Aurora R4, CPU upgrade to 990x?

Aurora R4 runs the Gen4 4820 / 4930 / 4960 CPUs, you have an Aurora R1, it had an i7 920? 980x / 990x are supported after Bios A08, A11 of course supports it too

If you accidentally 'bend a CPU pin or pins' during initial install of CPU, that can cause a black screen. If you've explored all other trouble tips, as a type of last resort you would pull the CPU cooler off > remove CPU > inspect for bent pins > if pins are bent try to fix them / if pins aren't bent then do your utmost not to bend any by reinserting the CPU back into socket

To test system, u can drop the 920 CPU back in, make sure system still works (mthrbrd / coin-cell battery / GPU / memory / HDD etc); if it does, re-introduce 990x & continue to troubleshoot

You could pull the 3volt coin-cell battery out for a few minutes, re-insert if it is 2.6V or higher (replace if it is 2.6V or lower), startup, check for video output

For black screens, sometimes if you unplug your monitor wall cord for a minute, that can fix it

Try one memory stick, eject hard drive, place GPU in a different slot, see what happens

Worst case scenario is that you bought someone's used bad 990x; in an instance like this, you'd need a 2nd socket 1366 / X58 chipset mthrbrd to test 990x in, as a form of 2nd opinion ...

Otherwise, there is no majik Bios setting the i7 965 970 975 980 980x 990x need to run & work; the only Bios trick would be to set SATA controller to AHCI mode so the HDD boots, if after you pull out coin-cell battery & it isn't set to AHCI as the new default setting; in the world where we eject the HDD, you should still get video output in the form of Alienhead boot icon & ability to boot into Bios 

If it turns out you bought a good 990x (or the prior owner can solidly vouch for it), u installed it correctly without bending any socket pins & you're on Bios A11, you're on the right path ... it's late here so await other member input, since I don't know why you get no video output from it

intel later , changes their mind, common this. 990x here.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/36785/intel-x58-express-i-o-hub.html

that leaves, BIOS and Dells support. next.

I was reading the original , intel x58 spec, and this changed later

but keep in mind YOUR BIOS may be locked into the q4 2008 rules,  when Dell designed your PC.

but you will find this out fast.. CPU in hand and doing the RESET RIGHT.

the 130watt TPD may be a very big problem , many PCs are limited to 95watts,  (for sure Dells of the era)

gen 1 , cpu, old old CPU.  ops wrong CPU. (but will do the whole list  of steps)

new BIOS , check

then step 2 skipped. (no bent pins sure)

step 2 is to go into BIOS first. and reset it to defaults there, (assumes you know your settings and you must)

then the BIOS is forces to rescan the CPU and use it.

yah the coin cell is way too old , replace it or if below 2.9Vdc it is bad. 3.3v is par.

never skip step2 for CPU or RAM changes,  (for sure if PC is now dead)

Intel i7 720 2.6GHz?

that card, shows up as

x58 chipset + ICH10R and is LGA1366 CPU. so this is your base limit (logic) and next is BIOS.

shows 980x max ,  on may support pages. lets ask intel first.

The great and mighty wiki shows. and I qoute this.

The Intel X58 (codenamed Tylersburg) is an Intel chip designed to connect Intel processors with Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) interface to peripheral devices. Supported processors implement the Nehalem microarchitecture and therefore have an integrated memory controller (IMC), so the X58 does not have a memory interface. Initially supported processors were the Core i7,[1] but the chip also supported Nehalem- and Westmere based Xeon processors.

the Nehalem list is there, shows. 975 as max clear as day for this.

this topic is not about Xeon so I will skip that.

first is logic, you must make the MMC happy (and more) to the x58, or it will never work. (BIOS is 2nd)

logic hard fails, wins all bets. first.

next time ask for a list of CPU that CAN work.

or first read the X58 spec.

the 990x is a 130watt processor what makes you think even that is ok for your moBo VRM power.

990x is 6 cores.

