yes??
i know your system will still work, but it will work even better after a reinstall.
i experienced it myself.
after changing my mobo and CPU to the current, i didnt reinstall, but later i reinstalled and was amazed at the true power of the Phenom II!!
Um, you changed your mobo, that was the reason why it performed like crap.
Lets say you had the same mobo way before you got the phenom II
you plug in your Phenom II but never change the mobo, you would have gotten the same performance increase.
I belive, if im right, windows puts registry keys, and everything involving that specific motherboard during install, so when you change a motherboard, that has a different type of chipset, the slots are diffrent, and the actual cpu is different.
it isnt going to use the motherboard right, because the OS will have diffrent signatures for different slots on the motherboard.
Most of the time you cant even boot your computer if you try using a different motherboard.
you got lucky, but it performed like crap.
I had a a e5200 on this same ep45-ud3p, it performed decent, alright for the price. I never REINSTALLED the operating at all, it was the same OS, and i pluged in a q9550, I noticed the difference IMMEDIATELY i bench marked, and without reinstall the OS but just changing the cpu, i got a 5,000 piont increase in 3dmark06.
thats good shit.
***anyways***
On this predicament with the i7, hmm ive never heard of Intel putting out chips that just arnt working properly or have any cores.
Hmm i think you should just reinstall OS, re-seat the processor.
Basically, Rebuild the computer, and make sure everythings perfect, grab a checklist, have fun!