Help With Finding A Compatible Motherboard For My PC

Lthe shadow on 13/07/2019 - 17:00
Last edited 14/07/2019 - 22:25 by 1 other user

Hi, I’m hoping a kind person will help me find a motherboard that is compatible with my current PC build, as I am not an expert in computers by any means. I can put the parts in, but I don’t know what parts to buy (whether they are compatible).

I had my computer built about 8-10 years ago, but a power surge destroyed some parts. I had to buy a new HDD, power supply and monitor. About a week after I had installed the new parts, my sound died and now doesn’t work at all (even after uninstalling/reinstalling different audio drivers), so I think the on-board audio is faulty. My current motherboard is an Asus M5A78L-M LX.

My PC:

  • AMD Athlon II X2 260 Processor 3.20 GHz
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
  • CoolerMaster MWE Bronze 650
  • Kingston 8 GB DDR3 RAM
  • Philips 246E 24" Monitor
  • 3 HDDs
  • LG Blu-ray Drive
  • Windows 10 Home 64-bit

I want to buy a motherboard that is compatible with that set-up. Maybe this is a silly question and they’re all compatible? But I don’t want to buy one and have it not work. Or is it that if I buy a new motherboard, I will have to buy a new, compatible CPU? Sorry for being a noob.

BTW, I am NOT a PC gamer. I just use my PC to browse the internet and watch movies, TV shows and YouTube. Plus a little Photoshop. That’s it. I don’t need the “best” hardware.

I’m going for the cheapest motherboard I can purchase for my needs. I’d really appreciate it if someone could help me out and let me know if the following are compatible with the rest of my PC? In case one is out of stock at my local Dcomp store, I can pick the cheapest that is in stock.

Here are the motherboards I’m looking at (I just sorted by price up to $150):

ASUS Prime A320M-K - $79

MSI B450M PRO-M2 - $105

Asus PRIME B450M-K - $115

ASUS PRIME B350M-A - $119

MSI B350M Gaming Pro - $119

Asus PRIME B450M-A - $129

MSI B450M Bazooka Plus - $139

Gigabyte B450 Aorus M Gaming - $149

MSI B450M Mortar - $149

If they are all compatible, is there a particular one you guys would recommend? Thanks a bunch.

Computing Computer Component Motherboard

Comments

  • Hybroid on 13/07/2019 - 17:12
    +4

    The only part that matters is the CPU which is a AM3 socket. So you need an AM3/AM3+ compatible motherboard.

    Here's a list of compatible mobos: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/?compatible_wi…

    • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 17:31

      Thank you so much for your help.

      I checked, and most of the motherboards I listed have AM4 sockets, so does this mean I will need to purchase a new CPU that is an AM4 socket? I think so, but just asking for confirmation. :)

      Thanks for the list too! I don't think the DComp store will sell AM3 socket mobos though (I'm assuming they're way older stock), so I guess I'll just have to buy both a new motherboard and CPU that are AM4. And that should be fine with the rest of my PC?

  • Wystri Warrick on 13/07/2019 - 17:21
    +2

    Hey op,

    Those motherboards aren't compatible with your processor.

    This is the cheapest I could find that's compatible. Asus website
    This is the cheapest new motherboard I could find that's compatible. Aside website

    Edit: thanks to @Hybroid for the PC part picker link. Had a quick look and the cheapest new board is $68.98

    • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 17:36
      +1

      Thank you for taking the time to look for those parts! I appreciate it. :)

      I just want to keep things simple though and just buy parts from my local Dcomp store. Hybroid told me it's just the socket between the mobo and CPU that need to be compatible. So can I just buy an AM4 mobo and an AM4 CPU and they'll work together just fine with the rest of my build?

      • Wystri Warrick on 13/07/2019 - 17:44
        +1

        No worries!

