Problems with upgrading CPU

Hi Everyone,

I have a Compaq Presario CQ5700Y computer that I bought on a budget but I specifically chose it because it was upgradable and I wanted to get one small part at a time. I just installed (final upgrade) an AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition in place of the Athlon 170u that came in it originally. I also put a Cooler Master Hyper TX3 in instead of the stock AMD heatsink/fan and I upgraded the power supply from the 250W to a 600W and I switched over from the integrated ATI 256MB graphics to a Zotac ION GT218 w/512 DDR3.

The problem I'm having is that since I have installed the new CPU, I get an error message at boot up that says: "ERROR - Unsupported CPU Installed.... System will automatically shut down in several seconds." I bought this CPU specifically because it WAS on the list of supported CPU's by Compaq for this AM3 socket! So what can the problem be? After tooling around a bit, I discovered that I can get into windows and the BIOS - I just have to hit F2 and it detects my drives and says it is autoloading default BIOS settings because of checksum failure or something... then it allows me to start windows.

I have done some reading on this and so far it seems that theres 1 of 3 things happening here. Either 1, my mobo is shot and needs replaced, or 2, my CMOS battery is dead, or 3, the mobo will support an X4, but only the 95W version, not the 125W that I have. Does anyone have any other suggestions? I don't want to continue to run the system this way. I don't know if it is good for the processor or other components to keep bypassing the BIOS check every time I restart my computer. Oh, and I have tried upgrading my BIOS, but according to Compaq I already have the most recent version. I have considered setting up the manufacturers original BIOS for the FOXCONN Apricot mobo, but I'm afraid that may do more harm than good based on what I have read. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Eric

 

It looks like the Phenom X4 955 should be supported for that motherboard. The first thing I would do would be to call HP/Compaq support and ask them about the message. It sounds like it needs a bios update. I know you said you have the latest, according to Compaq, but does that come from their website? or did you actually talk with a support person?

 

not directly associated with your problem, however, I only get that checksum error when I've tried using my mobo's "beta" bios version. which is why I don't try it anymore.

How many versions of the bios have you tried or are available?

 

Hi

As you mentioned, the CMOS battery could POSSIBLY be a factor. A replacement is a few dollars and a few seconds inside the machine. Why not give that a go, just in case!

 

I noticed yesterday that the BIOS keeps resetting itself to the original BIOS date and time, 9/7/2010 at midnight. I tried replacing the battery for the CMOS but it continued to reset the time whenever the power was shut off. Frankly I've been putting up with this for several weeks now and I'm just getting to a point where I feel that I have upgraded this far, why not just get a new motherboard that I know supports the 125W version of the X4 processor and has a PCI-E x1 slot I need for my video card, supports my ram chips & speed, etc. Perhaps I jumped the gun, but I found a similar motherboard with everything I need on it for pretty cheap so I'm going to try it out. My question then is, as long as none of the operating system files have been corrupted, it should boot back to my Windows 7, right? I don't expect to be able to use the HP restore cd anymore since the Compaq BIOS will no longer be on there, but I shouldn't have to worry about installing windows again, will I?

Thanks,
Eric

 

Unfortunately, if the Windows 7 installed is an OEM license instead of a retail copy, replacing your motherboard with a different make and/or model invalidates the Windows OEM license, and you will need to purchase a (new) license for Windows. You should be able to boot back into Windows, but the activation will most likely be reset, and you will have a time limit to activate. You will have to call MSFT to purchase a new license for the computer.

 

I have not talked with support - only the forum on the HP website. Unfortunately, I do think the main problem here is the wattage. As far as the BIOS goes, the only one I have is the one that was originally on it. The site specifically says that if a newer version is available, it will show a link under the BIOS section on the downloads page, but nothing is there. I tried installing an "original manufacturer" chipset package from a website, but even after doing so, the same problem persists and the revision number has stayed the same in the boot setup. I also replaced the battery but the clock and date continue to reset when the machine is powered off.

 

Well that just bites the big one...

 

Have you physically looked at the motherboard to see if any of the capacitor tops are ballooned, notice any burn marks, or any other abnormalities?

 

If you replace the motherboard with an identical make and model, you will be able to reactivate Windows without having to buy a new license. It will likely require a phone call to MSFT, though.

 

See my other response - I only have one BIOS revision (6.08) that came on the system. According to HP update it is the only one and therefore the newest.

 

As suggested already, you should contact their phone support, as websites aren't always updated with everything all the time. It's possible that there is a BIOS revision that hasn't been listed. While I doubt this is the case, it's a possibility I'd recommend exploring.

 

If it is still under warranty, I'd definitely get the mobo replaced.