How to Replace Motherboard

HOW TO REPLACE MOTHERBOARD

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BY :

O BASAR PURBA
O RISTOPORUS SIMANJUNTA
O PUTRA SIMANUNGALIT
O DEVIN NABABAN
O JUNI PASARIBU
O ERWIN LUMBANTORUAN
O RAHMAT LUMBANTORUAN


SMAN.1 SIBORONGBORONG
Replace Motberboard

Learn how to transp|ant your ÞCƌs most |mportant componentŦ
lf you are looklng Lo use an updaLed processorţ wanL Lo add some newer componenLs LhaL requlre Lhe
laLesL Lechnologyţ or have shorLed ouL your moLherboard wlLh an lncorrecL audlo cable (noL LhaL weƌre
speaklng from experlence)ţ changlng your moLherboard ls Lhe way Lo goŦ 1hough Lhe process looks
daunLlngţ lL requlres llLLle more Lhan a Þhllllps screwdrlver and some paLlenceŦ Pereƌs everyLhlng you
need Lo knowŦ

Step 1ť Assess the s|tuat|on
BeIore you pull out your toolkit (or even your credit card), do a bit oI reconnaissance inside your
PC. Some things to keep in mind:
II your case is a proprietary one Irom a major vendor, it might not easily house a replacement
board. And iI it's a small-Iorm-Iactor PC, you won't be able to put a larger ATX motherboard
into it. Make sure your case supports the Iorm Iactor (ATX, MicroATX, and so on) oI your new
board.
Many older motherboards require a 20-pin main power cable Irom your power supply, but recent
boards require both a 24-pin connector and a separate 4-pin one. Your motherboard won't work
iI improperly powered, so a new power supply could be in order.
Do your optical and hard drives connect via IDE (usually with ribbon cables) or via newer Serial
ATA (thinner cables)? Many newer motherboards have only one IDE port (which supports two
drives), whereas older boards have two. II you have more than two IDE drives, be sure your new
board has a second IDE connector.
What kind oI processor, RAM, and graphics card will you be using? What was top-oI-the-line a
Iew years ago could be obsolete today. AGP graphics cards certainly aremost newer
motherboards lack slots Ior them, replacing them with PCI Express (PCIe). Processor socket
technology and RAM design have also changed. II you don't want to buy all new components,
make sure yours work with the new motherboard. Not sure what you have? A Iree utility like
CPU-Z can suss it out.
Be mindIul oI Windows' licensing requirementsreplacing a motherboard can necessitate
reactivating Windows. Depending on whether you have a Iull-retail or OEM version, you may
have to repurchase Windows.
Step 2ť C|ean|ng up
Here, you'll have to make a choice: Install your new motherboard and keep your existing
Windows installation in place, or take the opportunity to wipe your boot drive and start Irom
scratch. II you do the second, have your Windows and application discs handy. Either way, you'll
want to back up your data.
Open your case's side and take photos oI your PC's rear panel and interior, or label all the cables.
(Sticky notes work well.) Many oI today's connectors are color-coded, but iI yours aren't, this
precaution could prevent Irustration later.
Once you have all the correct equipment (and a screwdriver), it's time to begin. Disconnect the
PC's power cable and everything attached to its rear panel (which is part oI the motherboard).
Then, turn the case horizontal to tackle the interior.
Ground yourselI, either by using an antistatic wrist strap or by touching the metal chassis. Then
remove any cards in your old motherboard's expansion slots. Remove the screws securing them
to the chassis, then pull the cards straight up and out. (For a PCIe x16 card, you might need to
depress a lever on the slot beIore doing this.) Place them on a clean, static-Iree surIace.
Next, detach all cables and wires connecting your motherboard to the PSU, case Iront panel,
optical and hard drives, or other components (such as Ians). For the big PSU power-cable
connectors that plug into the motherboard, squeeze a lever on one side to release the connector;
most other cables should pull out easily.
Step 3ť 1he great swapŴout
Now Ior the switch. Locate the screws holding down the motherboard (usually six or nine), and
remove them. Once done, the motherboard will liIt out. To protect it, place it in the antistatic bag
your new board came in.
Next, pop out the I/O panelthe metal rectangle with the port cutawaysattached to the case.
Your new motherboard will come with its own, designed Ior the board's port arrangement. When
inserting the new I/O panel, apply enough pressure around the edges to hear the clicks.
It's more convenient to install the processor, its cooling Ian, and the RAM beIore installing your
new motherboard. RAM is easy: Lower the levers on the RAM slots, line up the notch in the
module with the slot's protrusion, then press the chip until both levers lock. II you're using two
RAM chips, put each in an identically colored slotthis dual-channel architecture increases
perIormance.
Processors are more complicated. Intel's and AMD's designs vary, sometimes between their own
lines, but today's processors and sockets are keyed so it's hard to orient a CPU incorrectly. That
said, never Iorce anything: II your processor resists when you engage its locking mechanism, you
could damage it. Once it's in place, apply a layer oI thermal paste to the CPU, and attach the Ian
to the board, covering the CPU. Don't Iorget to plug in the Ian's power cable to the board's "CPU
Ian" header.
II your new motherboard is the same size and shape as the old, you shouldn't need to adjust the
standoIIs that keep the motherboard Irom touching the case. II, however, you're upgrading Irom
a smaller board to a larger one, you might. Place the motherboard in the case, lining up its holes
with the standoIIs. Make sure there's a standoII Ior every hole, and vice versa. AIter the standoIIs
are settled, gently place the motherboard, Iitting its ports through the I/O panel. Once the holes
are directly over the standoIIs, secure it using the screws removed earlier.
$905 4: Working backward
Reconnect all the components you disconnected in step 2. Slide each expansion card into its
appropriate slot, and screw it down. Cover any unused openings with a blank spacer.
Most interior cables are keyed to connect only one way, so replacing them should be easy. II
you're unsure where certain connectors live on the new board, consult your manual Ior a
diagram. Take special care with USB and FireWire cablesmixing these up could cause system-
crippling problems.
The Iront-panel connectors can trip up even the experts. For your power/reset switches and
activity lights to work, you need to match up the connectors with the proper pins and orient them
correctly. Your motherboard manual will explain the proper layout, but a little trial and error
may be required.
$905 5: Finishing u5
Close the case, reattach the rear-panel cables, and turn on the computer. It should boot, and you'll
see your new motherboard's splash screen. Follow the instructions to enter the BIOS. There,
check the drive and RAM conIiguration to make sure everything's recognized, set the boot-
device priority, and enable USB 2.0 or PCIe support, iI your board requires it. Save any changes.
Then, assuming you aren't reinstalling Windows, boot Ior the Iirst time. Windows will need to
install drivers Ior the motherboard, most oI which it can and will do automatically, though you
might need the CD that came with your board. That CD might also contain additional drivers
(such as Ior the Ethernet port) or other helpIul soItware, so keep it handy.
II you've gone the Windows-reinstall route, put your Windows CD into the optical drive, direct
the BIOS to boot Irom it, and Iollow the prompts to reinstall the OS.