While replacing the thermal paste on my Ryzen 9 5950X, the processor came out stuck to the cooler. One of the CPU's memory pins was damaged, and the system now powers on with fans and lights but will not POST. I'm considering replacing it with a Ryzen 7 5800XT. Since I can't currently enter the BIOS, would the new processor work immediately if I install it, or would I need to have the motherboard's BIOS manually flashed first? Also, is there a chance the motherboard socket was damaged when the CPU was pulled out?
1 Answer
The 5800XT should work as a drop-in replacement as long as the motherboard is compatible with the 5800X and has a BIOS version that supports the 5800XT. Once the system POSTs, you can update the BIOS normally. However, the socket may also have been damaged when the CPU was pulled out with the cooler, so the replacement processor may not be the only thing that needs checking.
Unfortunately, I probably won’t know whether the socket survived until I install the replacement CPU. The system still powers on and all the fans and lights work, but it won’t POST, so I’m hoping the motherboard is okay.