How hard is it to replace a Mobo?

[Maxemiss]

Friend (from gaming on my 360) is also updating his comp, but he has all the other stuff. Just has a very cheap mobo...

What all is needed?
and What all needs to be done when swapping out mobos? Also does the case matter?

He has Win Vista and is willing to upgrade to win7. But we have no idea what to do when his mobo comes in and how to replace it.

[Crona]

i suggest not putting in the mobo yourself if you have no idea what you are doing. Also is he keeping the same processor? if you do you might need some cooling paste. and i hope your friend checked his current hardware with his mobo. so you know your video card and processor will fit.

[denominator]

As long as you specc'd the components around the motherboard it's as simple as plugging everything in correctly. Case does matter sort of: form factor plays a role although unless you made some crazy choices it likely won't be an issue.

If my comment is complete away from what you're looking for, just provide a little more information and I'm sure you will get the answers you're seeking.

[Chadwixx]

Mobo upgrades are also the hardest thing to physically install (due to everything but the drives being plugged into it).

You should really get someone who has done it before to help you, you can fry everything if metal touches metal (bottom of mobo touching case, not using the copper stays).

[Enola]

Mehh just read the manual they come with, it's easy. Make sure you have the correct components though.

[qw4]

Check the form factor and be sure that the motherboard will fit in the case.
The only tricky thing I can think of is getting the front USB and lights for the case to work. The plugs are tiny. Everything else will only fit where it's supposed to go.

[Phraun]

It's a procedure that's pretty hard to screw up to be honest >.> Just remember to install the standoffs in the case that the motherboard sits on top of, lest you fry everything. If you can follow basic directions and keep track of where everything was plugged in originally, swapping motherboards is at worst a little time consuming.

[Karei]

If he keeps his processor he needs to have a MoBo that's has a compatible socket for it.
Various processors have different sockets they plug in to.
He'll need cooling paste to go between the processor and the socket itself to avoid frying of the CPU.
He'll need to check if his RAM is compatible with the MoBo as well. RAM doesn't fit in any holder because of the little gap in the strip.
All in all it might prove hard to find a MoBo that matches these two criteria, especially if his pc is of age.
Best thing to do is to start out with a new CPU and new RAM to go with it.

[Zoroash]

It's pretty much like building the computer all over again.

[noteworthynerd]

Yeah, if he's got an old computer and he's pulling the parts out of it and adding them to a "new" mobo, he's gonna have to buy an outdated mobo. Depending on how old the CPU is, he's probably not going to see a big benefit from a new motherboard, because he's gotta buy one that fits the CPU. Like others have said, it is a better idea to just build a whole new computer and use updated parts, especially the mobo, CPU and RAM.

[TehTiny]

There have been many things that have been designed to make mobo installation a breeze. My newest case has a motherboard tray that is both sliding and removable. It takes all the headache out of properly seating. It also makes component installation simple as well. Modular psu's ftw too!

[Enola]

And most conections are foolproof... granted a few chosen ones can still get them wrong.

[Belloc]

Replacing a motherboard is basically the same process as building the computer from base parts... except you first have to disconnect and remove everything :P So, yeah, it's even more work, I guess.