Processor Upgrade Questions ...

Changing RAM, CPU, HDD do not void the warranty as I understand it, the items you change won't be covered by the warranty but the system is and you would have to put it back if an exchange is needed. The 17 975 is supported by the LGA 1366 Socket and I doubt they would use a Socket B mb with the i7 920 which the 920 is supported by as well as the LGA 1366 since it would mean multiple mb's. Just check the system specs and if the LGA 1366 is what your mb has read this article.

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2385

It's a decent go by for changing the i7, and a lot will depend on your cooling etc. You will need to adjust your BIOS settings for the new CPU and most likely reactivate Windows 7 with the change in hardware, I run the i7 975 Extreme and it's a great processor.

Changing RAM, CPU, HDD do not void the warranty as I understand it, the items you change won't be covered by the warranty but the system is and you would have to put it back if an exchange is needed. The 17 975 is supported by the LGA 1366 Socket and I doubt they would use a Socket B mb with the i7 920 which the 920 is supported by as well as the LGA 1366 since it would mean multiple mb's. Just check the system specs and if the LGA 1366 is what your mb has read this article.   http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2385   It's a decent go by for changing the i7, and a lot will depend on your cooling etc. You will need to adjust your BIOS settings for the new CPU and most likely reactivate Windows 7 with the change in hardware, I run the i7 975 Extreme and it's a great processor.

Thanks for the input!  I would have liquid cooling.  How hard is it to swap that?  I understand the module connects to the processor directly, so I would have to remove it from the i7-920 and put it on the i7-975.  Do I need to purchase any thermal epoxy to make this happen?  If the liquid cooling is already attached the the i7-920 with thermal epoxy, will I need to purchase another liquid cooling module too?

I'd do a Google search for installing a liquid cooing system if I were going to do one, they are everywhere some include a video. There are many ideas as to which paste to use and I would see what they recommend for the 975 Extreme specific to your cooling application if possible. You might decide to purchase a duplicate module to affix to the 975 so you can simply swap the 920 back if need be.

If I was to buy an Area 51 with the 960, can I swap out the 960 for a 990X--both are 1366 setups

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