PC refresh possible?

OK. Time for some new stuff. I have a few questions so bare with me as I'm not sharp as a tack when it comes to building my own PC! I do some graphics (video & photo editing) & have to wait for the newer 1155 type motherboards to become available again. It seems Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs are best for my needs.

I want to keep all my hard drives including C: where Windows 7 64-bit is installed. Is it wishfull thinking to buy a new case & power supply, a new MB, CPU w/fan & RAM & just plug-in my hard drives? I'm sure MB bios would need to be installed or setup for my hardware.

Is it that simple or am I wishfull thinking?

GARoss said:

I want to keep all my hard drives including C: where Windows 7 64-bit is installed. Is it wishfull thinking to buy a new case & power supply, a new MB, CPU w/fan & RAM & just plug-in my hard drives? I'm sure MB bios would need to be installed or setup for my hardware.

Is it that simple or am I wishfull thinking?

Not that simple.

I recently rebuilt to Sandy Bridge. Sandy Bridge requires a new motherboard and chipset and that is the rub. The PSU, RAM, case, and heatsink are no problem, but the new motherboard (chipset particularly) pretty much force you to reinstall Windows.

Your current hard drive contains a Windows registry that matches your current motherboard and chipset. If that hard drive were to wake up and find out it is now connected to a new motherboard, it would frown.

I have heard of people successfully avoiding a new Windows install nonetheless. It appears Windows 7 is more accommodating on this issue than earlier Windows releases.

But the general consensus is that you should reinstall. You might want to get more comment on this to see if you dare to simply reconnect the old hard drive and not reinstall. You'd get an education even if it failed.

Save what needs to be saved and do a fresh install of the O/S and the drivers for your new hardware it will make life a million times easier .

ignatzatsonic said:

GARoss said:

I want to keep all my hard drives including C: where Windows 7 64-bit is installed. Is it wishfull thinking to buy a new case & power supply, a new MB, CPU w/fan & RAM & just plug-in my hard drives? I'm sure MB bios would need to be installed or setup for my hardware.

Is it that simple or am I wishfull thinking?

Not that simple.

I recently rebuilt to Sandy Bridge. Sandy Bridge requires a new motherboard and chipset and that is the rub. The PSU, RAM, case, and heatsink are no problem, but the new motherboard (chipset particularly) pretty much force you to reinstall Windows.

Your current hard drive contains a Windows registry that matches your current motherboard and chipset. If that hard drive were to wake up and find out it is now connected to a new motherboard, it would frown.

I have heard of people successfully avoiding a new Windows install nonetheless. It appears Windows 7 is more accommodating on this issue than earlier Windows releases.

But the general consensus is that you should reinstall. You might want to get more comment on this to see if you dare to simply reconnect the old hard drive and not reinstall. You'd get an education even if it failed.

diehrd said:

Save what needs to be saved and do a fresh install of the O/S and the drivers for your new hardware it will make life a million times easier .

Wow! I was affraid that it wouldn't be that simple. I was planning on upgrading to an i5 or i7 with a new MB, new RAM, case & power supply.

Here's the thing. I purchased Win 7 as an upgrade & did a clean install, deleting XP Home. I still have my old XP install disc. Will I be able to install without XP being installed or wont Windows allow this?

If you have a RETAIL Windows 7 upgrade disc, you will have no problem. You don't have to install XP. You just have to own it to be legal.

If you had an OEM disc rather than retail, you'd have a problem.

ignatzatsonic said:

If you have a RETAIL Windows 7 upgrade disc, you will have no problem. You don't have to install XP. You just have to own it to be legal.

If you had an OEM disc rather than retail, you'd have a problem.

Thanks. I purchased it from Dell Business on sale found here;

MICROSOFT CORPORATION Windows 7 Home Premium - Upgrade : Software | Dell

I think this is retail, at lease that's what it says under Tech Specs.

It's all legit & registered. So, I'd need to reinstall on the same hard driver so the Windows registry matches the new MB & CPU? Does a new mother board come pre-installed with bios & just needs configuring to my hardware?

GARoss said:

It's all legit & registered. So, I'd need to reinstall on the same hard driver so the Windows registry matches the new MB & CPU? Does a new mother board come pre-installed with bios & just needs configuring to my hardware?

You can install on the existing hard drive or on a new one. It doesn't matter.

When you reinstall Windows, you will get a new registry.

The new motherboard will have a new BIOS.

You would just install the new hardware, connect the hard drive, and boot from the Windows disc.

Complete the install, update Windows, install Intel chipset installation utility, get antivirus going, and then proceed with your configuration and install your applications.

If you get a Sandy Bridge H chipset, you will have built-in graphics. If you get a P chipset, you will have to get a discrete graphics card.

The chipset is part of the motherboard. You will see some SB socket 1155 motherboards with a P in the model name and some with an H. Those letters refer to the chipset found on the motherboard (H67 or P67).

Look at my system specs for an example.

ignatzatsonic said:

GARoss said:

It's all legit & registered. So, I'd need to reinstall on the same hard driver so the Windows registry matches the new MB & CPU? Does a new mother board come pre-installed with bios & just needs configuring to my hardware?

You can install on the existing hard drive or on a new one. It doesn't matter.

When you reinstall Windows, you will get a new registry.

The new motherboard will have a new BIOS.

You would just install the new hardware, connect the hard drive, and boot from the Windows disc.

Complete the install, update Windows, install Intel chipset installation utility, get antivirus going, and then proceed with your configuration and install your applications.

If you get a Sandy Bridge H chipset, you will have built-in graphics. If you get a P chipset, you will have to get a discrete graphics card.

The chipset is part of the motherboard. You will see some SB socket 1155 motherboards with a P in the model name and some with an H. Those letters refer to the chipset found on the motherboard (H67 or P67).

Look at my system specs for an example.

I'll take a look! "If you get a Sandy Bridge H chipset, you will have built-in graphics." Do you mean I wont need my ATI graphic card (5570 I think)?

GARoss said:

I'll take a look! "If you get a Sandy Bridge H chipset, you will have built-in graphics." Do you mean I wont need my ATI graphic card (5570 I think)?

That is correct. You could use it if you wanted if you were dissatisfied with the built in.

If you get a P series motherboard/chipset, you MUST use a separate card.

As a point of reference, I think the built in graphics is about equivalent to a 5450??

My WEI graphics score is 5.1. My gaming graphics score is 5.8.

Really weird: I looked at your specs. They are very similar to what I had until 6 weeks ago.

I had the same Intel board you have. I had a Core 2 Duo 2.4 (E6600). I had and still have 4 gigs of RAM.