Having looked at the installation of a new motherboard with Windows 98, at time of writing Windows XP was found to cope less well. In fact, the system refused to boot to the Windows XP environment, even in Safe Mode. This is not entirely … [Continue reading]
The motherboard User's Manual will contain a layout diagram showing its various components and connectors. In this case, the pin header for electrical connection to the front panel switches and LEDs is identified as J2. This comprises two rows … [Continue reading]
Power supply units can have up to three power connectors: a 20-pin main power connector; the standard ATX power connector. a 4-pin +12V power connector; required for all Pentium 4 processor-based systems. a 6-pin AUX power connector; … [Continue reading]
The first thing you need to do is compare the I/O shield on the system case with your motherboard's I/O ports, both to check how well these match up and to identify any cutouts that need to be punched out. In this case, the cutout to … [Continue reading]
Different types of memory need to be installed in different ways, so it's safest to refer to both your motherboard User's Manual and the documentation that came with the memory itself when doing this. In this case the memory is SDRAM packaged in a … [Continue reading]
Your motherboard User's Manual will give a clue as to what type of memory you need to use. However, such is the complexity and variation of memory specifications these days that it may still not be obvious precisely what you require. No need to … [Continue reading]
It's important to fit your CPU with some form of processor cooling device. In the case of a conventional heat sink and fan assembly, be aware that just because a fan says it's suitable for a given CPU form factor, it's no guarantee that it'll fit … [Continue reading]
As indicated above - and this is not uncommon - the motherboard upgrade is being accompanied by a switch to a new processor and main memory. In this case the CPU has been used before, and hence the need for the CPU & Heatsink Cleaner. You'll … [Continue reading]
Disconnect and remove your existing motherboard as follows: First, take the precaution of entering Setup and checking your current system's BIOS settings. You normally do this by hitting the DEL key immediately after your system has performed … [Continue reading]
A motherboard is the backbone of a PC system, connecting all its various components and peripherals and influencing your choice of precisely what these might be. It is, of critical importance both in terms of system performance and … [Continue reading]