Upgrading to PCI-express, need help!

[AndyF]

Guys,

My current config is 3.4GHz P4, 2GB RAM, 2x160GB SATA in RAID 0, Geforce 5700, SB Audigy 2

I'm gonna upgrade to a nvidia 7800 but will obviously need a new motherboard with PCI-e compatibility. I've switched motherboard with old IDE drives before and XP did the switch quite easily. But I'm worried about whether it'll be as straight forward with a RAID config. I don't wanna reinstall XP and everything cos it's a pain. Any great solution or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[fishmahn]

Safest way is a reformat/reinstall. IF the chipsets are compatible enough, you could probably get away with a Repair install without reformat. RAID throws a wrench in the works. If you stick to Intel raid, and both old and new mobos have the same RAID controller, you may be ok. Otherwise you're stuck.

In either case, definitely get a good backup before you try in case it doesn't work.

Mike.

 

[AndyF]

Thanks...

So it's just as i had feared... everything wiped and done from scratch again... oh well

do you think microsoft would be nice enough to recognise it's not a completely new PC? or would I be ripped off for a new license?

 

[pickxx]

you will be fine for M$.....even if they think you are someone stealing from them you can run windows for 30days wtihout registering....so when you do, if they tell you to go to hell...just give them the specs of your old computer and they should allow you to use it.


i have used the same licence now 4times....3 with fresh installs and one from a AMD xp1700+, ingegreated graphics, 256RAM PC133, 40GB hDD......to whats in my sig without problems...

 

[AndyF]

Great! So I don't have to pay them twice for my XP and Office 2003... paid them too much first time round anyway

 

[pickxx]

I only paid once for XP and ero times for office....I got the entire office prof 2003 suite for free because i got it from my school because i used a lot of those programs at home for prepareing stuff for my prof's as an aid.....so they could give me one of the thousands of licences they have.

not bad for me....

I could have gotten XP prof too...but i wasn't thinking. i could have snatched a couple more ID #'s because i have multiple computers, but i wasn't thinking.