Motherboard crashed can I upgrade with a new one?

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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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my motherboard has crashed, do i buy a new computer or can I install a new motherboard? What must I look for if it is possible. I do not want to buy a whole new computer. Don't know what make the motherboard is but I know it is ddr2 compatible.
 
Solution
BFG-9000
That board came out in 2007. It cannot remap above 4GB so is limited to ~3.25GB whether or not you use the IGP. It also does not support AHCI.

If you are looking for another 10 year old motherboard to replace it with, then I should point out it could hardly be called reliable even if it's unused, new-old stock. But any Core 2 motherboard that takes DDR2 should be a fine replacement. If you are using the IGP, I suggest a nice G41 or G45 board as they can hardware accelerate H.264 and do layers acceleration for your browser (both of which the G31 IGP could not do).

BTW Windows activation is primarily dependent on the MAC address of the primary NIC, so even an otherwise identical make/model replacement board would deactivate Windows...
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Wolfshadw

Wolfshadw

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The easiest solution would be to find out the model number of the motherboard (usually printed on the board, itself) and purchase that exact model as a replacement motherboard. This way, you won't have to worry about Windows licensing, re-installing, or compatibility issues. I would note that if your current motherboard only supports DDR2 RAM, then finding one new may be somewhat difficult/more expensive than normal and you may need to look for used boards which could come with their own issues.

Upgrading motherboards would be more in line with just building a new computer.

-Wolf sends
 
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zoltan.boese

zoltan.boese

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Can you let us know more about your hardware? https://www.howtogeek.com/196893/how-to-open-the-system-information-panel-on-windows-8/
Are you sure itis the motherboard and not something pluged into it? Have you tested RAM, CPU separately?
 
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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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I have had it tested and the computer repair shop said that the motherboard is not working and that the best solution is to buy a new computer. Can I upgrade the motherboard to one that support ddr3 or 4 ram. I do not like waste so do not want to just discard my current computer case and components.
 
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zoltan.boese

zoltan.boese

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Unlikely. RAM support is defined by the processor. What components do you have? Can you read off some model names or numbers or post a photo?
 
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Wolfshadw

Wolfshadw

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Unfortunately, upgrading your motherboard also means upgrading your CPU, RAM and unless you're running Windows 10, more than likely your Windows license as well.Honestly, it'd be a lot simpler to just purchase a new computer, but again, if you could tell me the model number of your motherboard (or the model number of the computer) we might be able to find a (used) replacement and get your computer running the way it was before at minimal costs.

-Wolf sends
 
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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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melaine.gouws

Mar 15, 2018
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I tried to post a photo of the motherboard but can not. Here is what I can see printed on the motherboard. Sticker on board read: G31T-M7 (SFIS S/N) V8310026495B1E39.
Printed on board is: ECS FSB 1333 then G31T-M7 Ref 1.0 15 V83 - 011000. Hope this help. Can I upgrade the motherboard to another that will take same or newer ram?
 
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BFG-9000

BFG-9000

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That board came out in 2007. It cannot remap above 4GB so is limited to ~3.25GB whether or not you use the IGP. It also does not support AHCI.

If you are looking for another 10 year old motherboard to replace it with, then I should point out it could hardly be called reliable even if it's unused, new-old stock. But any Core 2 motherboard that takes DDR2 should be a fine replacement. If you are using the IGP, I suggest a nice G41 or G45 board as they can hardware accelerate H.264 and do layers acceleration for your browser (both of which the G31 IGP could not do).

BTW Windows activation is primarily dependent on the MAC address of the primary NIC, so even an otherwise identical make/model replacement board would deactivate Windows. While long ago I had a bunch of PCchips/ECS boards all hilariously with the same MAC (which made networking pretty exciting until I figured it out), by the C2D era they had long sorted this out.
 
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Solution
BFG-9000

BFG-9000

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G41 chipset would be closest, as it also uses the ICH7 southbridge so your current Windows installation would boot right up on it, plus it supports up to 8GB of DDR2.

I would not recommend any Core 2 board that takes only DDR3, because of the extreme difficulty today in finding any of the extremely low-density 2Gbit DDR3 that these require, which hasn't been made in years. About the most reliable way to get them is from someone parting out a socket 1366 system and then they would come in threes, not pairs.

If you are going to change the motherboard and RAM anyway, then a new processor isn't much more. Hence the recommendation for another new computer that may provide another 10 years of service.
 
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Wolfshadw

Wolfshadw

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Yep. That's a pretty old board and I'm only finding used boards on ebay for $50 to $75. While I'd still recommend building a new computer, you could take a chance on buying one of these used boards and seeing if you can get your current system back up and running.

Another option would be to get a different motherboard that still supports your current hardware such as these motherboards. but understand you would need to perform a clean Windows installation and possible need to also purchase a new Windows license.

-Wolf sends

Current Motherboard specs
 
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