Help swapping Motherboards please

[ChiSoxFan]

Hello, I currently have a Athlon 64 3500 Socket 939 system setup and bought a 7800GT for it. Included was a pretty nice SLI motherboard and I'd like to install it. The problem is that I have never done this and was hoping for some advice. The current machine is a retail purchased system that I've upgraded and don't want to screw anything up.

From reading the manual it looks like I can install the new MB drivers, shut down the machine, swap the MB, and boot up and should be fine but I wanted to check with you guys first. Can someone give me some advice or help as to doing this swap? I'd like the OC abilities and SLI potential in this new MB. Thanks in advance.

 

[jimbob200521]

what kind of computer do you have now, i mean who makes it

 

[imported_electron]

Originally posted by: ChiSoxFan
Hello, I currently have a Athlon 64 3500 Socket 939 system setup and bought a 7800GT for it. Included was a pretty nice SLI motherboard and I'd like to install it. The problem is that I have never done this and was hoping for some advice. The current machine is a retail purchased system that I've upgraded and don't want to screw anything up.

From reading the manual it looks like I can install the new MB drivers, shut down the machine, swap the MB, and boot up and should be fine but I wanted to check with you guys first. Can someone give me some advice or help as to doing this swap? I'd like the OC abilities and SLI potential in this new MB. Thanks in advance.

hmm well if that's what the manual says to do then it might work, but what I heard was the proper procedure was to uninstall the motherboard and video card drivers before making the hardware swap. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[jimbob200521]

Originally posted by: electron

Originally posted by: ChiSoxFan
Hello, I currently have a Athlon 64 3500 Socket 939 system setup and bought a 7800GT for it. Included was a pretty nice SLI motherboard and I'd like to install it. The problem is that I have never done this and was hoping for some advice. The current machine is a retail purchased system that I've upgraded and don't want to screw anything up.

From reading the manual it looks like I can install the new MB drivers, shut down the machine, swap the MB, and boot up and should be fine but I wanted to check with you guys first. Can someone give me some advice or help as to doing this swap? I'd like the OC abilities and SLI potential in this new MB. Thanks in advance.

hmm well if that's what the manual says to do then it might work, but what I heard was the proper procedure was to uninstall the motherboard and video card drivers before making the hardware swap. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

you are correct, but there are two things i want to say as well:

1) usually for upgrading something as big as a mobo, then a total system format and reinstall is usually best, as it reduces the potential for headaches in the long run

2) if the system is a dell, then you cant do what you want to do, as dell systems use proprietary psu's and mobo mounts, so while getting done what you want to do with a dell isnt impossiable, it'd be more of a mod than an upgrade with the mobo switch

 

[ChiSoxFan]

The computer is an eMachines (yes I know, but I got an incredible deal on it and couldn't pass it up) and comes with the base motherboard in it. It is a Microstar MS 7184 motherboard that came with it. The tough thing is that since it's a retail system I didn't get a copy of Windows XP to do a nondestructive reinstall and I don't want to do a complete reformat and lose everything.

 

[forumposter32]

those retailers, sheesh.

good luck

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Well, what I assume is that if I install the MB drivers (LAN/onboard audio, etc) before I install the MB, when I reconfigure everything it should just automatically install the newer drivers and I'll just get the old "yellow exclamation point" in Device manager for the old MB hardware devices. Then I can just then uninstall the old devices once things are back up and running. If it doesn't work I'm hoping that I can use Windows system restore and fall back to the settings before I began this process. Does this make sense? Am I setting myself up for a big pain? Is it worth it?

 

[forumposter32]

Look at your power supply and all its connectors then look at your motherboard manual to find out what you have to connect. Is anything missing?

 

[jimbob200521]

your plan SHOULD work, so give it a try. worst case scenario, you just reinstall the origional mobo. just make sure you are grounded and remember where everything goes, and you should be fine. good luck

 

[unclebud]

how did it go?
i am thinking that the reason this sempron compaq is having slowdown during gaming is because the power supply is too weak -- the motherboard can take a 24 pin, but only a 20 pin hi-pro is being used/purchased standard w/ the machine. thinking about swapping it (the power supply) out
regardless, emachineupgraders.info has the manual for the motherboard. hth