Can I swap motherboards in Lenovo H520?

spdwhat

Honorable
Sep 16, 2013
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10,510
I'm using this computer running Linux for a research application and found that I need a legacy PCI slot, which this mobo does not have. I tried a PCIE to PCI bridge, which should be plug and play in Windows, but doesn't work in Linux. Is it even possible to switch motherboards in a prebuilt computer? If so, does anyone know how you would go about finding a compatible one?
 
Solution
Yes, that is the situation. I looked around and couldn't find any Intel Core series boards with a PCI slot. (Slight correction, there are some 1st Gen Intel Core boards with PCI slots, but these wouldn't work with your newer chip, also very expensive as they are the last of the new old stock lga1156 boards.)

Newest thing I could find was this, though it is AMD.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186215

Phenom II is still a decent chip series and would get you essentially a new old stock system.

Eximo

Titan
Ambassador
Assuming it is a standard ATX form factor and not something custom, you can always replace motherboards. However, what you are wanting isn't something you will find on a motherboard that is compatibile with the rest of your components.

I suggest prowling around on ebay and looking for an older fully intact computer. Preferably with pictures showing it running.
 

spdwhat

Honorable
Sep 16, 2013
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10,510
Thank you so much for your reply! I think (based on pictures and having poked at it a few times) that I'm dealing with an mATX board. Do you mean by your second sentence that newer motherboards completely abandoned slots compatible with universal 32-bit PCI? So basically if I could find a motherboard with those expansion slots, it wouldn't have the right socket for my brand new cpu for example?

I think the lab would like to use this computer for this research set-up, otherwise looking for a "new" old one would sound pretty good.




 

Eximo

Titan
Ambassador
Yes, that is the situation. I looked around and couldn't find any Intel Core series boards with a PCI slot. (Slight correction, there are some 1st Gen Intel Core boards with PCI slots, but these wouldn't work with your newer chip, also very expensive as they are the last of the new old stock lga1156 boards.)

Newest thing I could find was this, though it is AMD.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186215

Phenom II is still a decent chip series and would get you essentially a new old stock system.
 
Solution

spdwhat

Honorable
Sep 16, 2013
3
0
10,510
Thanks so much for your help! If there's any way to give you "karma" besides selecting your answer as the solution let me know - I appreciate your taking the time to answer my question : ).