Changed CPU to AMD from previous I5, restarted to old SSD, is Pop_OS running?
Changed CPU to AMD from previous I5, restarted to old SSD, is Pop_OS running?
I recently assembled a new PC using a Ryzen 3600 from an older I5 from 2013. I intended to boot into my USB drive to reinstall Pop_OS on the SSD again after a recent upgrade, thinking a fresh setup would be better. The drive loaded without issues. When I checked my system, it correctly identified both the Ryzen processor and the new RAM. I didn’t replace the GPU since I haven’t purchased one yet, so that part remained unchanged. I’m wondering if everything is functioning properly and if there are any overlooked issues. It would be helpful to know whether this setup is stable, especially for downloading programs and games, given the slow 25MB download speeds in my area. Thank you for your time!
You should be fine, actually. Unlike Windows, Linux detects devices at every boot, and all relevant drivers should be part of the default kernel. Especially given that your graphics card is still the same. Still, obviously, back up your data in case things go wrong.
On Linux reinstalling is rare. Most drivers come pre-installed and the system checks them on startup to determine which ones to load. Problems usually arise only with unsupported drivers, often because of an old distribution or third-party software like NVIDIA's graphics drivers. Keeping your distribution current and removing unnecessary third-party drivers before changing hardware should help avoid issues.
Previously, I created a completely separate setup using two computers and integrated an SSD from another system with Ubuntu installed. No hardware from the original machine remained when the OS ended, yet it started working perfectly. Over time, a few minor problems appeared, but nothing critical. Overall, I gained significant time savings compared to starting from scratch.
Don't worry about reinstalling, just confirm you have the correct drivers and then simply update your system.
Similar issues can occur with Windows. The challenge emerges when Windows lacks a necessary driver on the disk (storage drivers are often unreliable there) and it must retrieve it from Windows Update, which isn't possible yet due to network issues. Unlike the default kernel in most Linux distributions, Windows doesn't install every driver you might need on your hard drive. However, you can prevent these problems by installing the drivers for new hardware first, then shutting down and replacing it. It will boot up, recognize the correct drivers, and let you resume where you left off. The old hardware drivers remain inactive afterward, freeing up space without requiring a full reinstall.