990x is QPI,

but not sure why X58 does not list this CPU,  as fitting. my guess is the huge watts.

does support i7 processor Extreme Edition  

from (intel endeds support docs on x58) but the wayback machine works. ending at 2012,(dead for 7 years now)

wayback, ! the offical Intel list for X58 is HERE: (echo of the past)

After reinstalling the old processor and checking for any bent pins the computer booted with the old processor. I ordered the 990x as refurbished so it could be shot for all I know. But I will follow your advice for now and troubleshoot with one memory stick, ejecting the hard drive, and placing GPU in a different slot.

the 990x needs x26 clock mutiplier too or is useless as any upgrade.

yours is x21. there are other reasons to , not to work but the X58 takes the cake.

Okay, so what you are saying to be clear is the max for my motherboard the MS 7591 ver 1.0 motherboard is the i7 975 and that will fit the LGA 1366 socket?

(post contains edit at bottom) The MS-7591 is Aurora R1 mthrbrd, socket 1366 X58 chipset, it supports all Gen1 i7 after Bios A08

I can confirm 990x was a factory option on the larger (but similar) X58 Area-51 R1 (MS-7543), & I believe it was an option for the Dell XPS; 990x may or may not have been a factory option for Aurora R1, but, several owners do report 990x works after their upgrade to it

If I Google 'Overclock help, i7 990x alienware aurora overclock.net', I'm directed to a post that has a Speccy & Bios pics of a 990x working in the R1 MS-7591 (4VWF2), that's good enough for me, confirmed working

The forum we're in right now is an open forum, the original 2009-2018 forum is an older archived (closed) forum, Dell Community > Laptops > Alienware General - Read Only, where if u input the search term Aurora 990x, u can see past reports of using that chip in R1; screen shots & old forum posts allow us to say '990x works in R1' is a fact. If you say you 'heard' 990x works, I'd say, believe all reports it works, disregard all reports that say it doesn't

If you bought a 990x that says SLBVZ, it'll work; if you bought an engineering sample (Intel Confidential) it might not work

I'm aware you installed old CPU & confirm system still works, which is to say 'confirmed, no bent pins'. Testing to see if a new or used CPU works or not (possibly arrived DOA), is tricky, since it generally requires a 2nd known-good mthrbrd

I'm also aware that the person who sold u the chip is sweating bigtime right now as are you, due to the cost of the chip

If we assume the reality is such that the chip is in fact good, it will & does in fact work in Aurora R1 (it's does, it's supported); If you replaced the coin-cell battery or simply removed it for a few minutes then the Bios will automatically load 'Default Settings' (good). The lack of video output, a part of me wonders if 990x doesn't like your DDR3 memory choice (the odd situation where some brands of memory don't work; it's a long shot, but anything's possible). If you have spare DDR3, now's the time to try it. Sometimes a local pc repair shop keeps an assortment of mthrbrds & sockets etc for test purposes, I wonder if calling around might net a shop that has an X58 mthrbrd to test your chip in

To test a CPU for pass-fail, we generally need known-good spare parts, like GPU, mthrbrd, memory until all avenues are exhausted & the culprit can only be a bad CPU

At your own risk, I suppose you might reinstall the old i7 920 & reflash the A11 Bios as a last resort; I hesitate to advise that & prefer u wait out other member input. I'd consider contacting the seller & ask for a refund, or, ask if the person can take the CPU back & in some way 'help prove it works', where if it does you can proceed from there. Other idea is to make an open call to any Aurora or Area-51 owner who can accept your CPU in the mail & is willing to test it in their mthrbrd for you for pass-fail. I'd gladly do it, but can not since I sold my Aurora & A51 X58 mthrbrds a few years ago.

I'm out of advice, await other member input

Okay, excellent, today I installed the chip again and it still shows only a black screen after startup and it seems like it's not posting yet the old processor still posts. The BIOS is up to date as stated and I still need to find a way to make it work or see if this processor is a dud and I need a new one, but where I bought it from says it was tested before leaving. So I do not know what else to try I even troubleshooted it with one stick of RAM and no HDD installed to see if it would start. 

