new motherboard

[amplid]

Is that AMD overclocked yet? That might improve your performance. That is if your mobo is a decent overclocker... Just type in the mobo and 'overclock' in google and you'll find out straight away. If you need a guide to overclocking, here's one: Cyb3rGlitch Tutorials | Home. Just please don't waste ur money, which i'm sure you need for your car..., on any 939 motherboard!

Amplid

 

[Day24]

you can always try a cheap second hand 939 board until then. You should be able to pick one up for about 20 to 30 bucks.

 

[scissormetimbers]

i think ill get a cheap 939 board as stated because its gonna be a while before i can overhaul the system.

 

[scissormetimbers]

i got a few questions before i go out buying the thing, first off, how do i install it? can i just replace all the cables and chips previously on the old mobo and just pop em in this one? do i have to install vista again or perhaps drivers? also, do i have to get a new tube of thermal compound for the CPU?

EDIT: nvm about the thermal compound, i install the fan along with the CPU on the new board right?

 

[skunksmash]

i got a few questions before i go out buying the thing, first off, how do i install it? can i just replace all the cables and chips previously on the old mobo and just pop em in this one? do i have to install vista again or perhaps drivers? also, do i have to get a new tube of thermal compound for the CPU?

EDIT: nvm about the thermal compound, i install the fan along with the CPU on the new board right?

always re apply thermal paste when you remove the HSF....
the new board should be that simple to fit....
look out for standoff positions on the back plate of the case...
they may well differ to the new one.....remove any unused ones

you will have to reinstall vista ...but its always best when replacing something so key to its operation

the first thing you should install when the desktop finally arrives is the boards chipset drivers.... (many forget)

& take your time with cable management .....a lot of people find this an alien concept & dismiss the presence of wires b/c they think they have to be there....
feed them up the back of the board if possible

you would not belive the amount of heat messy wires adds to a rig..

 

[Day24]

Don't know whether you have a OEM version of Vista or not, but the activation of vista can be bothersome if you have to do so after a reinstall when you've replaced hardware. IF you have to phone in to reactivate, make sure to explain that the motherboard was defective, and that you had no other option than to replace it.
Even then they can sometimes be difficult. To be honest (not that I'm advocating you telling them anything like this, just telling you my own experiences with MS Netherlands) I've found that the only time I have not had any problems getting them to activate my windows vista over the phone was when my HD had crashed within the first few months of purchase.

Anyways, judging from the picture you posted in the other post you have going, I would indeed say it's the motherboard which is causing the problems. I still think that it's partly caused by cooling of the chip, but as it's giving you screens like that, I think there's nothing you can do but replace the thing. I do recommend that you go for a board without an integrated video chip though. And maybe, to save money, try a second hand board for cheap. I'm sure there must be loads of enthusiasts who are upgrading right about now who would be willing to part with their old board for just a few bucks. Heck, I'd give you my old Asus A8N SLI for free if you lived anywhere nearby.

 

[scissormetimbers]

will all the files on my HD transfer sucessfully?

 

[Day24]

As long as you don't format your drive while installing, it shouldn't be a problem.
Just install the motherboard, then do the bios things, and start up the computer with the vista disk in there. Select install, and install it in the exact same place. It should be ok.

If you select the same username, it should even keep the files in your documents folder.

To be sure though, I'd see if I could transfer all the files in your documents folder to a different folder, just to be sure. But the isntall shouldn't touch your other stuff. Windows install will simply create a new directory called windows.old. You can later delete this folder, if the isntall went well.

Oh, and listen to what skunksmash said! He has some great advice. Especially on the cable management.
Also, I'm not so sure you can simply place the CPU in the new motherboard with the heatsink and fan still attached to it. So make sure you have some thermal paste handy. That stuff doesn't cost all that much anyway.

 

[scissormetimbers]

As long as you don't format your drive while installing, it shouldn't be a problem.
Just install the motherboard, then do the bios things, and start up the computer with the vista disk in there. Select install, and install it in the exact same place. It should be ok.

If you select the same username, it should even keep the files in your documents folder.

To be sure though, I'd see if I could transfer all the files in your documents folder to a different folder, just to be sure. But the isntall shouldn't touch your other stuff. Windows install will simply create a new directory called windows.old. You can later delete this folder, if the isntall went well.

Oh, and listen to what skunksmash said! He has some great advice. Especially on the cable management.
Also, I'm not so sure you can simply place the CPU in the new motherboard with the heatsink and fan still attached to it. So make sure you have some thermal paste handy. That stuff doesn't cost all that much anyway.

is there an option not to format my drive? how do i know what my username is? and what do u mean by transfer my documents?

 

[Fumz]

How much stuff do you have on that 120GB and do you have a DVD burner or a second hard drive?

 

[Day24]

your username is your account name.... the name you use to log in with.

Also, if the drive is already formatted, which your drive IS, vista will NOT format it, you will need to tell it to format if you would want it to format. You don't want it to do that, so if you simply follow the normal install, you will not format your drive.

I had to reinstall my vista two weeks back, onto a different drive. My old drive, which had vista still on it was still attached though, and vista install noticed that it ws actually there, and saw that it had an install of vista on it, and therefor created a folder on the new drive with windows.old on it. It had all my old stuff in it. (though that was also still on the old drive). Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that vista WILL NOT format your drive without you telling it to explicitly.

 

[scissormetimbers]

ok good. and i have like 94GB worth of stuff on this HD and i just have a regular cd/dvd drive