I'm looking to upgrade my PC to Windows 11, and I have a mid-size tower from 2016. I'm planning to replace my motherboard and processor, and possibly add a new hard drive, while keeping most of my existing components, including my 2133 MHz DDR4 RAM. I've run into issues in the past with PCPartPicker when trying to upgrade my CPU and fan, as I want to ensure everything fits well. Is there any place I can physically take my computer to check compatibility with new motherboards, or is this something I have to figure out myself?
1 Answer
Motherboards have standard sizes like ATX or mATX, so you can figure out what fits in your case by measuring it. If you know the dimensions of your current motherboard or find the original specs for your case, you should be able to determine which new motherboard will fit. Just a heads up, if it’s a mid-sized tower, it’s likely to support standard ATX. Also, keep in mind that modern GPUs can be quite long, so that might be an issue too.
By the way, DDR4 RAM is getting phased out, and prices for DDR5 have dropped. If you're upgrading, you might want to consider getting new RAM to avoid bottlenecks since your current RAM is pretty slow by today's standards.
I have an H170 Pro4, and a 1080 fits in my case just fine. Layout is important, but my main concern is making sure all connectors work with my power supply and other components. Is there a place I can actually go to check this out?