Going from Intel to AMD

Kovoet · May 23, 2021

Looking for some advice. Would it be advisable for a clean software install when changing my set up from Intel to AMD. I have just changed from i7 7700k to AMD5900x.

Hemmingstamp · May 23, 2021

I would. Just back everything up.

Bill_Bright · May 23, 2021

Actually, depending on your current Windows license, you may need to purchase a new Windows license too. Since you are moving from Intel to AMD that means you are changing motherboards too. And new motherboards (unless an exact replacement during a repair action) constitute a new computer. And new computers typically require new operating system licenses. Unless you currently have a full "Retail" license (and the vast majority of users do not), you will need to purchase a new license if you desire to be fully legal. OEM/System Builder licenses are not transferable to new computer under any conditions. Note - I'm just the messenger here. What I believe to be right or wrong is irrelevant.

So to answer you question, you may have to to be fully legal and like Hemminstamp, I would anyway. This is because a new motherboard surely would involved a bunch of new and different drivers. And to ensure the proper drivers are installed as well as preventing a ton of unused drivers and settings being orphaned and left behind in the registry and on your drives, I sure would start from scratch after backing up any personal data I did not want to lose.

qubit · May 24, 2021

Try it and see. At most it will blue screen.

Bill's licensing issue in his advice will be the main problem here, though. If you have an old W7 or W8 disc, try installing and activating that and then upgrading to W10, which should have you fully activated.

Hachi_Roku256563 · May 24, 2021

ive had a computer bee unable to boot going from intel 8th gen to 11th

blu3dragon · May 24, 2021

Yes.
And for the windows license, back it up first.

GorbazTheDragon · May 24, 2021

I'm currently using a windows install on my 3600 rig which was originally made with a 7700k, it works fine. Best practice is to install fresh but generally it should work fine without...

Kovoet · May 24, 2021

I've done it but what was my worry is that there would be old Intel drivers running in the background slowing things down. U did the upgrade for free from 7 to 10 ago I might get a USB version of 10.

Atomic77 · May 26, 2021

Hmm Why switch to AMD? isn't like the Intel Core i7 like one of the best processors around today? My DELL is intel core i7 while my almost year old HP Laptop is AMD Ryzen 5.

Hachi_Roku256563 · May 26, 2021

Atomic77 said:
Hmm Why switch to AMD? isn't like the Intel Core i7 like one of the best processors around today? My DELL is intel core i7 while my almost year old HP Laptop is AMD Ryzen 5.

and beets intel on almost all fronts
its why they are able to command higher prices
the i7 should beat the ryzen 5 cause that goes up against the i5
can your i7 beat a ryzen 7?

newtekie1 · May 26, 2021

qubit said:
If you have an old W7 or W8 disc, try installing and activating that and then upgrading to W10, which should have you fully activated.

You don't have to do it that way, just install Windows 10 directly picking the correct version when installing, tell it you don't have a product key. Then when you are loaded into Windows 10 after it is installed, go to the activation area under Settings and you can put the Win7/8 key in there.

tabascosauz · May 26, 2021

Kovoet said:
Looking for some advice. Would it be advisable for a clean software install when changing my set up from Intel to AMD. I have just changed from i7 7700k to AMD5900x.

It's more than just advisable. There's a quite a bit of difference in how Windows handles old CPUs vs. new CPUs, and a lot of difference in how the Windows scheduler interacts with Intel vs. AMD CPUs. Fortunately, Ryzen 5000 does away with the need for chipset driver power plans, but you certainly don't want Intel ME firmware hanging around on a system that needs AMD's chipset drivers. Kaby Lake did have Speedshift, but AMD CPPC goes much further than that and is much more integral to performance.

If you were upgrading from a 6700K to a 7700K or a 3700X to a 5900X there probably wouldn't be as much reason to clean install (though honestly you always should when upgrading platform hardware).

Windows will probably let you transfer your existing activation easily if you usually log into Windows using your Microsoft account. Just note down what your current computer name shows up as in Windows, do the clean install, then under activation it'll ask which of the licences under your account you want to transfer over. If you don't usually login with your MS account, might have to use Produkey to dig up your *real* Windows key buried in the OS and manually enter that after clean installing.

R0H1T · May 26, 2021

Welcome to the light (bright?) side, anywho clean install is the best bet ~ switching between Intel & AMD CPUs while possible is going to be a major headache especially with your installation containing files that are unnecessary now, besides a new install is almost always faster. As for the Windows license, have you tied it with a digital (online) MS account? If so it can work with just logging in to your account on the newly installed OS.

