Upgrading motherboard?

luke11d · May 12, 2013

Hello,

So here is my question: What do I need to check to make sure a new motherboard will be compatible with what I have now?

This is my setup now(upgraded Dell Inspiron 620):

Processor: i5 2320 @ 3.0 ghz (LGA 1155)

Gpu: GTX 560 SE w/ 1 gb GDDR5

MOBO: Dell Inc. 0GDG8Y

Ram:Dual channel DDR3 6gb (1 stick of 4gb and another of 2 gb) - On CPU-Z my RAM shows as 665 MHz

Hard Drive: 1 500gb with windows 7 home premium and another 500 gb (both at 5400 rpm)

So there it is. What my plan was going to be was to upgrade my motherboard and get a new case. This would give me more space and my current motherboard has a power cable that interferes with any graphics card longer than 8 inches. This is why I upgraded only to the 560 SE(space issue). With watching Linus I now realize 1 gb of GDDR5 just isn't going to be adequate for high-end games for much longer and I personally want an upgrade. I want to upgrade to a 660 or 660 ti.

I plan on getting a full tower case(for space).

But let's get to my main question: with this setup and this plan is there a motherboard that I can move my processor to(saves me money if I can just move my current cpu to it) and give me room for upgrades?(future SLI and I need a slot for my wireless card)

I want one ideally for $150 but I am willing to go to $200 if the money is worth it.

Also this might be a question for the operating system section and if so just ignore this or let me know and I'll post it there, but if I do switch motherboards does that mean I have to buy windows again or will moving the hard drive be all I have to do?

Thanks in advance, just really trying to figure out what is reliable and good for my situation.

Godlygamer23 · May 12, 2013

I'd just like to confirm what Linus has said. 1GB will not be enough - I don't even game at 1080p(I game at 1600x900), and Tomb Raider consumes 1.3GB of VRAM with everything turned up. To answer your original question....you may have to purchase another copy of Windows. Emphasis on "may." I switched platforms and didn't need to purchase Windows again. When searching for a board, you mostly have to focus on the slots and to make sure you won't get any slot interference from your cards. RAM can sometimes be an issue, but as long as it's compatible with the chipset, you're good to go. If anyone would like to add anything(or perhaps I got something wrong), I'd like to hear your thoughts.