What happens if you replace your motherboard

If you were to use e. Windows 7 Home Basic even the bit version won't allow you to go beyond 8GB of memory. Switching the motherboard does not harm your data. Everything will remain on the hard drive. Whether you will be able to just boot up after the switch and continue using your system is a different story.

As it was pointed out for some switches that may work. In other cases you may need to reinstall Windows as the installed drivers might be conflicting with the new motherboard. So making a backup of ALL your data beforehand is definitely advisable. On top of that you should also prepare all the drivers required for both, the new motherboard and your other hardware before the switch. M Ahmed You wont be loosing any of your data from hard drive if you are replacing the motherboard with a identical motherboard.

If you are replacing the motherboard to a completely different make and model you may have to re-install the OS. Hovsep A well when you change the motherboard and if it is different than the current one you will have to reinstall Windows you can choose upgrade option when booting on windows dvd so that your files will not be deleted.

Best As Oron suggest you have to backup your files, you can create a new partition to move your files there or you can use external hard drive. Suggest to unregister windows first on the normal hard drive. If your case is a small or unusual design, consult the manual for precise instructions. Set the PC on its side, with the motherboard facing up. You should be able to look down at the motherboard with all its various ports and connections. The CPU cooler is the large gadget with a big piece of metal the heat sink and one or more fans attached to it.

For our Intel stock cooler, this is relatively simple: we just turn the thumbscrews at all four corners, and then lift it off. More complex water-cooled systems might also require advanced techniques. Before you lift the cooler away, check the power cable attached to the fan. Gently pull it out, and you can then remove the entire cooler.

The gelatinous stuff on top of it is the thermal paste that allows heat to efficiently transfer to the cooler. On our Intel LGA socket, we release the lever and lift the plate. At this point the only thing holding the CPU in is gravity. Carefully grasp it with your finger and lift it out. Set it aside. Now take a look at the CPU socket on the motherboard. You may need to install a backplate on the opposite side of the motherboard.

Now remove the new CPU from its packaging. Insert it into the open CPU socket on the motherboard. It should slide or sit in place easily, without you putting any pressure on it. Pull it out and try again.

If not, then squeeze about a pea-sized drop of thermal paste onto the center of the CPU from the paste tube. It spreads out evenly when you lock the cooler into place. Now re-install the cooler. Again, the method for doing so will vary based on the cooler design. Replace the access panel and screw it in on the back of the frame. Now return it to its normal spot and power it on for a test. This is the more complex operation. Also note that replacing your motherboard, especially with a different model, generally requires you to re-install your operating system and restore it.

Really, you should consider this more building a new computer and reusing old parts than simply upgrading your computer. A handy trick is to keep your phone handy and take lots of pictures: snap a photo or two with each cable and component you remove. You can refer to them later if you get confused. First remove the power rail from the top or side of the GPU. Then remove the screw holding it in place on the back of the case.

Now look for a plastic tab on the PCI-Express slot on the motherboard. Repeat this process for any other PCI-E expansion cards you might have.

Intel and AMD stock coolers can be removed simply, but larger, more elaborate air coolers and liquid coolers might need you to access the opposite side of the motherboard to remove a backing plate. This is the long one with 20 or 24 pins. You can leave it hanging loosely. Do the same for the 4 or 8 pin power cable near the CPU socket.

Now unplug your storage and disc drives. For most recent machines, these are SATA cables. Just pull them out and leave them dangling. Next, go for the case connections and fans. These can be particularly tricky—take note of their positions , and take a photo if you have your phone handy.

Any case fans that are plugged directly into the motherboard should now be unplugged as well—they generally go into four-pin plugs around the edges. You can leave your RAM installed at this point—it will be easier to remove it with the motherboard free. Ditto for any M. If some power or data cables are in the way, you may need to unplug them as well.

Now, locate the screws holding the motherboard in place in the case. There are four to eight of them, depending on the size of the motherboard and the case design. With the retention screws removed, you can grasp the motherboard with both hands and lift it free of the case. If it catches on anything, stay calm, set it down, and remove the obstruction.

When you have the motherboard clear of the case, set it aside. If not, continue on to the next step. This is easy: just press down on the tabs on either side of the RAM, then pull them free of the slot. Now switch to your new motherboard. Re-install your M. Next comes the CPU, so remove the new one from its packaging. It should slide or sit in place with no extra pressure. Lower the plate onto the CPU, and install whatever retention method is used on the socket. But you need to make sure that the motherboard you pick has an adequate number of USB, ethernet, and whatever other ports you expect to use.

You also need to choose a motherboard with an expansion slot layout that can accommodate any graphics or other cards you may want to install. With all that out of way, the final issue to contend with is price. A great if slightly risky way to save money on a new motherboard is to buy the open-box returned version of that product.

A smart trick is to take a picture here, so you have a record of everything that needs to be plugged in before you start disconnecting them. The big items like graphics cards and Wi-Fi cards can come out of your motherboard first.

On most motherboards there will be a smaller 8-pin CPU power connector near the top of the motherboard, and a much larger pin ATX power connector near the middle of the left side of the motherboard.

You need to unhook both of these connectors. Your motherboard should now be freely floating in your case—pull it out. Be careful! You pretty much just have to replace everything you just pulled out of your old motherboard.

If you forget to use your standoffs, you risk frying the motherboard when you power up your PC.