B250 vs. Z270

[Dswenny02]

Hey all you amazing smart people. I found a PC on Best Buy for pretty cheap, and I was wondering if I could upgrade the motherboard while still keeping the ports the same. I have assumed that it was impossible, so I am asking you guys. Thank you.

 

[mdd1963]

as long as it is not a non-standard case with weird headers, it should not be an issue. But, if entertaining hopeful thoughts of overclocking (which require K-series processors, btw), many prebuilts come w/ 'barely enough' fans and PSUs....

 

[Dswenny02]

I am not planning on overclocking. I just wanted to know if the ports on motherboards differ. In my research, I have learned that I can upgrade the CPU only, and not the motherboard and the CPU. Thank you!

 

[raisonjohn]

Ports/Connections on motherboards may differ (or may be similar) depending on the actual motherboard model you are using, regardless of chipset (whether B250 or Z270). A B250 and a Z270 motherboard may (or may not) have the same number of USB ports, USB internal headers, fan headers, RAM slots, SATA ports, PCIe ports, etc. (though the Z270 has more PCIe lanes to use and thus, generally have more connections, apart from its capabilities to OC the CPU and RAM).

Which specific B250 and Z270 motherboards are you comparing?

 

[mdd1963]

Each motherboard will have varying amount/location of USB ports, etc., on the rear, but, MB normally comes with a new back plate/IO shield that matches the numbers/location of ports....

As long as the IO shield on your case is removable, no issue...

Food for thought....how isZ270 really an upgrade over B250, if not overclocking? Performance will be identical, so, unless you need the extra USB 3.0 header from a Z270 board, I'd think this $100-$140 purchase over a little more carefully, lest you be disappointed with identical gaming performance...