Motherboard upgrade!!!

[Bill]

One problem you may have is the power supply connection to the MB.
You might want to just buy a new case with a updated power supplly. The cost
is really cheep for a case.

 

[kurttrail]

Does anyone know whether all motherboards are of the same size and
whether they should fit all case/box size?

Yes, I know.

I want to upgrade my Pentium III box so that I can install Windows XP
OS. My case is desktop (old RM machine) and the plan is to upgrade
it bit by bit to get a good machine and to learn from the upgrade
process. Cost is not the criteria at present as the upgrade may take
upto 3 months to complete.

Thanks.

Thanks for asking.

--
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http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Servo]

Does anyone know whether all motherboards are of the same size and whether they should fit all case/box size?

I want to upgrade my Pentium III box so that I can install Windows XP OS. My case is desktop (old RM machine) and the plan is to upgrade it bit by bit to get a good machine and to learn from the upgrade process. Cost is not the criteria at present as the upgrade may take upto 3 months to complete.

Thanks.

Yep, ther're are different form factors, and they do NOT fit all
cases. Make sure your current case is appropriate for a new mobo and
other hardware. The new equipment runs hotter and some of the older
cases can't ventilate properly and can cause overheating.

--
Servo
"Mind you don't cut yourself, Mordechai!"
tservo100 at
ameritech dot net
Slow, fiery death to all spammers!!!

 

[AMO]

In principle, what you are doing is okay. However, if you do what you are
doing, the first step is a new case, then a new motherboard, then you can
carry forward all the other components.

A 4 year old PC case is probably not a good start. Add RM in there and I'd
probably want to take my chances on a new case.

AMO

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

Hi Angela,

Motherboards come in different sizes , and it's become harder to keep up
with.
If cost is not criteria, go ahead and get a new case along with motherboard
and new processor.

Basically the case needs to be able to hold that "style/size" that m/b.

As an aside, your P3 will likely run XP, but some other hardware & software
components will not make the transition to XP.
And XP would be slow on the P3.

Put this in your file for reference. There is a newsgroup for win xp
hardware.
It is microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware

One other resource is Tom's hardware website, where you may learn more on
hardware issues, as well as see product reviews.
http://www.tomshardware.com

HTH

 

[Locke]

Well let me add to the original question - can you take something like an HP
motherboard ( P4SD-LA - 2004), it is a uATX board, and put it in an Antec
case? Ive been told yes and no so Im not sure.

Thanks,
Locke

 

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

Depends on whether the Specific Antec case will accept that specific ATX
factor.
Antec makes a number of cases and is likely to have more than one that fits
your board.

Are we talking micro ATX board ??

 

[Locke]

Yes micro ATX, but I have always heard that HP and many of the other mass
computer producers use a proprietary form factor. So I have always had a
different answer or a muttled answer depending on who I ask or where I
search.

Locke

 

[Angela]

Does anyone know whether all motherboards are of the same size and whether they should fit all case/box size?

I want to upgrade my Pentium III box so that I can install Windows XP OS. My case is desktop (old RM machine) and the plan is to upgrade it bit by bit to get a good machine and to learn from the upgrade process. Cost is not the criteria at present as the upgrade may take upto 3 months to complete.

Thanks.

 

[AJR]

For quick education on motherboards and cases: www.tigerdirect.com

 

[Ron Martell]

Does anyone know whether all motherboards are of the same size and whether they should fit all case/box size?

I want to upgrade my Pentium III box so that I can install Windows XP OS. My case is desktop (old RM machine) and the plan is to upgrade it bit by bit to get a good machine and to learn from the upgrade process. Cost is not the criteria at present as the upgrade may take upto 3 months to complete.

Thanks.

There are a number of considerations.

Most PIII systems used ATX or micro-ATX motherboards (as opposed to
the older AT type motherboards) so the new motherboard should be able
to physically fit into the case and line up correctly with the
rear-panel connectors and internal stand-offs.

However the power supply may be a concern, especially if you are
looking at a Pentium 4 class motherboard. These motherboards have an
additional power connector which is not found on the older ATX power
supplies. Motherboards for AMD CPUs (other than the 64 bit) should be
okay with the older power supply, provided it has adequate power
output. A 250 watt power supply probably won't be enough.

So you might want to give serious consideration to adding a new case
to your computer upgrade budget.

Your RAM will also almost certainly not fit into the new motherboard.
Pentium III class systems typically used PC100 or PC133 SDRAM and most
newer motherboards take DDR RAM. SDRAM modules will not fit into DDR
RAM slots, and wouldn't work even if they did fit.

So you are going to have to get a fair bit of the new hardware before
you can get anything to work.

But it could be quite a learning experience. Just remember to double
check regarding compatibility of components before you spend the cash.
Sometimes items can be very hard to return.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Lil' Dave]

All motherboards will not fit in all PC cases/enclosures.

I wouldn't waste my time moving an older system to another case. Especially
any manufactured, proprietarty system. Instead of modding your current
system, start from scratch. You'll need an OEM install CD/licese for XP at
a minimal cost for the build. Leave your current PC as is.