If say, you wanna replace the motherboard, how do you know if the new one will fit in your current case?

Question

I'm curious.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Motherboards tend to come in form factors (form factors describe the size and shape of the board). The best thing to do to find out the form factor of your motherboard is to go to the computer manufacturer's support website (Dell, Gateway, IBM, Sony, etc.) and look in the technical specifications section to see if it states the motherboard's form factor (It's usually the same section that would state your computer's specs like RAM, CPU, hard drive size, etc.) Another way to find out your motherboard's form factor is to open the computer's case and look at the motherboard (writing down the board's model number and doing a web search on it might reveal it's form factor). Most motherboards today are either ATX or Micro ATX form factored. Determining the form factor of your current motherboard will allow you to know what form factor to look for in your new motherboard (it guarantees the new board will be a perfect fit).

Answer 2

Motherboards are available in a variety of form factors, which usually correspond to a variety of case sizes. The following is a summary of some of the more popular PC motherboard sizes available:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motherboard#Form_factors

regards,
Philip T

Answer 3

Motherboards have a "Form Factor " listing like AT, ATX mini ATX, LPX, etc that determine what power supply and case they fit.

Answer 4

If you get the board to match your current processor and memory, then it should be the same form factor as your previous board. Don't worry so much about it fitting the case, they usually do, worry it it is compatible with your CPU and memory, that is more important.

Answer 5

I'm pretty sure there all the same fittings but if its an old case to be on the safe side just get another case there cheep enough