        Yup if you just want to replace the motherboard you'll need an AM3 socket board.
        However if you want to go down the AM4 motherboard and CPU route you'll also need DDR4 RAM, at this price point you may just want to consider a Dell optiplex as mentioned by @Kangal

        • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 18:00
          +1

          Computers are so complicated! XD; Yeah, a new mobo, CPU and RAM will definitely add up …

          Thanks again for helping me out. I googled the Dell Optiplex and they were showing as $1500+ … except for refurbished ones. Are they really OK to buy? I found this one for $249:

          https://refurbs.com.au/collections/desktops-1/products/dell-…

          Is it OK for my simple needs? And I can just install my three hard drives, blu-ray drive, etc. in it with no problems? Also, it only has 4GB of RAM … would it be safe to assume it's DDR4 RAM? And I can just buy another 4GB of DDR4 RAM to put in? Sorry for all the noob questions. :(

          • Wystri Warrick on 13/07/2019 - 18:19
            +1

            @the shadow: That's a second gen i5, at $249 it's quite expensive. It does use DDR3 though, so you'll be able to use your current RAM.

            I've just searched these for you:
            $208 Dell Optiplex 9020 - Intel i5-4570, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, HD Graphics + Warranty
            $249 Dell Optiplex 9020 SFF Desktop PC Intel Core i7 4470 3.4GHz 16GB 500GB WIN10 PRO
            $280Dell Optiplex 3040 Micro PC Desktop Core i3-6100T 3.20GHz 4GB 500GB HDMI WIN-10

            All those PC's that I listed will meet your basic needs and they're compatible with you RAM too.
            Not sure how many HDD bays there are so you may not be able to put you other HDD's in, unless you use your old case.
            As for your Blu-ray drive if the PCs I listed only accept slimline optical drives then your Blu-ray drive won't fit, unless you use your old case.

            No need to be sorry, we all start at the beginning with everything :).

            • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 18:38
              +1

              @Wystri Warrick: Thank you so much! I really appreciate that you took the time to help out a stranger on the internet. :)

              You made it so simple for me. I just need to choose one of the links you gave me! ^_^

              I can definitely just use my old case if the HDDs/Blu-ray won't fit in the Dell one.

              Thank you again for all your help. You're a lifesaver. :)

            • The mikky on 13/07/2019 - 20:30
              +1

              @Wystri Warrick: If it’s a dell PC, it probably will not work in any other case other than the one it came in. (Without some serious mods that I wouldn’t recommend anyone do)

              You could look at some of the deals from techfast, do a quick search on OZB for techfast and you will come across them, the new computer will not arrive quickly but they do really good deals, especially if you aren’t concerned with the brand of every part.

              • Wystri Warrick on 13/07/2019 - 21:43

                @The mikky: I believe Dell moved to industry standard ATX form factor quite a while ago.
                Though that wouldn't stop them from messing with the IO shield size and the front connectors such as HDD activity, power and reset may be unlabelled and will require tracing the wires. Damn you Dell. This is why I'm a major fan of industry standards and open source >:(…

                • The mikky on 14/07/2019 - 08:04
                  +1

                  @Wystri Warrick: Not to mention power supplies, and not using standard power connectors, and often not including many data ports for additional things

                  • Wystri Warrick on 14/07/2019 - 18:03

                    @The mikky: I believe Dell has shifted to ATX spec some years ago.
                    Though now that I think about it did Dell change the 24 pin ATX pinout configuration, so if you connect a non Dell industry standard ATX PSU it kills the motherboard, not sure if Dell still does this, or maybe it was another company and not Dell? Hmm I can't remember.
                    Ah another company that uses proprietary stuff is HP, or at least they once did, not sure about now though.
                    But yeah, I hate it when companies use non industry standard and or screw with industry standard designs. It's always lower quality than industry standard and it costs $ooo much more to repair :(.

  • garetz on 13/07/2019 - 17:25

    Your computer is pretty old, the chances you will find a new motherboard to replace yours is slim to none, you would have to look at the 2nd hand market place.

    • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 17:42

      Thanks for your input. I don't want to buy second-hand parts though. I'm gathering that I can just buy a new mobo and CPU?

      • nushydude on 14/07/2019 - 10:15
        +1

        And new DDR4 RAM too. I think the Ryzen 3600 + MSI B450 Tomahawk + 16GB DDR4 3200 combo is the sweet spot. You would need to upgrade the bios on that motherboard but you can do that without installing a CPU on that board if you have the rom file and a USB stick.

        • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 12:17

          Thank you for your recommendations. I'm super cheap though, lol, and I was looking more at purchasing these:

          ASUS Prime A320M-K $79 + AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Processor $149 + ADATA DDR4 2666 8GB Longdim $59 = TOTAL: $287

          Does that work? I just want to be able to replace their respective parts and have the PC work. Why do I need to upgrade the bios?

