Dummy needs help with Motherboard

[Guest]

Hello,

Firstimer here. Got a problem. 2 year old Compag model 7470 K-6, 500mhz. System crashed, won't come back, HD is good. This MB has all the I/O imbedded in the board. I have a replacement part number for the board and the parts house wants $250 for the board. My magic number is about $100 to replace or I'll go with a new computer.

Actually would prefer to have it magically begin to work-any troubleshooting suggestions would be appreciated.

Failing that, would like a source for a replacement board that I can buy from CHEAP!

Thanks.

J. Boggs

 

[jlanka]

Fuggettaboutit. I tried the same exact thing a few years back (trying to replace a Compaq MB) and ran into the same bull$hit - price is prohibitive. Just go with a modern up to date board (might cost a little more, but the performance gain will be worthwhile).

AFA debugging, have you ripped out all un-necessary stuff(like sound card), swapped RAM, swapped video card, etc. to see if it will POST? (I'm assuming thats your problem)

<i>It's always the one thing you never suspected.</i>

 

[Guest]

Yeah you should definitely get a new board. Make sure that you do the research on it first though. Make sure it will fit in your case (micro, mid, etc). When I first started out I just bought a board that was compatible, but didn't even think to check what size would fit in my case.

 

[neptor]

Dump the Compaq and build your own. For $250 you could get a good motherboard ABIT, ASUS, MSI or EPOX and a processor like a AMD XP 1500+. Get a good case. I got a half way decent case and PSU off of Ubid for 50 bucks that included shipping. The case held my KT7A-RAID board until I got a couple more hard drive. Still have it houses my daughters computer now. Just take the usable parts out of the Compaq like the hard drive, video card, cdrom and sound card. Really it isn't that hard just take your time. You will love it more.

 

[Guest]

Neptor, How do you like the KT7A board. I am looking at picking that up if I don't get a 266A board and want to know what an actual user thinks of it?

 

[Guest]

A 5600 series mobo from ANY Compaq would work.......Try Ebay but MAKE SURE THE AD SPECIFIES TESTED MOBO......If not they can and do often put bad stuff on there to trick unsuspecting people.

The computer as it sits is worth in a working state about $250-350 retail.

Before you trash it.........

Have you:

pulled the battery out to clear CMOS?
tried to boot using your restore cd?
If restore cd isn't working try Win 98 or ME cd and try to boot from there.

WILL the bios come up......whe you say crash is it the operating system or the bios won't post. When a Compaq motherboard is dead the "Compaq" splash screen will not come up. If you just have a flashing and no Compaq then dump or try and buy a refurb. mobo........there were so many of that series made you gotta be able to find one for about $30-50 MAX.....or a pc for $100 without hard drive, etc.

Have you checked the IDE cables? The Compaqs have a Compaq curse........THEY were what got me into building my own. The knowledge of the Compaq 5600 series and 4500 series came from my SON crashing it weekly. I soon built him a Asus A7M266...

If you do go "modern"....you can't use the cd rom from compaq.....the memory is pc100 which you could use in a PIII 750 with Intel 815 chipset which also has sound, video, and even a NIC....The P3 must be 750b not EB.....as I recall? I may be incorrect on the eb vs. b.....been so long I am so AMD I try to forget the old days. Hard Drive....over 33ATA so part it all out to a used pc shop....you 'may' get enough to buy a stick of memory and a modem/NIC card.

IF you build a new one.......GOOD LUCK

 

[Guest]

A 5600 series mobo from ANY Compaq would work.......Try Ebay but MAKE SURE THE AD SPECIFIES TESTED MOBO......If not they can and do often put bad stuff on there to trick unsuspecting people.

The computer as it sits is worth in a working state about $250-350 retail.

Before you trash it.........

Have you:

pulled the battery out to clear CMOS?
tried to boot using your restore cd?
If restore cd isn't working try Win 98 or ME cd and try to boot from there.

WILL the bios come up......when you say crash is it the operating system or the bios won't post. When a Compaq motherboard is dead the "Compaq" splash screen will not come up. If you just have a flashing and no Compaq then dump or try and buy a refurb. mobo........there were so many of that series made you gotta be able to find one for about $30-50 MAX.....or a pc for $100 without hard drive, etc.

Have you checked the IDE cables? The Compaqs have a Compaq curse........THEY were what got me into building my own. The knowledge of the Compaq 5600 series and 4500 series came from my SON crashing it weekly. I soon built him a Asus A7M266...

If you do go "modern"....you can't use the cd rom from compaq.....the memory is pc100 which you could use in a PIII 750 with Intel 815 chipset which also has sound, video, and even a NIC....The P3 must be 750e not EB.....as I recall? I may be incorrect on the eb vs. b.....been so long I am so AMD I try to forget the old days. Hard Drive....over 33ATA so part it all out to a used pc shop....you 'may' get enough to buy a stick of memory and a modem/NIC card.

IF you build a new one.......GOOD LUCK

 

[yiliang]

All 74xx machines use a AT mobo, and a ATX power supply,150W. It's had to find a good AT board. System crash doesn't mean mobo is defective. Only thing you can do with k6-2-500is oc to a 550(100x5.5) or 525(105x5). Dump it if mobo is over.

Once I used my i386/34+i387 and 4 MB Ram for CAD...

 

[sneakerski]

Build you own system, Epox, Soyo, Asus, nice boards

I live on Mars. I know nothing. God help me when it comes to computers.

 

[o1die]

Try pricewatch and select "pc kit". You may have to scroll through the 2nd or 3rd page before you find the motherboard you like. They include case, power supply, board, cpu, and heatsink. You just have to transfer your hardrive, video card, etc. over to the new case.