Replacing gateway dx4320 motherboard

looksha1

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Aug 4, 2012
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Hello,
My gateway dx4320 just died, hdd light and light on ethernet port flash 2x repeatedly in sync, hard drive,fans work but no way to access bios. A clicking noise,matching the flashing lights is coming from a capacitor I think labeled HY-5 hycom near bottom of the MB. I replaced the battery, tried to reset the cmos by moving then replacing the jumper but nothing is working. I've read these motherboards love to go bad, so have I missed something or can anyone recomend a replacement mb to fit the dx4320 case? It has a lot of usb ports and card readers on the case I'ld like to use. I've got an upgraded video card and 600 watt ps plus i want to reuse the phenom proccessor, burner and hard drive. the chipset is 880 and I think the case uses an m;atx mb. Thanks
 
Solution
No, Microsoft is generally pretty good about these things, so if they told you it would work and you have the documentation (sounds like you do), then I would expect them to honor it.

In any case, don't buy a new OS until you've tried and failed to get them to honor their word. I expect you won't need to.

looksha1

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Aug 4, 2012
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Yea gateway sold all the units to Skyline Engineering leaving me with the options of a $129.00 rebuilt motherboard. Gateway should have debranded the piece of crap and I would have not been interested except for a parts machine. All I've found is used $107.00 0r rebuilt $122.00 on line with no or 30 warranties.I've been reading and dismantling the system, I know it has an early phenom ll x4 with an 880g chipset. I also read that's not a great chipset. I think I tracked the mb mnf to foxconn. Do you think getting a foxconn mb w/880g chipset will alow me to continue to use my current win7 op sys, or what will I need to do if I get a different mb with a different chipset from a dft mnf? Will the hdd boot with a different chipset and how do I know if the proccessor will work with a different chipset? I know the model # of the current system is dx4320-02e
 

JMer806

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Jun 12, 2012
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Probably if you swap the motherboard your OEM installation of Windows 7 will no longer be valid, unless you get an identical motherboard.

At this point I'd probably find a new MB from a reputable manufacturer (Asrock, Asus, etc) that fits your CPU. See if it runs without making any changes to your Windows installation - if so, great. If it stops working, reinstall it (write down your OEM registration code first, you can google to find out how to find your Windows registration code). If it doesn't work, call the Windows support center and tell them that you swapped motherboards due to a hardware issue. They *should* let you use it again, but be prepared for them to not allow it.

If you have a retail version of Windows then it doesn't matter, it's transferable to new hardware.
 

looksha1

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Aug 4, 2012
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yea I called microsoft and they told me to buy a new motherboard if I wouldn't be happy with a refurbished gateway that costs as much As a new board and only gets a 30 day wrrty. but if the win 7 didn't work to call microsoft back. I got the reps name and a ref # . But I still bet if it doesn't power up with an error code I'm gonna eat the cost of a new op sys. Shame that because of a defective mnfg. part thats only a year and a half old you need to buy a new op sys. I've ordered an asus m4a88td-v evo/usb3
 

JMer806

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Jun 12, 2012
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No, Microsoft is generally pretty good about these things, so if they told you it would work and you have the documentation (sounds like you do), then I would expect them to honor it.

In any case, don't buy a new OS until you've tried and failed to get them to honor their word. I expect you won't need to.
 
Solution

looksha1

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Aug 4, 2012
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the system is up and running. havn't gone online yet, till I tweak it up a bit, still afraid ms will shut it down, unfortunalty only the upgraded 2gb memory I installed in my original system is compatable with the new mb. Seems Gateway or skyline engineering installed kingston acr256x64d3u1333c9 chips that wont work in the asus. I had 8gb of ddr3 ram but it looks like this mb will accept up to 16 gb so I'm looking for memory. Also I have an older bios that should really be upgraded but I've got a case of heebee geebees thinking I might blow up the system, but the 138 page english manual offers 3 ways of updating the bios, I'm thinking of loading it on a flash drive first.