Laptops are known for their portability and sleek designs. Their lightweight, compact nature makes them popular with business travelers who like to stay organized on the go or those gamers looking for a portable gaming device that they can take anywhere in order to play games whenever wherever they want.
Despite this popularity, laptops have one downfall: if you get your laptop wet by spilling coffee all over it — as if anyone drinks cold beverages while working at an office desk — then there is a chance that water could seep into the motherboard area of your computer which would result in what’s called “short-circuiting.” The fix? A total replacement of the motherboard! But, is it worth it?
Replacing the motherboard of a laptop is possible, but it would be more expensive and time-consuming than simply replacing the whole thing.
What is a Motherboard?
A motherboard is the main printed circuit board ( PCB ) that contains components like CPUs, memory modules RAM, and hard disk drives HDD.
These parts are connected to each other through metal connectors which allows them to communicate. In addition, your laptop’s motherboard also has slots for all of its input/output peripheral devices including a keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
The motherboard also acts as a central hub for all the connected devices because it is where an input device’s signal will be received and sent to other components through digital or analog signals depending on what your computer needs.
Replacing Your Motherboard
But how easy is it to replace the motherboard in a laptop? Well, if you look at all the different combinations of laptop brands, models, and types of motherboard that you could have then it will be very easy to see why replacing your laptop’s motherboard would be difficult.
Not only would you have to find one that was compatible with the rest of your computer, but there’s also a chance that in its current state, replacing the motherboard could result in ruining all the other components including the processor and RAM.
In some cases, buying an entirely new laptop is cheaper than purchasing a replacement for just the motherboard. To avoid this, your best bet is to keep the motherboard away from water. Or if you truly need a spare for your laptop then I recommend that you buy one that has been refurbished and tested!
Upgrading Your Motherboard
When it comes to upgrading your motherboard, the average consumer won’t bother to replace their motherboards because it will likely cost them way too much money.
When they might need to buy a replacement anyway, most other parts would have already been outgrown or outdated by then.
For example, if a laptop is five years old and you have to buy a new motherboard for it, the chances of the other components being functional in such an environment are slim.
Therefore, it’s more cost-effective to just replace your entire computer than focus on upgrading only one part.
Conclusion
Replacing your laptop’s motherboard is only worth it if you are aware of whether or not the other components have already deteriorated and can’t be salvaged.
You also need to know that replacing one part might mean having to replace the rest of them in order for your computer to function normally.
That being said, it just simply isn’t worth it to replace your motherboard if you can just buy a new laptop instead. So, stick with what you have and try not to spill anything on it — especially drinks!
