Motherboard changeout steps

[laflaone]

My 1st post. Hope this is the right place. Have a new graphics card which the existing MB will not accept. Had a computer tech check it out. Said the new card was OK, but MB was the problem. Have a new Intel MB, same approx size, socket, chip set, etc. DVD came with it. Got new power supply. Since the Win7 which came with the Gateway PC cannot be changed over to the new MB, I bought a new OEM copy of Win7 Home Premium, 64 bit, SP1, on DVD. I also have Acronis True Image 2017.

I am confident I can correctly physically change out the MB. I'm not sure about drivers, and the install of Win7 so I can keep all my files and programs. Is there a detailed tutorial(s) that will lead me through the steps in the correct order? BTW, I filled in the detailed system specs in my Profile when I registered.

 

[fireberd]

Be sure the new motherboard will fit and you have the correct case front panel connectors and the cables are long enough to fit the new motherboard. Some PC companies use proprietary cases and connectors.

You will basically be building a new PC, using an existing case. You will need new CPU heat sing thermal paste and maybe the old CPU cooler will work with the new motherboard.

Since you had an OEM OS legally it is not licensed for a new system, although I've heard Microsoft will sometimes allow re-activation. I would give that a shot first and see what happens. It may boot up OK with the new motherboard, although you will have to install drivers for the new board. If that works and Microsoft activates it you are "home free". If Microsoft will not activate it you are looking at doing a "clean" install using the new OS Disc. With a "clean" install that requires reformatting the hard drive then install Windows and any programs you want. If that is the case it is best to use a different hard drive so you can preserve any user data from the old drive. User data - music, photos, documents, etc can be copied over, Programs can't be copied over, they need to be "installed" using the program's installation procedure.

Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[mrjimphelps]

Be sure to use some high quality thermal paste to affix the heat sink to the CPU. This will make your computer run cooler. Unattach the heat sink from the CPU, clean both surfaces with high grade rubbing alcohol, install the CPU in the new motherboard, apply thermal paste to the CPU, then reattach the heat sink.

It is a good idea to wear an anti-static wrist band, so you don't short something out.

I put some info about these two things here:

HP Laptop keeps turning off randomly

 

[Megahertz07]

What exactly you bought? Witch graphics card you have now?
You must give us the MoBo specs. If it's a Skylake or Kabylake it wont be an easy task to install win 7 on it.

 

[AddRAM]

If your board had an AGP video slot and your new board has a PCI Express video slot, then no way can it have the same socket and chipset.

As asked more details are needed. What exactly are the new parts you plan to use ?

Jack mentioned a clean install, if you plan to do that, then you should buy a solid state drive to install windows on.

Right now the Samsung 850 Pro 256 GB drive is on sale for only $119

SSD 850 PRO 2.5" SATA III 256GB Memory & Storage - MZ-7KE256BW | Samsung US

 

[laflaone]

Be sure the new motherboard will fit and you have the correct case front panel connectors and the cables are long enough to fit the new motherboard. Some PC companies use proprietary cases and connectors.

You will basically be building a new PC, using an existing case. You will need new CPU heat sing thermal paste and maybe the old CPU cooler will work with the new motherboard.

Since you had an OEM OS legally it is not licensed for a new system, although I've heard Microsoft will sometimes allow re-activation. I would give that a shot first and see what happens. It may boot up OK with the new motherboard, although you will have to install drivers for the new board. If that works and Microsoft activates it you are "home free". If Microsoft will not activate it you are looking at doing a "clean" install using the new OS Disc. With a "clean" install that requires reformatting the hard drive then install Windows and any programs you want. If that is the case it is best to use a different hard drive so you can preserve any user data from the old drive. User data - music, photos, documents, etc can be copied over, Programs can't be copied over, they need to be "installed" using the program's installation procedure.

Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums

Went to your suggested tutorial. Don't want to lose all my programs and data. If you scroll to the bottom of your suggested tutorial, you will see a list of related tutorials. The seventh one down is "How to do a repair install to fix windows 7". This seems to be what I need to do, as I will not lose anything. It states I can use the Win 7 OEM DVD I purchased. My question is more of doing things in the right order. Should I replace the MB first, Then boot to the new Win 7 DVD?

 

[laflaone]

Be sure to use some high quality thermal paste to affix the heat sink to the CPU. This will make your computer run cooler. Unattach the heat sink from the CPU, clean both surfaces with high grade rubbing alcohol, install the CPU in the new motherboard, apply thermal paste to the CPU, then reattach the heat sink.

It is a good idea to wear an anti-static wrist band, so you don't short something out.

I put some info about these two things here:

HP Laptop keeps turning off randomly

Thanks. I have the thermal paste, and I have done it before.

 

[laflaone]

If your board had an AGP video slot and your new board has a PCI Express video slot, then no way can it have the same socket and chipset.

As asked more details are needed. What exactly are the new parts you plan to use ?

Jack mentioned a clean install, if you plan to do that, then you should buy a solid state drive to install windows on.

Right now the Samsung 850 Pro 256 GB drive is on sale for only $119

SSD 850 PRO 2.5" SATA III 256GB Memory & Storage - MZ-7KE256BW | Samsung US

Both old and new MB's have onboard graphics, and PCIEx16 sockets. Both have the same CPU socket and chipsets. Did research on Intel's site to make sure. Old board is a Gateway DX4870, new board is an Intel DB65AL. Looks like I need to do a repair install since I want to keep all my programs and data. I started this thread because I am unsure of the sequence of events using the DVDs, meaning the Win7 DVD, and the new MB DVD for drivers.

 

[AddRAM]

So then why did the tech say you couldn`t use your new video card ? That's strange.

Do the repair install 1st, then worry about the drivers.

Activate Windows with your new key.

Use windows update to find any new drivers 1st, then use the disc for any WU can`t find.

 

[laflaone]

So then why did the tech say you couldn`t use your new video card ? That's strange.

Do the repair install 1st, then worry about the drivers.

Activate Windows with your new key.

Use windows update to find any new drivers 1st, then use the disc for any WU can`t find.

Thanks. That is exactly the sort of advice I'm looking for. The video card is a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050. The tech suggested that the pcie slot may be bad, or something in the innards of the MB. Also, the BIOS is rather bare bones. It does not have the ability to change from onboard graphics to the PCIe slot. I also don't plan to change over to the graphics card until I get the new MB and Win7 up and running. Don't want to complicate things anymore than I have to at first.

 

[AddRAM]

You should really get a solid state drive to clean install windows on.

Oops I said that already


SSD 850 PRO 2.5" SATA III 256GB Memory & Storage - MZ-7KE256BW | Samsung US

But anyway, there is no reason you can`t install the video card, connect the power cable to it if it needs one, hook your monitor up to it, and install windows.

 

[fireberd]

Your motherboard is probably like most that do not have an option. It defaults to the internal (e.g. Intel CPU Video) video if no video card is plugged in. If a PCIe video card is installed then it will automatically default to the PCIe video card. With an i3 (per your system specs) it should have a PCIe video card slot, not AGP as someone noted.

Whether the repair will work? Give it a shot but be prepared to do a clean install if it doesn't.

A possible irrevelant comment. If you plan on using this for gaming, the i3 CPU likely will not be enough.

 

[AddRAM]

Jack, the only reason I brought up an AGP slot was because the tech told him the motherboard could not accept his 1050.

 

[fireberd]

I didn't look at who posted it or why. Just recalled seeing it.

 

[AddRAM]