Upgrade motherboard on Desktop?

[dankdk]

Hello. The motherboard on my Gateway is only 95 w. I am currently looking into upgrading the processor with something a little more powerful. Is it possible to upgrade the motherboard in this PC? Thanks

 

[Gekko Shadow]

It might be, but what's the actual model of your PC? Or What about the board, got any model no. on that?

You can't just upgrade, you need to know what socket you have and what CPU's are supported or the motherboard you have.

 

[dankdk]

the computer model is dx4300. The motherboard I have is rs780

 

[Gekko Shadow]

So by the looks of these speks your board is AMD based with a AM2+ socket.

"Supports AMD® Socket AM2+ (940 pin), AMD Phenom™ (95 W), Athlon™ 64 X2, Athlon 64, and Sempron™ processors" (-Gateway)

Now to clarify do you want to upgrade the processor or the motherboard? Or..both?

 

[dankdk]

The only cpu i would consider is the phenom iix4 945. Anything more powerful is more then 95 w so could I upgrade my motherboard?

 

[Gekko Shadow]

well, in theory that cpu may work (might need s BIOS update). It is a AM3 cpu. AM2+ sockets support some AM3 cpus (940pins vs 941). However, it might be easier to upgrade your motherboard (as well as the cpu), you could get some newer features for a reasonable price. (ie. DDR3, faster RAM, etc.)

However, another thing that you need to take into account - is the power supply. Do you know what wattage (model?) your supply has?

 

[dankdk]

I think its only a 300 watt.. I am going to upgrade that anyway. I want a gtx 460 how do i got about upgrading my motherboard? how do I know if it will fit? will only some fit due to the fact that its a factory tower?

 

[Gekko Shadow]

Lol, if you want a GTX 460 you will definitely need to upgrade.

Well you know what cpu you want, look for a board that supports your cpu (socket am3) with good solid features. And of course try to aim for a reputable brand (such as Gigabyte, Asus, MSI, etc.)

For ie. i pulled up a list:

MSI AM3/AM2+/AM2
Cooler Master 650w
Gigabyte GTX 460 768mb
Asus GTX 460 1GB

Now the board is a mATX form factor - meaning it's smaller than your typical motherboard (ATX form factor). This is based of your current motherboard in your system. And as long as you install the same form factor of a motherboard, there should be no reason why it won't fit in the case.