emachines and Acer compatibility | motherboards

rezosim14
rezosim14 Member Posts: 5 New User
edited November 2023 in 2020 Archives
Hi, 

I'd like to change a motherboard of my weak and inadequate emachines E442 laptop to a stronger one, it's not good at all for what I'm doing on it. Emachines are practically a copy of Acer laptops and I've heard they're interchangeable. I would appreciate any clues helping me to choose the compatible Acer motherboard (I'd like to have a graphics card of some sort on it, too). As there are not many components to my laptop besides its motherboard and a CPU, would changing of these two get in the way of the remaining parts working correctly? Thinking of RAM, a fan, a keyboard, and the form factor of these. The heatsink I can purchase on Ali Express separately/together with the motherboard in case the graphics card would require a different one from what's already installed in my laptop. Basically I'm searching for similar problem/solution as well as quality links with reliable info on interchangeable motherboards, so anything on that topic would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much in advance, 

Simon 

Best Answer

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 31,454 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    Laptop motherboard are typically custom made to fit the one chassis. Unlike desktops where there are standards that have to be met to fit the cases, laptops are custom to each model or model series. The E442 was part of the E442/E642/E642G series, but the G model uses a different motherboard (discrete graphics rather than the onchip graphics). Your best bet for an upgrade that doesn't involve a whole new machine would be the E642 motherboard with the N950 quad core processor. It's still going to be slow, after all this was designed for Windows 7, or a back rev to XP, and that makes it darn near old enough to vote.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

Answers

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 31,454 Trailblazer
    Answer ✓
    Laptop motherboard are typically custom made to fit the one chassis. Unlike desktops where there are standards that have to be met to fit the cases, laptops are custom to each model or model series. The E442 was part of the E442/E642/E642G series, but the G model uses a different motherboard (discrete graphics rather than the onchip graphics). Your best bet for an upgrade that doesn't involve a whole new machine would be the E642 motherboard with the N950 quad core processor. It's still going to be slow, after all this was designed for Windows 7, or a back rev to XP, and that makes it darn near old enough to vote.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • rezosim14
    rezosim14 Member Posts: 5 New User
    Thank you - I never considered emachines motherboard, 
  • rezosim14
    rezosim14 Member Posts: 5 New User
    Thank you - I never considered emachines motherboard, even a stronger one would seem on a weaker side... that's why I opted for Acer motherboards, but wasn't sure which one to choose. Not sure if there are any websites that deal with that, but I never found one. Ideally, I'd chose the motherboard that's a. compatible; b. with dedicated GPU; c. able to up the CPU game (through purchasing separate compatible CPU). I realize that's talking about a whole new computer here but I'm game for the change, and you'd be, too if you ever opened emachines. 
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 31,454 Trailblazer
    Yeah, the laptop motherboards are always custom designs, so it's really rare when two different models use the same one. Marketing tells them where to put ports and which ones to include and they design around those specs. If they were all the same there wouldn't be enough to differentiate between models.
    Desktops are a lot easier for that type of stuff... :)
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • rezosim14
    rezosim14 Member Posts: 5 New User
    I do appreciate your comments, laptops built around the ports etc. but based on what I have read in other places, I still think that older Acer laptops might have a compatible motherboard for my machines E442. I've come to this exact brand and forum (Acer) because as I mentioned in the beginning, emachines are practically the copy of Acer and share quite a bit of similar characteristics. So my hope is that someone (or some site) could help me in locating the compatible/interchangeable motherboard and that I could, then, based on the form factor, chose the one to proceed with. Acer bought emachines in 2007, my laptop is made in 2010. I can not at this point afford a new one. Anyone please, if you know, share a link to a relevant site (like userbenchmark.com) where I could locate an interchangeable motherboard? Thank you so much for any help!
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 31,454 Trailblazer
    eMachines is actually one of the Acer brands, but they were running separate operations back in those days and didn't take advantage of the potential saving by building the same systems to sell under each brand.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • rezosim14
    rezosim14 Member Posts: 5 New User
    Thank you billsey, I will definitely consider your suggestions, going with stronger machines parts is definitely a great idea I never gave a thought, yet is affordable and most trustworthy. Also it's worth trying out a dedicated GPU even if you have to get a separate heat sink for that.