Precision 3660 - Upgrading from 12th Gen Intel CPU - 13th Gen Intel CPU

Question

After a long research I thought that my current Precision 3660 with Core i7-12700k could be upgraded to Core i9-13900k. However this clearly wasn't the case as immediately after turning the power on, an error comes "Intel 13th gen processor not supported. System will auto-shutdown in 30 seconds."

This sounds to me like an attempt from Dell's side to prohibit CPU upgrades as:

W680 Chipset supports 13th gen (Intel® W680 Chipset)
The computer powers on, if 13th gen would really not be supported on HW level, PC wouldn't even POST
You can now order Precision 3660 with either 12gen or 13gen
There's no different drivers nor BIOS's available on Precision 3660 download page for 13th gen, suggesting that the HW is the same

I had all the latest updates and drivers installed but still no luck.

D3LL1C10U5 · Answer

I'm interested in maybe doing this, as well.  I think the Gen 13 processors are newly offered for that platform, so maybe give it some time for a newer BIOS to be released?

Chino de Oro · Answer

The machine model alone doesn't determine compatibility.  If your machine has motherboard Dell Inc. 0PRR48, it will work with 13th gen CPUs

Chestorx · Answer

where can i see the motherboard model in my 3660 0PRR48?

Chino de Oro · Answer

For Windows users, run MSINFO for system summary.  Among the item value, you will see: BaseBoard Manufacturer:  Dell Inc. BaseBoard Product:  0PRR48

mazzinia_ · Answer

You could use hwinfo  :  https://www.hwinfo.com/

Chestorx · Answer

I checked two of my dell precision 3660s and on both the board markings are NOT 0PRR48 but others. So I can't upgrade my 12700 to 13700? Do I need to wait for an unlock from Dell itself Are the restrictions flashed into the BIOS?

mazzinia_ · Answer

Sometimes different part numbers are just a mean to distinguish batches produced in different factories/a different vendor for a component/etc, but other times they relate to changes in the design.

I doubt they would remove the limitation going forward, since the fix involved either a design tweak or the swap with some component with likely some higher threshold.

If your prosupport is still active, you could try to discuss the issue with a support agent

Simbe90 · Answer

Mine's DELL 0J1C3P. Just saw a new BIOS version released yesterday but at least according to changelog, that didn't bring support for 13th gen CPU's, only RTX 4000-series GPU's.

To me this still sounds like deliberate blocking of CPU upgrade. Computer shouldn't even be able to POST if CPU were to be incompatible, yet alone give a specific error message like this.

I guess all we can do is to wait and see whether Dell publishes new BIOS to offer support.

D3LL1C10U5 · Answer

@Chino de Oro wrote:

The machine model alone doesn't determine compatibility. If your machine has motherboard Dell Inc. 0PRR48, it will work with 13th gen CPUs

How do you know that?

I have a Precision 3460 with Base Board model 05225G. Do you have any idea if it supports Gen 13 CPUs?

D3LL1C10U5 · Answer

@Chino de Oro wrote:For Windows users, run MSINFO for system summary. Among the item value, you will see:BaseBoard Manufacturer: Dell Inc.BaseBoard Product: 0PRR48 On Linux you can run the command: sudo dmidecodeIt produces lots of output, so either redirect it to a file or pipe it into less. Near the beginning (for me, it was line 203), you'll see an entry like:Handle 0x0200, DMI type 2, 17 bytesBase Board InformationManufacturer: Dell Inc.Product Name: 05225GVersion: A04Serial Number: /XXXXXXXX/XXXXXXXXXXXXXX/Asset Tag: Not SpecifiedFeatures:Board is a hosting boardBoard is replaceableLocation In Chassis: Not SpecifiedChassis Handle: 0x0300Type: MotherboardContained Object Handles: 0 I assume this is the same thing, and that my base board model is 05225G.

mazzinia_ · Answer

On geekbench all references to that motherboard are with gen 12 , while 08PFGW is referenced in conjunction with gen 13. So it's likely (not 100% sure) that the answer is no  ( geekbench is a practical way to find out if a motherboard has been recorded in conjunction with a cpu kind )

Chino de Oro · Answer

The board 05225G is being used in Precision 3460. For this model, Dell shipped 13th gen. CPUs with board Dell Inc. 08PFGW

D3LL1C10U5 · Answer

@mazzinia wrote:

On geekbench all references to that motherboard are with gen 12 , while 08PFGW is referenced in conjunction with gen 13. So it's likely (not 100% sure) that the answer is no

Very clever. I'll probably check on that in the future, to see if there are any exceptions.

It's not a big deal for me, but more of something I wondered about. Fortunately, I managed to get mine with an i9, so it's already pretty good.

XY998 · Answer

I meet this issue too, T 3660 with board 0KM9JV. Try talk to support to replace new MB, but support say if the old CPU with MB working, that they don't give me a RMA ticket.

Chino de Oro · Answer

Obviously, if customers can get free exchange of old product for new product anytime, who would want to purchase new machine anymore.

Have you attempt to purchase the new board? Or you just want it free.

Precision Fixed Workstations

Precision 3660 - Upgrading from 12th Gen Intel CPU -> 13th Gen Intel CPU

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