Need assistance with upgrading to a new MBOA CPU, RAM, and an M.2 drive.
Need assistance with upgrading to a new MBOA CPU, RAM, and an M.2 drive.
Hello everyone,
I'm trying to switch my Windows 10 system to a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM, and also add an M.2 drive for booting. I'm not sure the best approach for swapping out the hardware and reinstalling Windows to that M.2 slot. I've heard that Windows won't boot properly with a new motherboard and might require a full reinstall even without changing drives. Should I create an installation USB just for the M.2, or is a fresh Windows install necessary?
I also read that changing the motherboard usually means a full Windows reinstall, but I'm unsure if it's better to install Windows only on the new M.2 drive first, then activate it with my Microsoft account. Or should I get the system stable on my current SATA SSD before moving to the M.2 and cloning?
Another possibility is to clone my existing SATA SSD to the M.2 slot before making any other changes. Would that be preferable? I'd like a smooth transition without losing data or settings.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. My PC was built in 2016 and I've only updated the graphics card, so I'm not very familiar with this process. Please let me know if you need more details and I can provide them. Thanks a lot.
Clean install to the new drive is typically best idea. You might get lucky doing something else. Your call. Old drive in new system may boot today but give problems next week. If your hardware is 2016 era, greater chance of problems than if from 2021.
I'd agree with "I'm guessing its better to assemble the components with ONLY the new m.2 drive installed, enter bios and install to the m.2 with the usb stick, and activate the product with my microsoft account."
Make the installer via Microsoft's "Media Creation Tool", using a stick of at least 8 gb capacity. Boot from the stick with ONLY 1 drive connected. Delete all existing partitions on the drive. Follow the prompts.
Additional information would be useful.
Do you have your original Windows version?
If yes, it remains connected to the original motherboard and requires a new license.
What are the components you want to keep and replace?
Starting from an old SSD is more likely if the modification is minor, such as upgrading Intel to a few generations.
AMD behaves differently and may not work well.
The recommended approach is to transfer your desired operating system to a small USB drive and use it to set up a Windows C drive on your new M.2 slot.
Ensure no other drives are connected during this process.
Afterward, you can reinstall your old SSD and access the data files (not the applications) once they are available.
Thank you for the suggestion, it's clear that choosing the m.2 and using a USB stick from Windows installation is likely the best option.
Hi, thank you for your response.
I purchased the Windows 10 version from Amazon, a physical copy on a USB stick which I no longer possess, and the software is tied to my Microsoft account, so it shouldn't be an OEM product (unless I'm mistaken).
Here are my parts lists from PCPartPicker:
upgrading this:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bHWkHB
to this:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BkBRNc
to describe it as a new CPU, motherboard, RAM, and cooler, and then I’ll add an M.2 for booting.
As you noted, this isn’t a minor upgrade—switching from Intel to an AMD CPU, replacing the motherboard RAM, etc. All components except the 2060 Super are from late 2015 or early 2016.
I don’t expect to need to update the BIOS, since it seems compatible with Ryzen 5000 in 2023 (maybe the board will show a sticker confirming this, but it hasn’t arrived yet).
It looks like the best option is to make a Windows installation USB, install all new parts, skip the old drives, and boot only from the M.2, then perform a fresh installation. Once inside, I can activate Windows and driver updates for stability, after which I can add the SATA and HDD drives later.
You mentioned that apps won’t work on my current SATA SSD, which is helpful to know. It might be better to have to reinstall apps later, possibly with a lot of outdated or unnecessary software.
If you have any more suggestions or precautions, I’d appreciate hearing them. Thanks again for your advice.