Upgrading Motherboard and Graphics Card This Weekend!! Help?

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MindaHellfire

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May 21, 2015
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So I will be putting a new motherboard and graphics card in hubby's Acer Predator "gaming" PC running Windows 7 since the factory motherboard doesn't allow graphics card swaps and the graphics card they have in there is OK but not quite good enough for FFXIV: Heavensward when it launches next week.

I had it in my head that it would be pretty simple by following these steps:
1) Backup everything (I assume using the Windows Backup system image method that is pretty standard) to an external HDD.

2) Obtain components which will be the following:
Motherboard MicroCenter Link
Graphics Card Choice #1
Graphics Card Choice #2
(gotta see how much room is in the case to decide which card to pick up)

3) Remove old hardware

4) Install new hardware (making sure to use high quality thermal paste on the existing i7 chip)

5) Boot up, re-register/re-install windows, then recover from the backup image saved on an external HDD.

However, I am reading some things about a program called Sysprep, and I am having some trouble wrapping my brain around this. Do I need to run Sysprep after the backup and before any hardware changes? Does Sysprep require you to boot into Windows, then sign on to your old account in order to use? Hubby has lots of games and stuff on the HDD and I would love to not have to reinstall all of that... I am prepared to do whatever I have to do, I just want the process to be as smooth as possible and this will be my first MoBo swap out. I'm a little nervous, and I want to be able to at least appear confident when any issues arise as they tend to do. XD

Thanks in advance for your assistance!!
 
Should be able to uninstall the GPU drivers, remove the GPU, install new GPU and then load latest drivers for it - what mobo is in there? I haven't run into many that don't allow for a GPU swap, unless it's an old one using AGP or basic PCI for GPUs
 
The system is an Acer Predator AG3620-UR20P Desktop.
The specs from the site are:
3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3770 processor(8MB Total Cache, Up to 3.9GHz) with Turbo Boost Technology
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
2TB SATA Hard Drive
12GB DDR3 Memory
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT630 Graphicswith 2GB of Discrete Video Memory
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
802.11b/g/n Wireless
16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
High-Definition Audio support with 5.1 Channel output

I have already upgraded the RAM, and wanted just to put a new GPU in but in their infinite wisdom Acer seems to only allow certain GPUs to be swapped in without a BIOS update issued from them, and they have not touched the Windows 7 BIOS since the original launch. There seem to be workarounds out there in Win8, but we still dislike Win8 too much to put it on his PC. I have already ordered and RMA'd three graphics cards for this MoBo as well as spoken with Acer with no luck besides being told keep checking the website for the latest BIOS update to allow it to use GPUs that are better than the GT630. :/

Hence the new MoBo that will allow me to use the rest of the bits which are very nice for a long time to come and allow me to upgrade further in the future.
 


Since you have an i7 3770, that is a socket 1155. You would need a socket 1155 motherboard if you want to change the motherboard and keep using the cpu such as a Z77 motherboard. A Z97 is a socket 1150 motherboard thus not compatible. Also you may need a new window licence if you changing the motherboard since your original licence is locked to your first motherboard. It's unlikely Acer will provide you another key but you can try.
Also, do you know what power supply you have in that system? I guessing a "500W" psu?
 
Go with the 2GB 750 TI for sure. However, check online as you could probably get one of those cards for cheaper, probably by $15-$25.

While the 750 series doesn't take a lot of power, knowing what PSU you have is vital as most pre-built systems use lower powered junk PSU's and you might need an upgrade there.
 
Thanks for the info on the socket for the CPU, I didn't know that was an issue. I just searched the MicroCenter website for motherboards that met the specs and selected i7 for my processor. I will look into that further, and alter my component choices accordingly.

The PSU in the case is a LiteOn model PS-6451-5AE that is supposed to be 500W.
 
500W is good enough for the 750 series, so you are good there in terms of power, but it's still probably an inefficient and poor quality PSU. Up to you if you want to upgrade that.
 


If you going to get a higher end graphic card then a GTX 750Ti, I would consider getting a new decent psu such as XFX 550W
 
The PSU is an upgrade I want to make later down the line on this machine, especially if we continue to upgrade it instead of building a new one. There will be no more prebuild PCs in our house!

I think the hardware in the Predator I got him is pretty good and stable for a while to come, just that darn graphics card and Win7 lockout thing that Acer has going on. 🙁 With Win8 you can disable secureboot and make upgrades pretty easily but Acer seems to have tossed the Win7 install base aside.
 
Your PSU would be good enough for now. But remember that PSU's lose efficiency over time, so considering the lower quality and age of that PSU, I wouldn't wait more than a year, sooner if you do heavy gaming.
 
Hmm, that socket information on the CPU has changed things significantly. It seems that the only MoBo Microcenter lists for that socket is this guy:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/445980/H61M-P31-W8_LGA_1155_ATX_Intel_Motherboard

And it is highly likely that it won't be found easily. I will have to check NewEgg and other places to see if I can find a MoBo that will mate with the CPU, then pick a graphics card from what will work with the MoBo. Glad I posted here before we got components and had a brick on our hands!!

I am looking at pcpartspicker.com to see what I can come up with currently as well working backwards from the CPU.
 
In picking out a motherboard with the LGA1155 socket, what chipset is best or does that depend on other components in the computer? I assume Z77 is the best to run with.

Also, is max RAM limited by the CPU or by the MoBo itself? Thanks!
 


It does not have to be Z77. it could be H61, H77 as well. As long it is socket 1155 and the motherboard supports the i7 3770. The ram would be limited by the motherboard and the OS.
 
Ohh, good call on that. I changed it to the MSI GTX 750Ti. Thanks!! :)

So, now that I have the components all ironed out I gotta see if the case has the windows key sticker that comes with most OEM installs (probably not after the MoBo issues with Acer) or take a look at the windows recovery disk and see if there is any key codes there.

But back to the question that led me here in the first place, is this Sysprep something I must run on the computer after the backup or can I just backup and begin playing as soon as the components arrive?
 
Also, I already have this graphics card at home and it's too late to RMA it because I was hoping it would work with the stock MoBo in this computer. Would it be fine enough to use for a while to play something like FFXIV? It's better than the current one, but I'm not sure how much better or if I should just eat it and get the GTX 750Ti. :/

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500368

Update: I'll just eat it and get the GTX 750Ti.
 
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