So how good are lenovo motherboards?

as far as I know lenovo don't make motherboards for desktop PCs. They are the company that makes IBM laptops, I've never seen or heard of any desktop hardware made by them.

 

sounds like a microATX board (4 expansion slots and only 2 memory slots). Bear in mind that if you want to do anything inside the computer, these boards are harder to work with because of their compact dimensions (everything is crammed really close together) and you may be limited in your upgrade potential in terms of graphics cards, depending on slot placement. (also PSU and case size are key factors - more on this later).

Essentially, your typical high end graphics card takes up 3 consecutive slots, the top slot (of the 3) being the PCI-E x16. This is the slot the card actually goes in. The next slot down is obstructed by the graphics card cooler and cannot be used. The third slot can be used, however it is inadvisable because any card placed in this slot will be right up against the graphics card cooler and will obstruct airflow to and from the cooler, resulting in higher GPU temps and possibly higher case temps. In order to put a decent graphics card in you may have to remove the wireless card and/or the modem.

Case wise, high end graphics cards are LONG. they will not fit in any case smaller than a mid tower (typically 4 5.25" bays and 1-2 3.5" bays) and they won't always fit in a mid tower (it depends on the individual case, as a rule if it has a full height hard disk rack inside, theres a good chance the card won't fit) Thermal management also needs to be considered, high end graphics cards put out a lot of heat and the case needs the capability to remove this heat. Especially if the CPU cooler is a bit questionable (like most stock coolers are), the increase in ambient temperature inside the case caused by the graphics card could cause issues for the CPU too.

PSU is critical, most prebuilt computers come with a no-name brand PSU that is barely of sufficient wattage to support the hardware in the computer when it arrives. (its cheaper than doing it properly) and the top end graphics cards can easily pull around 200W on their own. As well as the wattage, you need to look at Amps (A) on the 12v+ rail(s). Your chosen graphics card will require a certain number of amps, you need to make sure the PSU can supply at least this number plus 10 on at most 2 rails. Additionally, there are wattage calculators floating around the net, if you use one of those make sure the PSU you buy is at least 150W MORE than what the calculator says you need. Running a PSU at close to its maximum rated output considerably increases the chance of it failing, so its always a good idea to have a bit of headroom. Thirdly you want to make sure it has the right connectors. Finally, make sure it is a reputable brand (I can give you a list of decent brands if you want). As a personal rule, I avoid all PSUs that have a wattage that is not a multiple of 50.

Don't cheap out on the PSU, the rest of the computer depends on it, and a failing PSU can damage the rest of the system in the process.

 

PCI and PCI-E are the expansion slots. PCI-E x16 is pretty much always used for graphics cards and not much else, PCI-E 1x is generally used for NICs. PCI is used for everything but its an older technology thats gradually being replaced by PCI-E

FDC is floppy disk.

 

DDR2 and 3 refer to the set of standards governing the ram. DDR3 is newer and faster than DDR2, and you cant mix. Your processor, motherboard and ram must all support the same standard.

Also note that GDDRx mentioned in context with graphics cards is not the same thing as DDRx used for system ram, it is a completely different set of standards, although both govern memory specs.