount the CPU.
There maybe jumpers or DIP switches on the motherboard that allow you to set the proper voltages, because you will need to lower the voltage on this one. Consult your manual for this. Newer boards use software settings in the BIOS, again check your manual.
If you are not able to get it to work, then you just got to put the old CPU back in, and hope you haven't damaged it.
From personal experience, removing and remounting the heatsink is the most scary part. Everything else is piece much piece of cake.
Good luck if you decide to go ahead with it. If you can afford to poon, you should be able to afford a new PC
