Can I change my cpu without taking out the motherboard?

ptarcsai

Commendable
Nov 2, 2016
6
0
1,510
So I bought a Intel Core i7-870, because I would like to upgrade my really old pc. So my question is,do I need to take out the motherboard or not? Can i just take off the cooling fan, and replace my old i3 with the new CPU? I also bought a new graphics card, so the same question goes to that.

By the way, I don't want to take out the motherboard, because I know nothing about cables and cable management. So i don't want to mess up anything.

Thanks for the answers!

If you would like to know anything else that can help, feel free to ask.
 
Solution
You don't need to remove the motherboard to replace either components. If you'd bought a fancy after market cooler to go with the CPU you might have needed to take the mobo out to mount the back plate, but by the sound of it you're using the same cooler so there should be no problem... just remember to reapply thermal paste properly. :D

Dustybin

Respectable
Feb 24, 2016
524
0
2,360
You don't need to remove the motherboard to replace either components. If you'd bought a fancy after market cooler to go with the CPU you might have needed to take the mobo out to mount the back plate, but by the sound of it you're using the same cooler so there should be no problem... just remember to reapply thermal paste properly. :D
 
Solution

ptarcsai

Commendable
Nov 2, 2016
6
0
1,510



Thank you!