My post above was edited, feel free to browse the new bottom half

Given it's probably a $200 CPU, I understand this is the last thing u want or need right now; in the absence of a spare parts assortment there or a 3rd person's hardware to test against, ruling out a bad CPU is difficult

edit: @AAA737flyer posted in 'Aurora R1, Spectre/Meltdown, RTX 2080 Ti + Power Supply' (1.12.19) --> 'My current specs: Aurora 2009, i7 990x oc to 4.14' = more proof CPU works

@AAA737flyer posted into this forum this week (11.6.19) in 'Aurora R1, CPU Upgrade Options', page1 forum landing page

"You need to have BIOS A11 installed." "Then install chip, and AIO cooler, check all fasteners and connections, restart computer and allow system to install 990x. Computer will shut down and restart about three times and take a couple of minutes to complete as I recall. No special items or concerns other than install A11 firsts, install 990x, and allow system to do its job."

When I upgraded my i7 960 to a 975 I believe it restarted a few times on 1st startup, sounds familiar. Given the mthrbrd has a proven 990x in it I'd send a private message to AAAFlyer, see if he can accept CPU in the mail & test it for u; for obvious reasons, some people simply can't take that responsibility on, I hesitate to mention it at all but it's worth a shot to ask in private ... ... ...

Confirm you have an Alienware R4?

R4 used x79 chipset and the 920 CPU you say you have works with the x58 chipset.

You either have an earlier Alienware (R1-first generation model "2009") with a 920 cpu using the x58 chipset or an R4 with an i7 3820 or so CPU using a x79 chipset.

The 990x uses the x58 chipset only. Be sure as to the CPU that works correct designation.

The X58 chipset I believe is also limited to 24GB of ram.

Hopefully you have not damaged any of your components.

Good luck

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@AAA737flyer wrote:

The X58 chipset I believe is also limited to 24GB of ram.

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I'm running 48GB in a Dell X58 chipset system and have seen others report up to 192GB in their Dell.  Max memory may depend on processor and whether a Xeon or i7.

Assuming OP has a Aurora R1 or Aurora ALX, then typically replacing CPU on a X58 system can require CMOS to be reset by removing coin battery and pressing Power button for up to 30 seconds (obviously without A/C power connected) and then rebooted several times for CPU to be recognized.  Otherwise, likely a bad CPU.

However, note that last BIOS for R1 and ALX is A04, which conflicts with OP saying they're running with A011 BIOS.  I'd use HWiNFO64 or CPU-Z or other tool to get the actual motherboard number to confirm what model of Aurora it is.  Alternatively, if running Windows 10 you type below commands at a PowerShell ">" prompt (note there can't be a space after the comma):

        > wmic csproduct get name

        > wmic baseboard get Manufacturer,product

        > wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion

        > wmic cpu get name

Above will display computer model, motherboard manufacturer and number, BIOS version, and CPU name.

Until the OP clarifies his system spec's there is no way to help.

The i7 920 - i7 990x chips are limited to 24 GB of memory. The OP says he has a 920 on a x58 board with 32GB of memory that works but on a R4 that has a x79 chipset.

There is simply no way to help the OP at this point. 

As far as X or W chips go that is an entirely different discussion since the OP is discussing a 920/990 chip.

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@AAA737flyer wrote:

Until the OP clarifies his system spec's there is no way to help.

Agreed.

The i7 920 - i7 990x chips are limited to 24 GB of memory. The OP says he has a 920 on a x58 board with 32GB of memory that works but on a R4 that has a x79 chipset.

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That's Intel's official memory limit.  Likely 4 GB sticks were all that was available for them to test with at the time (6 slots x 4 GB = 24 GB).

To make the point, here's Intel's official specifications stating that "Max Memory Size" for the i7-980 is 24 GB.  Here's my X58 Dell running a i7-980 with 48 GB in it.

Considering the OP has a stock 2009 Alienware MB you can not advise the OP other than what he has. You are advising based on your MB specifications.

He has a specific question using specific hardware and isn't interested in a different MB.

Done