          • fyrepindx on 14/07/2019 - 13:46

            @the shadow: Definitely. But get the Thermaltake RAM! It's the same price

            • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 19:22

              @fyrepindx: Thanks! I ended up with Crucial because that was the only 8GB they had in stock. Better than ADATA because at least I've heard of that brand before, lol.

          • smashman42 on 14/07/2019 - 14:42
            +1

            @the shadow: The 300 series boards were released for the first gen (1000 series) Ryzens, so the newer 2000 series might not work without the BIOS firmware update. As in, the computer won't turn on. You'd need at least a B450 board to be able to just plug and play. You might be lucky and the A320 board might be newer and have the updated BIOS already, but then you might not be lucky too.

            To save costs you could drop to the Athlon 200GE - it is basically a shaved down version of the Ryzen 3 2200G (so still might need the BIOS update), two cores four threads, as opposed to the genuine 4 cores in the R3. It also has weaker integrated graphics (Vega 3 rather than Vega 8), but your dedicated card is so old that even the piddly Vega3 would beat it anyway. Not that you game so that's irrelevant.

            Ryzen CPUs are very sensitive to memory bandwidth, so with the savings on the CPU I'd recommend spending another $10-20 on getting a dual channel RAM 8GB kit, 2666 speed is fine seeing as you don't game, even 2400 would be OK. You should do that even if you stick to the 2200G as it totally ruins these CPUs running on single channel, unlike Intel they will miss dual channel. Hell, even a dual 2133 would be better than a single 2666.

            I upgraded my friend's media centre PC with an Athlon 200GE ($79), Asrock B450M-HDV ($99) and Silicon Power 2x4GB DDR$-2400 ram kit ($89) between xmas and new years when his died, these bits would be fine for you too and the RAM at least should have dropped in price.

            • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 19:21
              +1

              @smashman42: Thank you very much for taking the time to write all that up - you didn't have to and I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I had already purchased the parts and only read your message when I got back home. :(

              But I got lucky and I didn't have to update the BIOS. It just worked! :) They only had a single stick Crucial 8GB RAM in stock, so I got that instead. I would've liked a kit of 2, as well, because I remember that was recommended years ago. Oh well, I don't use my PC intensively so I think it should be fine. The most high intensive thing I do is watch a Blu-ray movie in the drive, I think. XD;

              Anyway, thanks again for your recommendations, even though I couldn't use them. I still really appreciate it. :)

  • Kangal on 13/07/2019 - 17:31
    +4

    For the price of $79-$149, you can buy a PC with much better specs.

    Common favourites are the Dell Optiplex SFF PC's, there's also the LattePanda Alpha or other microPC's, not to mention APU's like the Intel i3-8100, Ryzen 2200G and 3400G options.

    PS: Your system is usable, except for the Broken Motherboard, Outdated CPU, and Outdated GPU. Get rid of them for $10, and replace it with an APU. Or sell all of it for $20, and get a second-hand Optiplex as stated earlier for around $200.

    • the shadow on 13/07/2019 - 18:04

      Thank you for your advice. I might just do as you suggest and buy a refurbished Dell Optiplex, since it seems purchasing a new mobo, CPU and RAM would cost about the same and not be worth it.

      Unfortunately, your other recommendations go over my head, lol. But that's OK. ;)

  • The mikky on 13/07/2019 - 20:37
    +1

    You could look at this, is brand new, would easily do what you need

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ryzen-3-2200G-120GB-SSD-8GB-DDR4…

    Does not include OS, but you might be able to move it from your old PC ?

    • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 12:12

      Thank you for your recommendation. I'm currently contemplating purchasing it or just buying the parts I need, even though the build is better value, I don't really need all its extras. I'm headed to my local Dcomp store soon to see if the Ryzen is in stock.

      I'm looking at buying ASUS Prime A320M-K $79 + AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Processor $149 + ADATA DDR4 2666 8GB Longdim $59 = TOTAL: $287

      Is that all compatible together and with my current build? And I can just throw away my old GPU because I assume the Ryzen has better graphics?

      • The mikky on 14/07/2019 - 16:24
        +2

        Should be fine, just ask the computer store to do a bios update for you on the mother board. Because it might need one to work with 2000 series CPU’s

        Most of them will do it for you if you bought it from them, or ask AMD for a loan kit, so you can update the bios.

