Noob Upgrading Motherboard & CPU , please help

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gloubson1

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Aug 20, 2017
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Hi , this is my 1st time attempting to build or upgrade a pc , I'm was a hardcore console gamer who recently moved to the master race and only really plan on gaming with my pc , any help is appreciated

For now I only want to upgrade the MoBo and CPU
I currently have a Gigabyte F2A78M-HD2 motherboard , a AMD x4 880k CPU , a GTX 1050ti GPU , a AeroCool Integrator 500w 80+ PSU and a Fierce Rift Gaming case from Fierce Pc UK

After abit of research I Am now planning on buying a MSI B350 tomahawk Motherboard with a Ryzen 5 1600x and a better GPU at a later date , I would like to keep my power supply and case if I can but that's the main reason I'm here because I'm not sure if it will all work , here are my main concerns

Is that motherboard compatable with my case ? I'm really not sure how to tell & I cannot post a direct link to the case info so I will have to post it here

Features:

Full side window
Mesh concave front
Vibrant Red LED fans
Specification:

Front Panel: ABS+Metal Mesh

Side Panel: Windowed:

Chassis: SPCC 0.5mm, Black painting interior

PSU Port: Bottom / ATX / covered

Reserved Fan Ports:

Front: 3x12cm
Rear: 1x12cm
Drive Bays:

5.25'' exposed x0
3.5'' exposed x0
3.5'' hidden x2
2.5'' SSD x2
PCI Expansion Slots: x 7

Size: Chassis: L400*W188*H430 mm

Case: L460*W206*H470 mm

Will the 125w near silent cooler from the 880k be enough for the ryzen 1600x ?

And finally will my power supply be enough ? I will probably upgrade my GPU to a 1060 6gb at the end of the year

there's likely something I have missed so please fill me in , thank you for your time
 
Solution
neiler0847
The fact that there are 7 expansion cutouts in the back tell me that the case supports the size of an ATX motherboard. And I think I can see punchouts (or at least markings for punchouts that are labelled with a capital "A"

It's hard to see the mounting points though. And did your case come with any additional hardware? If not, you may have to acquire additional motherboard standoff screws. The ATX motherboards have more mounting screws than the mATX. Perhaps their (Fierce PC's) home-grown cases semi-support all motherboard sizes, but they finish the mounting points off once the system is configured and they know which motherboard is going in.

It wouldn't hurt to send a quick email to Fierce PC. Depending on the service they...
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Thanks for the reply , unfortunately That is all the info I can find online about the case , maybe I will have to contact the seller but their customer service is Very slow , I've been waiting on a reply from them since Wednesday
 
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This seems to be a proprietary case that Fierce uses for their pre-built machines. Their website does not readily provide any specs. From google images of the case, it looks reasonably large, so I'd hope that it supports ATX motherboards. I'm pretty sure your current motherboard is mATX (micro-ATX) though.

The MSI B350 tomahawk is an ATX motherboard. Perhaps it is also offered in smaller variants? You didn't offer a specific model number.

What are the dimensions of your current motherboard? How many expansion slots are offered at the back of your case?

You could also post detailed photos of the inside and back of the case for us to view.

 
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The fact that there are 7 expansion cutouts in the back tell me that the case supports the size of an ATX motherboard. And I think I can see punchouts (or at least markings for punchouts that are labelled with a capital "A"

It's hard to see the mounting points though. And did your case come with any additional hardware? If not, you may have to acquire additional motherboard standoff screws. The ATX motherboards have more mounting screws than the mATX. Perhaps their (Fierce PC's) home-grown cases semi-support all motherboard sizes, but they finish the mounting points off once the system is configured and they know which motherboard is going in.

It wouldn't hurt to send a quick email to Fierce PC. Depending on the service they offer existing customers, you may get all sorts of help from them.

Some case manufacturers will support the ATX board, but leave little clearance above the power supply for elegant cable management, but you can always manage.
 
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Solution
Also, Tom's own PSU tier list ( http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html ) ranks an AeroCool Integrator as a Tier 4 power supply.

It's pretty common for pre-built systems to come with cheaper PSUs that are just good enough. 500W is probably enough for what you propose, but if you plan to start using better components, I would recommend getting a better power supply. Protect your investment with clean, efficient power.

Watch for sales, and pick up a nice modular Bronze or Gold rated PSU (from Tier 1 or 2) when the price is right. Don't forget that you'll get 10 or more years out of a good power supply, so it'll last into your next machine.
 
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One last opinion .... save the money and go with the Ryzen 5 1600 instead of the 1600x. Then it comes with a decent stock cooler that is guaranteed to fit the AM4 socket. The 1600x doesn't come with a cooler and your current CPU cooler won't fit unless you can get an adapter.
 
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Thanks Neiler , I took your advice and got the Ryzen 5 1600 with a Seasonic G550 550w 80+ gold PSU , I just have one last question.

I have a windows 10 OEM disk , will I be able to use it with my new motherboard at all ?
 
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Is that Windows 10 currently installed on a different PC?

If so, read and do this before changing any hardware:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html
 
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Thanks guys , I think I'm all set now

I emailed fierce pc and they told me the case supports mini ATX , ATX , Full ATX and mini ITX boards

I've also linked my digital windows 10 licence to my Microsoft account

I guess that's everything for now , thanks alot
 
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Yes, this is true.
There is a watermark at the bottom right (over everything), and you can't personalize the desktop and Taskbar.

Other than that, it seems to run just fine.

I have an unactivated Win 10 Pro running in a VM, to test exactly this. Installed Dec 8 2016, so 8 months now.
 
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Do *NOT* use the OEM disk. It will have the wrong drivers and not go through a full install. Instead download the "windows10 media creation kit" and build a bootable USB. Do this even if you are trying to reuse your original win10 key.

To get the best shot at reusing a win10 key:
1.Get a microsoft account.
2. Link your win10 key to your account
3. Build your new PC and boot the win10 install USB
4. build the new PC logging onto your microsoft account as part of the win10 install process
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki/insider_wintp-insider_security/how-to-connect-to-a-microsoft-account-in-windows/c1614fe6-a9cd-4723-a9e0-7293d9cdfd4a?auth=1
5. then move your license to this PC using this technique ending with "this is the device i am using right now" https://www.windowscentral.com/how-re-activate-windows-10-after-hardware-change

Good luck.



 
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