# Dell Dimension 9100 CPU upgrade failure



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

Hi, I have a Dell Dimension 9100 with a Pentium 4 630. I recently purchased a Pentium D 820, and after installing it, the computer would not boot. It would turn on, and some diagnostic lights blink or stay lit, but nothing else does - monitor, keyboard, and mouse stay off.

I'm pretty sure I installed the CPU correctly, as I used the same steps to reinstall the 630 and everything's normal. The 9100 is supposed to be able to use any Pentium D up to the 840, and the 820 was in its configuration options when I first bought it, so it should be compatible.

I have the latest BIOS, and I did reset the CMOS, so I my only assumption at this point is that the 820 was defective. Still, I would like to make sure if the described symptoms mean that the CPU is dead, or possibly something else, as I'm expecting a replacement in a couple of days.

Am I missing anything?


----------



## forcifer (Nov 20, 2005)

what chipset do you have?


----------



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

It's a 945P Express.

Technical specifications on this model can be found here:

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_9100


----------



## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

I believe there was a P4 840 EE model. I'm not sure if this was renamed as a pentium D processor or not, but this could by why there is a problem?


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

You could need to update the bios http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&releaseid=R112387&SystemID=DIM_P4_9100&os=WW1&osl=en&deviceid=308&devlib=0&typecnt=1&vercnt=2&formatcnt=1&libid=1&fileid=147005

scroll down to were it says Fixes and Enhancements notice were it says Updated microcode for newer CPU steppings.

Now I am not big into intel so I can't answer many of your questions that I am sure you have but I am sure someone else will


----------



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

Ralck, the 800-series should all be Pentium Ds. The 840 EE would be the Extreme Edition version of the Pentium D 840.

Doby, I updated the BIOS already, pretty much around the time they were released. So far I'm assuming it was a problem with the 820 that I got, but I just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing something as far as upgrading a CPU is concerned (some setting somewhere?).

I steps I took were:

remove heatsink
remove original CPU
install new CPU
add thermal compound
replace heatsink
reset CMOS
plug everything back in
power on

That's it, right? Is there some key combination or something like that that I don't know about?


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

> That's it, right? Is there some key combination or something like that that I don't know about?


Thats right, nothing trick there, I checked and everthing is compatible according to dell just wasn't sure if you had the updated bios. If you clear the cmos and it won't get you into bios there ain't much else you can do

I am going to have to agree with you its a bad chip, unusuall but it happens


----------



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

Thanks Doby and everyone for your help :winkgrin:. When I get the replacement CPU, at least there'll be the added comfort of knowing that the last one was quite likely a dud. This is my first time fiddling with a CPU since my old Athlon XP, and I was afraid I might have missed something with this one. I got the Dell with a 630 because I didn't know what a Pentium D was at the time :upset:. Live and learn.

Thanks again :winkgrin:.


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

Your welcome and good luck, please let us know how you make out.

Rick


----------



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

Okay, so I got a replacement 820, installed it, and it gets to the point where the BIOS loads, but then dies right there. Subsequent reboots don't even get that far - the status light is orange (rather than the normal green), the CPU fan is turned on really, really high (sounds like a hairdryer), and like last time, the monitor, keyboard, and mouse don't initiate.

I think I'm pretty convinced Dell doesn't allow CPU upgrades on their computers (or this computer) or something now, unless it's purchased from them (can't see how that makes a difference, though), or I'm missing something proprietary to this model. What are the odds of two bad CPUs? What's strange is that upon first installation it did work - the BIOS read a Pentium D, but then it dies right there.

In the mean time, I'm going to see if anyone I know has an LGA775 platform to test the CPU with, just to make sure.

The strange end result of all this is that the BIOS reads my Pentium 4 630 as a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition now


----------



## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

It's not impossible, but improbable to get two bad CPU's in a row.
You said that the CPU fan is spinning very fast like a 'hairdryer'. This leads me to believe that you should re-apply the thermal grease and try again, as the CPU might be having a problem dissapating heat to the heatsink. Remember, the Pentium D's run hotter than the P4's, so you'll need to be really careful about that. Since you have successfully put the P4 back in, you know how to apply thermal grease, but take a read through the link in my sig again, just to make sure you do everything. Even one little thing could cause the already hot Pentium D to get just a little too hot.


----------



## achensherd (Aug 3, 2006)

All right, I reapplied the thermal grease (a tiny bit more than last time); still no dice. I did and have been following the Arctic Silver 5 instructions - drop about a rice grain's worth of grease onto the middle of the CPU/heatspreader, and smoosh it with the heatsink.

The CPU shouldn't be dead this time, as it did register the first time I boot up with it in the computer. It just never got past the BIOS loading. Then it never worked after that.

Could it be the power supply? It's currently set to 115... since the Pentium Ds use more power than the Pentium 4s, maybe it needs to be set higher?


----------



## Ralck (Dec 10, 2004)

I'm not sure you ever mentioned your PSU before this. What is the make/model and amps on each rail? Power could absolutely be an issue and I'm surprised we missed that point up until now!

Another thing you could try, to rule out heat, is get a desk fan and blow it directly into your case with the side off. See if that helps at all.


----------



## Doby (Jan 17, 2006)

You should also try and clear the cmos again if you did not after you put the new chip in


----------

