Can an OEM Windows installation run smoothly on a new CPU while staying on the same motherboard?
Can an OEM Windows installation run smoothly on a new CPU while staying on the same motherboard?
Hello everyone! Here’s what I’m sharing about my setup: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/D2Dj4s This build is mine—I assembled it myself. I verified it works by updating the BIOS, which unlocked full PCIe Gen4 speeds for the i7-11700K. In my experience, others say upgrading to the i7-11700K isn’t worth it, but for my needs it’s essential without a major cost or rebuild. I’m looking for a drop-in part that brings modern features without extra expense. It fits perfectly, so I installed the new CPU directly onto the same motherboard, avoiding extra hardware. Regarding the Windows side: I bought an OEM 64-bit copy of Windows 10 and heard changing the board might require a fresh install. If that’s true for my case, what steps should I follow? I’m new to this and don’t have much tech background—thank you all for your help!
Older versions of windows would yell at you and force you to re-initialize the key by calling microsoft for a code. This is probably worst case scenario and I believe they've lightened up on those restrictions considerably since they started forcibly rolling out Win 10 and 11 on release. In other words, you should be fine, and if something comes up, a quick call to Microsoft support will fix the issue.