When you are buying a new computer, or perhaps looking to upgrade the motherboard of your computer system, you should be sure to know what you are looking for, as the motherboard acts as one of the most powerful parts of the computer system.
This article will be referencing motherboard buying when you are upgrading, not buying a brand new system.
The first thing you must check is to ensure that the brand you wish to replace allows for this replacement.
Many computers such as Dell or HP require proprietary parts.
Once this has been established you should then find out the size of your case.
Not all motherboards will fit into all towers.
Generally the sizes are called Mini-ITX, MicroATX, ATX and EATX.
You will want to determine what your computer will be used for, and for future expandability.
If you are a gamer, you will want to be sure there are enough slots to allow for a video card, ram, controllers, etc.
Many motherboards will have integrated video graphics chipsets built onto it.
It is also important to buy a motherboard that will have enough ram slots, and be sure to check to see what the maximum amount of RAM that it will allow.
If you are able to upgrade later, it could be rather beneficial.
Sometimes a simple addition of a GIG of RAM will speed up your computer immensely.
One of the most important factors to consider is what the chipset design to your particular motherboard is.
Often times you will be able to buy the CPU, heat sink along with the motherboard.
This is typically referred to as the chipset.
The chipset will follow set structure and designs for Intel and AMD.
There will be other factors such as the amount of PCI slots, USB slots, and things such as sound chip built in.
There are quite a few manufacturers that are leaders in this product such as ASUS and Gigabyte.
There are also ports and connections that are things such as Firewire, HDMI and eSata.
You should also check for integrated LAN.
Lastly, it is important that you also replace the computer's power supply.
A newer motherboard may need more juice then the older one.
Be sure to fully understand the motherboard buying guide before you buy the first product on the market.
This article will be referencing motherboard buying when you are upgrading, not buying a brand new system.
The first thing you must check is to ensure that the brand you wish to replace allows for this replacement.
Many computers such as Dell or HP require proprietary parts.
Once this has been established you should then find out the size of your case.
Not all motherboards will fit into all towers.
Generally the sizes are called Mini-ITX, MicroATX, ATX and EATX.
You will want to determine what your computer will be used for, and for future expandability.
If you are a gamer, you will want to be sure there are enough slots to allow for a video card, ram, controllers, etc.
Many motherboards will have integrated video graphics chipsets built onto it.
It is also important to buy a motherboard that will have enough ram slots, and be sure to check to see what the maximum amount of RAM that it will allow.
If you are able to upgrade later, it could be rather beneficial.
Sometimes a simple addition of a GIG of RAM will speed up your computer immensely.
One of the most important factors to consider is what the chipset design to your particular motherboard is.
Often times you will be able to buy the CPU, heat sink along with the motherboard.
This is typically referred to as the chipset.
The chipset will follow set structure and designs for Intel and AMD.
There will be other factors such as the amount of PCI slots, USB slots, and things such as sound chip built in.
There are quite a few manufacturers that are leaders in this product such as ASUS and Gigabyte.
There are also ports and connections that are things such as Firewire, HDMI and eSata.
You should also check for integrated LAN.
Lastly, it is important that you also replace the computer's power supply.
A newer motherboard may need more juice then the older one.
Be sure to fully understand the motherboard buying guide before you buy the first product on the market.
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