Updating motherboard and cpu

A cup or bowl is also handy for holding loose screws. First, unplug all the power and data cables from your PC and move it to your workspace. Remove the screws holding the left-side access panel from the case—these are on the back of the machine, screwed into the edge.

You can then slide the access panel off and set it aside. 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.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Spread the love. However, when the time comes for you to upgrade those computer parts, some concerns might arise. Let's talk about CPU and motherboard upgrading and answer the main question above. Install the Motherboard and CPU. Connect the Windows License and Microsoft Account. Purchasing a Digital License or Product Key. Identifying the Types of Sockets. They are OEM, retail, and volume.

Therefore, it will install itself on the computer when you power it on. Still, if you are upgrading it to a newer motherboard, you will need to reinstall Windows You will be dealing with a fresh install and starting from scratch. Retail A retail license is something that you purchase online.

Volume Volume licenses are only issued to those who will utilize multiple computers using the Windows operating system. If you know how to build or take apart a computer, the process is simple enough. You can rely on a professional computer repair service near you to get the job done. Keep in mind, though, that this may be the most expensive option because of labor rates.

Also, additional charges may apply since they may be ordering a new motherboard and CPU for you. Otherwise, depending on the motherboard and CPU, you can install it easily by following these steps: 2. Disconnect the Parts All it takes is just simply disconnecting the parts without any special skills like soldering.

Sometimes, your hardware such as a motherboard, CPU, etc. Or, you may be not be satisfied with your current motherboard and CPU and want to upgrade or replace them.

Besides, you will have to reinstall all the previously installed applications, configure system settings, and transfer data since the clean install will remove them, not to mention some of the programs need re-activating.

Thus, like most other people, you probably also want to upgrade your hardware without reinstalling Windows. This article is targeted to you - it introduces how to replace dead motherboard without reinstalling Windows in detail. Once the process is correctly completed, the Windows OS will be able to boot after the motherboard upgrade.

To ensure the system can run properly after the hardware change, here are 3 available ways for you to easily replace a dead motherboard and CPU without reinstalling Windows. If anything in the computer goes wrong, you can perform a quick disaster recovery. Additionally, its Universal Restore feature allows you to restore Windows OS to a computer with different hardware. No changes will be made to the previous system settings that you are accustomed to.

With this tool, you can restore the system to the PC with different hardware. Now, try out this tool by downloading its Trial Edition for free from the following button. Note that this edition only offers a day free trial. If you like this software, upgrade to its Pro Edition. Free Download. After downloading, start the hardware upgrade. And here, we will take "replace motherboard without reinstalling Windows 7" as an example.

Before the upgrade, change, or replacement of the motherboard and CPU, we strongly suggest creating a system image backup to avoid any accidents. Of course, you can skip this process to the next one if you find it unnecessary. Step 2: You will be directed to the Home page to set up a backup if no previous backup was created. Just follow the tip to go to the Backup tab.

Step 3: Take a look at this following interface! You will find that all system-related partitions have been chosen as the backup source by default, as well as a destination folder. Just click Back up Now in the Manage tab to perform the task. After changing motherboard and CPU, your Windows 7 will very likely fail to run.

Then, start the creation. Want to back up system files to the recovery drive to restore PC?