Kovoet · May 26, 2021

Thanks guys and knew usb stick containing windows 10 on its way

Hachi_Roku256563 · May 26, 2021

Kovoet said:
Thanks guys and knew usb stick containing windows 10 on its way

what as far as im awear microsoft does not ship windows on usb
they sell you a key and you download windows?

phill · May 26, 2021

Kovoet said:
I've done it but what was my worry is that there would be old Intel drivers running in the background slowing things down. U did the upgrade for free from 7 to 10 ago I might get a USB version of 10.

You can always run a driver removal program if you don't fancy installing from scratch although the time it takes to go from no install to installed is only about 15 minutes, that's with a SATA SSD as well, it's pretty quick

Just as a thought you could have always grabbed a new SSD/NVME drive for the new setup and just installed from scratch then... And in case anything goes nuts, you have a backup machine and OS in case you need it

Google Display Driver Uninstaller, it'll come back with what you need when you look down the list for Guru3D site. Just be sure to boot into Windows in Safe Mode just to make sure everything gets stripped out.
Hope that helps a little

Mussels · May 26, 2021

Atomic77 said:
Hmm Why switch to AMD? isn't like the Intel Core i7 like one of the best processors around today? My DELL is intel core i7 while my almost year old HP Laptop is AMD Ryzen 5.

What kind of question is that?

You know there are hundreds of i7's with all different performance, and dozens of ryzen 5s?
Vague blanket statements like "i7 is best" is absolutely not how tech works

Splinterdog · May 26, 2021

Under those circumstances a clean install every time and if you're worried about activation, old Win 7&8 keys will still do the trick.
That way you end up with a virgin install, the way it's meant to be with such a huge hardware change.

GerKNG · May 26, 2021

i have a drive that was cloned and used for many different CPUs and motherboards.

normally a fresh install is the way to go but i had a windows installation coming from Haswell over Coffee Lake, Coffee Lake R, Zen 2, Comet Lake, Zen 3 and back to comet lake.

uninstall chipset drivers and ME and you should be completely fine.

Ruru · May 26, 2021

I personally keep the old install only if I'm going to change to a motherboard which has somewhat a similar chipset, like I did with X470 -> B450. Otherwise it's always a clean install.

And why you need to order a Windows USB key as MS has a tool which downloads and makes a bootable USB stick which has the installation media?

qubit · May 26, 2021

newtekie1 said:
You don't have to do it that way, just install Windows 10 directly picking the correct version when installing, tell it you don't have a product key. Then when you are loaded into Windows 10 after it is installed, go to the activation area under Settings and you can put the Win7/8 key in there.

Good point, I’d forgotten about that and just went old skool lol.

Kovoet · May 26, 2021

GerKNG said:
i have a drive that was cloned and used for many different CPUs and motherboards.

normally a fresh install is the way to go but i had a windows installation coming from Haswell over Coffee Lake, Coffee Lake R, Zen 2, Comet Lake, Zen 3 and back to comet lake.

uninstall chipset drivers and ME and you should be completely fine.

Now that sounds like a good idea.

r9 · May 26, 2021

blu3dragon said:
Yes.
And for the windows license, back it up first.

I upgraded from i5 6600k/z170 to i7 9700k/Z390 and Windows sorted all the drivers and such no issues at all not even with the Win license.

HK-1 · May 26, 2021

Kovoet said:
Looking for some advice. Would it be advisable for a clean software install when changing my set up from Intel to AMD. I have just changed from i7 7700k to AMD5900x.

Kovoet said:
my set up from Intel to AMD

yay congrats friend excellent decision

Mussels · May 26, 2021

While i'm against the idea of moving between hardware, one good tip is to 'reboot to safe mode' and then power off before it boots, so the new hardware gets a safe mode boot

System Name	KOV
Processor	AMD 5900x
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Keyboard	Logitech G915 TKL lightspeed and G13 gamepad
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Case	something cheap
VR HMD	Vive

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Going from Intel to AMD

Kovoet

Hemmingstamp

Bill_Bright

qubit

Overclocked quantum bit

Hachi_Roku256563

blu3dragon

GorbazTheDragon

Kovoet

Atomic77

Hachi_Roku256563

newtekie1

Semi-Retired Folder

tabascosauz

Moderator

R0H1T

Kovoet

Hachi_Roku256563

phill

Moderator

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

Splinterdog

GerKNG

Ruru

S.T.A.R.S.

qubit

Overclocked quantum bit

Kovoet

r9

HK-1

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

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Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3HP
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Mouse	Philips wireless
Keyboard	Philips wireless
Software	severals
Benchmark Scores	@SysSoft Sandra 8.9 KPT