necessary to run memtest, prime, etc. if not overclocking?

[eddiebravo2]

im in the process of installing some new parts to upgrade my computer. i have never done anything beyond installing a heatsink, ram and videocard before this, so i am a little unsure as to what i need to do when replacing the motherboard, cpu, powersupply, ram, videocard and heatsink all at once.

i bought the following parts:

mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R
cpu: e5200
heatsink: stock that comes with e5200
videocard: palit hd3870 512mb
powersupply: antec earthwatts 500w
ram: ocz reaper 2 gigs(i checked to make sure this was supported by mobo and it is)
arctic silver ceramique thermal paste

i installed the powersupply into my case, put the cpu, heatsink and ram in the motherboard and am now ready to screw the motherboard in, install the videocard and complete the daunting task of plugging everything in correctly.

after that, i was just planning to turn the thing on and boot from the cd that came with the motherboard and basically follow the onscreen directions to set everything to auto-detect(making sure the ram and cpu speeds are all what they should be). then i plan to re-format my hdd and reinstall windows because i heard windows xp is not going to work after such a major hardware change. after that, i was just planning to download all the service packs and drivers necessary to bring windows xp and my videocard up to date, then go on using the pc like normal. is this the proper procedure for completing my upgrade? did i miss any steps?

i do not plan to do any overclocking whatsover. are there any final steps that i need to take to make sure that my pc is running as it should and wont have any problems? do i need to run diagnostic tests? if so, what do i do and in what order?

thanks for the help.

---

Hi,

YGPM about your original account. Please stop posting under this account, and reply to my PM.

Thanks.

Harvey
Senior AT Mod

 

[KGB]

Originally posted by: eddiebravo2
im in the process of installing some new parts to upgrade my computer. i have never done anything beyond installing a heatsink, ram and videocard before this, so i am a little unsure as to what i need to do when replacing the motherboard, cpu, powersupply, ram, videocard and heatsink all at once.

i bought the following parts:

mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P P45 775 R
cpu: e5200
heatsink: stock that comes with e5200
videocard: palit hd3870 512mb
powersupply: antec earthwatts 500w
ram: ocz reaper 2 gigs(i checked to make sure this was supported by mobo and it is)
arctic silver ceramique thermal paste

i installed the powersupply into my case, put the cpu, heatsink and ram in the motherboard and am now ready to screw the motherboard in, install the videocard and complete the daunting task of plugging everything in correctly.

after that, i was just planning to turn the thing on and boot from the cd that came with the motherboard and basically follow the onscreen directions to set everything to auto-detect(making sure the ram and cpu speeds are all what they should be). then i plan to re-format my hdd and reinstall windows because i heard windows xp is not going to work after such a major hardware change. after that, i was just planning to download all the service packs and drivers necessary to bring windows xp and my videocard up to date, then go on using the pc like normal. is this the proper procedure for completing my upgrade? did i miss any steps?

i do not plan to do any overclocking whatsover. are there any final steps that i need to take to make sure that my pc is running as it should and wont have any problems? do i need to run diagnostic tests? if so, what do i do and in what order?

thanks for the help.

The first time you boot, you don't need the MB CD, just hit <DEL> and you'll get into the BIOS setup screen. After you get you get you settings where you want them, boot from the XP install disk and let 'er rip.

As far as running diagnostic programs, I generally run MemTest as a rule overnight before installing the OS. Just a personal preference.

Also, you might want to check out THIS!


Oh, how rude of me: Welcome to the Forums! :beer:

 

[DSF]

The stock heatsink comes with its own thermal compound already applied. This makes the Ceramique unnecessary, but it won't hurt anything to use it. Did you clean the stock thermal material off the base of the heatsink before you used the Ceramique?

 

[eddiebravo2]

yes i cleaned it off with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. then i put a small amount of the ceramique on the cpu and spread it around with a credit card. then i put the heatsink on top and secured it into the the motherboard. was that the right way to do it?

 

[AnandTech Moderator]

Hi,

YGPM about your original account. Please stop posting under this account, and reply to my PM.

Thanks.

Harvey
Senior AT Mod