# Can I use an old processor with a new motherboard?



## Mooscakes (Jan 14, 2008)

Exactly what the title says. I bought a new video card but I don't have a PCIe slot on my motherboard so I need to buy a new one, but I'd rather not spend the extra money on a new processor if I don't need to since I already need to buy a new case and power supply in addition to the motherboard. So can I just pop the old processor out of my old motherboard and stick it in the new one?

As this post probably shows, I know nothing about building computers or how they work...


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## blackduck30 (Sep 7, 2004)

It really depends on what processor you have. They both have to have the same socket ( on the motherboard ) or it will not fit. So without knowing what CPU you have now it is impossible to tell


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## Mooscakes (Jan 14, 2008)

Ok, so as long as the processor is the correct socket type for the new motherboard, I can use the same one that I'm using now, got it.

Thanks for your help.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Moos




I have warning bells and flags bouncing all over in my head about your question


let me start to explain

#1 >>>> if you current board doesnt have PCI express then most likely any board that does have PCI-E will not be compatible with your board


please run Everest Home Edition, then paste your system summary from Everest into this thread for evaluation

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html


I think you will find your current board is an AGP version / depending on what your currrent system is; you may wish to consider getting a high quality AGP video card of the same speed as the one you bought and avoid the cpu & motherboard upgrade ?????

this truely depends on what you have when the details from the system summary are posted ! :wave:



best regards


joe


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## blackduck30 (Sep 7, 2004)

Linderman is quiet correct as usual,

I was indirectly asking for your CPU socket type and possibly a few more details, sorry i should have been a bit more direct.

Linderman has given you a link to help you supply all the information we need to be able to give you a more detailed answer and possibly some recommendations part wise.


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## rickurd (Dec 13, 2007)

i agree. your new mianboard is likely to be socket AM2 or LGA775. if your CPU is more than a couple of years old it is unlikely to be compatable


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## Mooscakes (Jan 14, 2008)

Computer: 
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Professional 
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2 
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c) 
Computer Name ROBIN-B6FA7E288 
User Name Value User 

Motherboard: 
CPU Type Intel Pentium 4, 3066 MHz (23 x 133) 
Motherboard Name Unknown 
Motherboard Chipset VIA P4M800 Pro 
System Memory 1024 MB 
BIOS Type AMI (12/14/06) 
Communication Port Communications Port (COM1) 
Communication Port Communications Port (COM2) 
Communication Port ECP Printer Port (LPT1) 

Display: 
Video Adapter NVIDIA GeForce2 MX (32 MB) 
3D Accelerator nVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400 
Monitor Dell E172FP [17" LCD] (J180645TAFN9) 

Multimedia: 
Audio Adapter VIA AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller 

Storage: 
IDE Controller VIA Bus Master IDE Controller - 0571 
IDE Controller VIA Serial ATA Controller - 3149 
Floppy Drive Floppy disk drive 
Disk Drive WDC WD1200JB-00REA0 (111 GB, IDE) 
Disk Drive MAXTOR STM3802110A (74 GB, IDE) 
Optical Drive PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D 
SMART Hard Disks Status OK 

Partitions: 
C: (NTFS) 114463 MB (45030 MB free) 
E: (NTFS) 76308 MB (76237 MB free) 
Total Size 186.3 GB (118.4 GB free) 

Input: 
Keyboard Microsoft USB Dual Receiver Wireless Keyboard (IntelliType Pro) 
Keyboard Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard 
Mouse HID-compliant mouse 
Mouse Microsoft USB Dual Receiver Wireless Mouse (IntelliPoint) 

Network: 
Network Adapter VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter (172.16.1.35) 

Peripherals: 
Printer Microsoft Office Document Image Writer 
Printer Microsoft XPS Document Writer 
USB1 Controller VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller 
USB1 Controller VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller 
USB1 Controller VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller 
USB1 Controller VIA VT83C572 PCI-USB Controller 
USB2 Controller VIA USB 2.0 Enhanced Host Controller 
USB Device USB Composite Device 
USB Device USB Composite Device 
USB Device USB Human Interface Device 
USB Device USB Human Interface Device 
USB Device USB Human Interface Device 
USB Device USB Human Interface Device


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## rockmeister (Jan 17, 2008)

make sure the motherboard has the same socket and looking at your graphics card it is agp so if you don't want to upgrade that you gotta make sure you get an agp motherboard and not a pci-ethats all I can say about that really and a tip get a nforce board if you like to overclock if not then w/e


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## rockmeister (Jan 17, 2008)

oh and I dont feel liek finding your socket type try downloading cpu-z open it and you can see it there...