        If you have an SSD or some money for one, I would highly recommend one for the OS.

        • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 19:28

          I'm on my "new" PC now and the sound is glorious (for the most part - I'm currently having a very weird issue with it). I didn't need a BIOS update, it just worked out of the box. :)

          I would've liked to purchase an SSD to have my OS on, but unfortunately, I already have 3 HDDs (2TB, 3TB, 3TB) with a ton of stuff on them and no more available SATA ports lol (my Blu-ray drive takes up the fourth). And SSDs are so tiny. XD;

          Thanks for all your help. :)

          • The mikky on 14/07/2019 - 19:38
            +1

            @the shadow: No problem, hope the new PC works well for years to come.

  • Brendoo on 14/07/2019 - 09:00
    +1

    You sound like you'd like to keep this as simple as possible and as low budget as possible and ideally buy something new.

    If you are perfectly happy with the performance of your current PC (should be fine for your mentioned needs), then I would recommend replacing the motherboard only. This one (brand new) from a reputable seller on eBay for $113.90 (with free postage) will suit your needs. You can keep the same CPU and RAM along with everything else you already have:

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Gigabyte-GA-78LMT-USB3-AM3-mATX-…

    The board is made by Gigabyte, who are a brand just as reputable as ASUS or MSI. You'll get a bonus of USB 3.0 on this new board, vs 2.0 on your old one, which will be significantly faster if you happen to plug USB sticks into your PC with photos or video.

    **Note: I'm wondering if your current PC really has an audio hardware problem. That is extremely rare (although I note you said you had a power surge, but it was ok for a while). I would still suspect a driver problem, not sure if you have a computer friend who could take a second look? Might save you a hundred bucks or more.

    • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 12:32

      Thank you for taking the time to find me that motherboard. I appreciate it. :) I'm going to Dcomp soon to see if the Ryzen is in stock since I don't actually mind an "upgrade", but if it isn't, I definitely have your option in mind too. Simple and cheap fix. Thanks. :)

      Re: the audio problems, I do think it's hardware because I had no driver problems before it in the past 8-10 years I had the PC. I originally installed Windows 7 on the new HDD, then after a week and a half, the sound just died. Uninstalling/reinstalling the audio driver worked a couple of times, for a few days, and then would die again. Then uninstalling/reinstalling the drivers wouldn't work at all, until I fiddled with the Device Manager and somehow got Windows Update to download an audio driver update through there … where the sound came back for 3 days, then died again.

      I then just installed Windows 10 onto the HDD (where my Windows 7 stuff went to Windows.old), and the sound still didn't work. Until Windows Update again downloaded an audio driver and the sound came back … for one night before it died. lol.

      I now have no audio drivers installed at all (though I did try uninstalling/reinstalling again and again), but occasionally, my computer will make "static" noises as though the speakers are on but nothing's playing. So I think it is hardware? I don't know. XD;

      Sadly, no computer friend. :(

  • HeWhoKnows on 14/07/2019 - 18:04

    You dont neeed a new motherboard to rectify the audio.
    Just plug in an audio card and you are done

    • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 19:29

      Thanks for your input, but if the on-board audio on my motherboard was faulty, I was concerned that the rest of it would also degenerate and have more faults down the line from the power surge that damaged it, hence why I preferred to get a new motherboard instead of just buying a sound card.

  • the shadow on 14/07/2019 - 19:44

    UPDATE:

    I ended up purchasing the ASUS Prime A320M-K Motherboard + AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Processor + Crucial 8GB DDR4 RAM for $283.

    I'm on the PC now and everything is… ALMOST perfect, lol. I have a very odd sound issue. Can anyone help me figure it out? I'm not sure if I should start a new thread, but for now, here it is:

    So I turn the PC on for the first time and THE SOUND IS BACK!!! I opened Chrome and watched several YouTube videos. Sound plays perfectly. Great!

    But then Windows 10 notified me that I had to restart my PC so it can finish installing stuff. So I did. Now this is where it gets odd.

    I restart the computer and … now the sound in Chrome does not work. No sound on YouTube or Facebook videos when using the Chrome browser. BUT … the sound works FINE on music being played on Winamp, on videos being played on PotPlayer, and weirdly, even on YouTube in Firefox! So YouTube has sound in one browser but not the other… and my PC has sound.

    I'm so confused. Help?

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