Motherboard Compatibility Questions

[jelatin]

I am currently shopping around for a new motherboard for my computer. I took the tower to compUSA but unfortunately they did not have a
motherboard that would suit my needs. I am replacing the existing motherboard because my new Dell did not come with an AGP slot, and as an
avid gamer, I can't put in my Radeon 9000 card. The advice the people at compusa gave me was to search newegg or pricewatch for a Micro ATX board. Unfortunately, I do not know how to check the compatibility of motherboards with my existing hardware. The only thing I know it must be compatible with is the CPU (intel). My question is what other things does the motherboard need to be compatible with and how do I check the compatibility of my existing hardware with a new motherboard I might buy. Once I have a compatible motherboard I'm taking it to compUSA to have them install it, so no worries about installing problems. Thanks for your time. (if system specs are needed to answer my question i would be glad to provide them, but please be as specific as possible about what you need to know, I'm semi computer illiterate compared to most people here)

[SPNKr]

As far as I know you can't put a third-party motherboard in a Dell case. I looked into that with my old Dell, but it has a proprietary mounting system.

[Panama Red]

You may have another problem trying to retrofit a Dell. They often times use a proprietary wiring scheme/power supply which prevents using an after market motherboard. You may be better off saving your money to build a new tower using the hard drive and optical drives from the Dell, or sell the Dell intact and build one that suits your needs.

[TheJackal]

You cannot install a regular Micro ATX motherboard into a Dell case, without doing extensive modifications to the case.

If you desperately want to upgrade I would look at a new Case, Power Supply, and Motherboard. You could easily transfer over your drives, ram, and processor.

[redbaron_snoopy]

If its a new Dell, any chance of getting Dell to replace the motherboard with one that has AGP ?

Or how about upgrading your old PC (that has the Radeon card) and have 2 PCs instead ?

[bobdog3501]

Seems like I remember hearing that Dell power connectors do not use standard wiring and will toast any non-dell motherboard you connect to it. This is a vague recollection of a comment my business partner made about a year ago, so don't take this as fact until you confirm it elsewhere. As I recall, he said that the pinouts on the motherboard connector were non-standard.

I don't mean to sound like Chicken Little, but it's potentially serious enough that I would spend some time finding out before you start plugging in new parts.

A new case is no big expense. I splurged over the holiday and set up a new system using an Antec Sonata ATX case and like it a lot. Cost should be $100-$125, depending on how carefully you shop. It includes a 380 watt power supply, 5 internal drive bays with rubber mounted sleds, 3 external 5.25" bays and 2 3.5" bays, plus a quiet 120 fan. Nicely done case.

[TheJackal]

Originally posted by redbaron_snoopy If its a new Dell, any chance of getting Dell to replace the motherboard with one that has AGP ?

Probably not. Even if they were willing to, for the price they would want, it would be cheaper to buy a new motherboard and case/PSU.