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## Mooscakes (Jan 14, 2008)

This is the processor information from cpu-z


Processor 1 (ID = 0)
Number of cores 1 (max 1)
Number of threads	2 (max 2)
Name Intel Pentium 4 524
Codename Prescott
Specification Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
Package Socket 775 LGA (platform ID = 4h)
CPUID F.4.9
Extended CPUID F.4
Core Stepping G1
Technology 90 nm
Core Speed 3060.7 MHz (23.0 x 133.1 MHz)
Rated Bus speed 532.3 MHz
Stock frequency 3066 MHz
Instructions sets	MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
L1 Data cache 16 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
Trace cache 12 Kuops, 8-way set associative
L2 cache 1024 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
FID/VID Control no
Features


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

as suspected *Mooscakes*


no good for you



you current CPU and motherboard is a socket 478 board with a Prescott socket 478 cpu / your video card is an AGP >>>> your buddies is a PCI express rig / your existign motherboard uses DDR400 ram >>>> your buddies is a DDR2 platform

your systems are as compatible as the metric system is to the standard US system :wink:

your buddies system is a generation or two ahead of yours and is a socket *775*

sounds to me like you should just run his system ?????


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## Mooscakes (Jan 14, 2008)

Hang on a second Linder, I think one of us is misunderstanding the other, and it's probably me, but there's no buddy involved here. Both those sets of data that I posted are off of my computer. The first one is from when I ran EverestHome, and the second is from when I ran CPU-Z. Now it's very likely that I'm reading it wrong, but according to CPU-Z, it looks like I have a 775 LGA socket. But I could just be misinterpreting you.


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## Shaidar_Rannow (Feb 3, 2009)

Howdy all. I am just a lowly noob hunting for information. I want to understand the jist of this thread as I have the same question. I am intending to buy a BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard and I am a cheap and poor Basturd so I cannot afford a new processor as well. I am aware that this mobo can support Phenom II(if only slightly at this time) so I wanted to see if I could wait it out with my old Processor. Now is what your saying that an old socket A will NOT be compatible with a new AM2+ mobo? Any help is as always greatly appreciated.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Shaidar_Rannow said:


> Howdy all. I am just a lowly noob hunting for information. I want to understand the jist of this thread as I have the same question. I am intending to buy a BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard and I am a cheap and poor Basturd so I cannot afford a new processor as well. I am aware that this mobo can support Phenom II(if only slightly at this time) so I wanted to see if I could wait it out with my old Processor. Now is what your saying that an old socket A will NOT be compatible with a new AM2+ mobo? Any help is as always greatly appreciated.



@ Shaidar ..................... your existing Socket "A" cpu is DEFINETLY not compatible with a AM2 motherboard ............... and thats a *guarantee* !

BTW: in the future; please always start you own thread, no matter how similar your querry may be to someone else's ............... its just too confusing to answer two seperate people in one thread ..............

thank-you for your cooperation :wave:


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Mooscakes said:


> Hang on a second Linder, I think one of us is misunderstanding the other, and it's probably me, but there's no buddy involved here. Both those sets of data that I posted are off of my computer. The first one is from when I ran EverestHome, and the second is from when I ran CPU-Z. Now it's very likely that I'm reading it wrong, but according to CPU-Z, it looks like I have a 775 LGA socket. But I could just be misinterpreting you.



@ Mooscakes: I somewhat stand corrected:


A) your existing cpu is a socket 775 ....... however its a first generation socket 775 that is 533mhz FSB ............... depending on the motherboard you select .................... it may or may not support a cpu that far back ................ most socket 775 boards ........ especially the newer releases only go as low as 800mhz FSB cpu's ??????


it would be easier to research which motherboard you intend to buy and then verify if your cpu is compatible or not ...............

most all motherboard manufactuters have a cpu support list for each motherboard model ............. you need to be sure *Intel Pentium 4 524 Prescott* is on that list ?????????


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