You have decided that you want to upgrade your CPU. You updated your BIOS, took the old CPU out, put the new one in, added some thermal compound, put the heatsink back on, and then you booted your PC. Everything seems to work just fine. Now, what to do after upgrading CPU?
Assuming that you have only upgraded the CPU and nothing else, it will probably work just fine out of the box. But there are some things that you should do anyway. One of the first things that you should install is the chipset driver. This is somewhat similar to a GPU driver, but it is for your CPU.
It is also a good idea to consider doing a fresh Windows install. This will do a few things. Many programs that you use log your system specs but do not update them, i.e. they do not recognize hardware upgrades. It might cause errors. It is not an essential step by any means, but it will not hurt either.
What to do after upgrading CPU and it is not working? This, and a few more things can be found below, so continue reading and do not panic.
What To Do After Upgrading CPU?
If your new CPU is working fine and you have updated your chipset, a great thing that you can do to make sure that everything works properly is to stress test it. Try to run a stress test for an hour and make sure that you are not getting any errors. Also, make sure that it is not running hot.
Upgrading from, let’s say, Intel Core i3 to an i7 will be a huge performance bump. However, you should also expect a huge increase in thermals and power use. Make sure that your PSU is powerful enough to run the new CPU. Also, it is not a bad idea to upgrade your CPU cooler as well. It will not only make sure that your new CPU stays cool but also that it does not throttle.
Closely monitor your thermals during a stress test or a full load to make sure that things are not going above the recommended temps (usually 85°C). But what to do after upgrading CPU and your PC is not booting at all?
In such cases, it is wise to shut the power supply off and take the new CPU out and back in. You should also try to reset your CMOS battery. It is a small round battery located on the bottom half of your motherboard. It has a simple mechanism but you can watch a video if you are doing it for the first time. Wait for around 20-30 seconds and then put it back in.
What this does is that it restarts your BIOS, which will often fix the issue. This happens more often than not. Another very common issue is the RAM. RAM is notoriously fiddly, especially when you swap a CPU, so simply taking out of the DIMM slot and putting it back in might solve your issue.
If neither helped, try plugging your whole system out for a few minutes and then plug it back in. If that does not solve it either, make sure that all cables inside your PC are properly seated. Taking off the case’s side panel or bumping into something can often plug something out. Make sure that everything is connected properly.
You can also try reseating your graphics card or even taking it out completely and plugging the monitor cable directly into the motherboard. If not even that helped, try using your old CPU again. If it works just fine as before, then your new CPU might be dead.
Final Thoughts
Upgrading your CPU is often as simple as taking the old one out and putting the new one in. What to do after upgrading CPU? You simply need to install the new chipset drivers, assuming that everything else works well. It is a good idea to reinstall Windows, but it is not a must.
In cases where your new CPU is not working even after trying the steps from above, there is a good chance that the CPU is dead on arrival. Assuming that your motherboard BIOS is updated and every component should be compatible, try returning your CPU if it is covered by a warranty.
