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General discussion

Mainboard replacement

Aug 18, 2004 2:48PM PDT

After trying everything i could think of it seems there is no hope for the motherboard i just bought. It's junk. It was a PC Chips M811. What I'd like to ask all of you now is, since Im obviously not going to buy another PC Chips part, what do you think is the best bet for this configuration:
AMD Duron 1.3
256 DDR Ram
ATI radeon 9200 SE 128
A creative 128 Sound Card (ct4750)
one 40 GB HD
one CD-R
Now, I'd like an onboard NIC but thats not essential.
Im looking for a QUALITY board and a (reputable) online dealer since the only places in my town are outrageously pricey. Im willing to spend on this provided its going to last for the life of the computer. If anyone can point me to a site with the info i need (i've googled extensively over these last 3 days and had no luck) or provide any information whatever, I'd be eternally grateful.
Thanks in advace,
-bj-

Discussion is locked

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Re: Mainboard replacement
Aug 19, 2004 12:17AM PDT

Just a comment. Your list didn't include the power supply. Too many use 350 Watt power supplies and have nothing but trouble. Or the supply is less than new.

Your post is not unlike the usual and it may be best that you learn about power before you buy another board.

Bob

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Re: Mainboard replacement
Aug 19, 2004 2:25AM PDT

Ive tried a 400 , 300 , and a 250. I ordered a power supply tester last night so I'll check them out before i make any more purchases.
-bj-

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Re: Mainboard replacement
Aug 19, 2004 2:35AM PDT

A proper power supply tester that will draw a few hundred Watts are pretty rare and very expensive. The usual tester just lets you power up the supply and is a go-nogo set of LEDs. It's likely your tester is a waste of cash.

Instead I just pick up 450 or higher power supplies by the boatload and use those.

The extra Watts keeps such machines from showing up in the repair bays.

Bob

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Re: Mainboard replacement
Aug 20, 2004 5:40AM PDT

There is an easy way to see if your power supply will turn on outside the system. Jumper the green wire on the ocnnector that would go to the motherboard to any black wire. If you have access to a digital voltmeter you can check the voltages. They are as follows:

Black...... Ground
Yellow..... +12 volts
Red........ +5 volts
Orange..... +3.3 volts
Blue....... -12 volts
White...... -5 volts
Slate...... +5 volts
Violet..... +5 volts

If you are still wanting to replace your motherboard check out the Gigabyte 7N400 Pro 2 board. This board has many integrated features that you might be interested in.