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310
12-22-2005, 03:24 AM
OK, for those that know their stuff about computers..

My motherboard was recently fried, and I need a new one. I'm assuming everything else is okay, so I will just be reusing the other components of my computer. Question is.. if I do not use the exact same motherboard, will my hard drive (running XP) boot up? I have heard that the boot hard drive is specifically mated to the motherboard it was installed with, so using a different mobo would be bad. I might have confused this with using different chipsets, but I'm not too sure. I have heard this rumor somewhere, and it might be only rumor, so someone help me out. Thx.

Chris in SD
12-22-2005, 05:49 AM
OK, for those that know their stuff about computers..

My motherboard was recently fried, and I need a new one. I'm assuming everything else is okay, so I will just be reusing the other components of my computer. Question is.. if I do not use the exact same motherboard, will my hard drive (running XP) boot up? I have heard that the boot hard drive is specifically mated to the motherboard it was installed with, so using a different mobo would be bad. I might have confused this with using different chipsets, but I'm not too sure. I have heard this rumor somewhere, and it might be only rumor, so someone help me out. Thx.


The hard drive won't care either way. You might need to update the firmware on the motherboard (through the BIOS) to account for it (the drive ID), but really the chipset is the only thing that me be uncompatible. The other thing is that it is a big assumption that only the motherboard is fried. Realistically, if it was truly "fried", there's a good chance your RAM is toast, too, along with who knows what else. The fact that a bare-bones computer is so cheap these days should encourage you to go that route. If you believe your processor is good, then buy a bare bones with a second processor slot and have a dual-proc. Hope that helps...

silvery_eagle
12-22-2005, 11:23 AM
you will have no problem booting up.
Windows Xp might ask you to put in your XP cd because they notice some change / upgrade and that's about it.

also keep in mind that if the board is fried up... there're chance that the RAM might be gone too...
if u're sure RAM is good, make sure you buy the mother board that you can use the old RAM with.

digitalxdna
12-22-2005, 12:27 PM
eesh... sorry to hear what happened.

not only do you want to check out the RAM and the CPU, but you also might want to check out any internal devices attached, esp. graphic cards/sound cards. if it's a cooling issue that caused your board to fry, your other internal devices might be suspect too...

i think you can use a different board, but you have to use the same chipset.

btw, how'd you burn up your board? cooling issue? overloading? power spike?

gofaster87
12-22-2005, 01:37 PM
You can use the hard drive on any motherboard you like but you will definately have to install some mb drivers after it boots. No big deal.

310
12-22-2005, 02:16 PM
For those suggesting that it might not be the motherboard that is the problem, here is what I did to troubleshoot. I took out the RAM and disconnected all IDE cables (so it was only mobo and cpu). Computer would not boot up. I then placed the RAM in a working computer (RAM worked fine). So that eliminates the RAM being the problem since I understand that the BIOS will still post without the RAM. I tested if the graphics card was bad by putting that into another system (it was fine in the other computer).

So I narrowed down the problem to the mobo or CPU. I have not tested the CPU in another system (too troublesome).

I am thinking it's the mobo because I have had a couple friends with bad mobos in the past (the CPU was never the problem). But then again, I have a Asus A7N8X, and Asus is known to make reliable motherboards. What do you think could go bad first: a mobo or a processor? Keep in mind, I've been running this system since December 2002, and it's been running pretty much nonstop since then.

310
12-22-2005, 02:18 PM
you will have no problem booting up.
Windows Xp might ask you to put in your XP cd because they notice some change / upgrade and that's about it.

also keep in mind that if the board is fried up... there're chance that the RAM might be gone too...
if u're sure RAM is good, make sure you buy the mother board that you can use the old RAM with.




I'm not really sure what the problem was. Cooling was decent. I don't overclock. But a lot of dust accumulated inside the box, so that might be it. The computer has been running almost nonstop for 3 years.

310
12-22-2005, 02:20 PM
OK, for those that know their stuff about computers..

My motherboard was recently fried, and I need a new one. I'm assuming everything else is okay, so I will just be reusing the other components of my computer. Question is.. if I do not use the exact same motherboard, will my hard drive (running XP) boot up? I have heard that the boot hard drive is specifically mated to the motherboard it was installed with, so using a different mobo would be bad. I might have confused this with using different chipsets, but I'm not too sure. I have heard this rumor somewhere, and it might be only rumor, so someone help me out. Thx.


The hard drive won't care either way.* You might need to update the firmware on the motherboard (through the BIOS) to account for it (the drive ID), but really the chipset is the only thing that me be uncompatible.* The other thing is that it is a big assumption that only the motherboard is fried.* Realistically, if it was truly "fried", there's a good chance your RAM is toast, too, along with who knows what else.* The fact that a bare-bones computer is so cheap these days should encourage you to go that route.* If you believe your processor is good, then buy a bare bones with a second processor slot and have a dual-proc.* Hope that helps...


My budget is only about $100. I can't even afford a barebones right now.

Evoegg
12-30-2005, 06:28 PM
Well man, see if your power supply is fried.

IME - Power gets fried first, then MB, CPU, RAM. BTW RAMs nowadays are almost bullet proof.


well if you wanna check it out. PM me, 626 can always come to my work place and have a free check up. yes any computer problems are free to check up.



Evoegg

silvery_eagle
12-30-2005, 09:03 PM
evoegg do you work at newegg.com?

Evoegg
12-30-2005, 10:10 PM
Once you know, you are OLD EGG.

Nope 5 years ago I got a chance to get into Newegg (ABS computer), but I didnt. Now I work at some other computer company that is more like wholesale.


BTW my side job was an IT guy. that is why I can fix those damn computers


Evoegg

310
01-17-2006, 07:29 PM
Well, I completely forgot about this thread.. :laugh: Anyway, the problem was the motherboard, so I went ahead and replaced that. Thanks for the feedback.