Motherboard Help

[Geary]

My motherboard's busted, and I need confirmation that the one I was directed to (by Tvorsk) is the correct one.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-157-309&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=false&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=2

My PC is an Inspiron 530, and I'd like to have it fixed when I get home this Thursday. If anybody can confirm that the motherboard will work, that would be greatly appreciately. If it doesn't, then I'd like to be directed to one that does. If any additional information is needed, check the chat logs from the 13th or the 14th of this month.

[Tvorsk]

For sake of clarity.

You have a Core2-based system. It'd be somewhat hard to find a new mainboard for one, and in any case it's a "dead end" to put money on.

The mainboard I've linked there, would take up all your remaining components (old DDR2 memory, GPU, power supply, disks, etc) and should fit into your existing case, though I'm not sure if the Dell front-panel LEDs and switches won't have some weird custom connector (but if yes, you'd have same problem with any other non-Dell mainboard).

However, it'd need a new AMD AM3 or AM3+ processor.

The reason I suggested this one is that you could in the future "upgrade parts as you go", replacing DDR2 with DDR3, GPU with a better one, maybe CPU, then get a new (AM4?) mainboard that'd take your next CPU and other components... i.e. make smaller investments once in a while, instead of paying for whole new computer every couple of years.

However, Pontos pointed out that this mainboard is based on an out-of-manufacture chipset, which might not be the best choice.

And you said you would want to buy a whole new PC in a few months.

So finding a used mainboard for Core2 that fits, or a matching Dell refurb mainboard, might be a good cheap way to re-animate the current PC.

The big question is - which way would you want to go?

[Virmir]

I'm sure someone mentioned to you or you already know, but just in case, I'm pretty sure you'll have to reinstall your OS after popping in the new motherboard. And I'm not sure how recovery tools would work with a different motherboard either. Just some things to think about if you figure on getting a new PC soon anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, those more knowledgeable than me!

[William Swiftfoot]

Vir: depends on if the OS is OEM, which is more often than not the case for a rebuilt(due to costs)

[Tvorsk]

The current motherboard is a Dell one, which means the OEM Windows' activation key is flashed into the BIOS. So yes, if you change the board, Windows will deactivate - but there are some tools that could help undoing that.

Yes, it will also need either do a reinstall/recovery or some major trickery for the OS to load the drivers for the new mainboard.

However, this is going to happen for either kind of replacement - a new-old Core2-class mainboard, or a totally new one.
Only way to avoid this would be finding another Inspiron 530 mainboard, and this being a "home" series and not a "business" series, you'd need to get lucky and patient with ebay to find one.

So maybe, as Pontos suggested - for the first step, try buying a $10 USB controller in form of a PCI or PCIe-x1 card, and hope it'll get detected by Windows without extra drivers, so you can just plug your keyboard in and keep chugging along on this machine?
It's a small initial investment so a small loss if it end up not working.
(If you'll do that, make sure to let it wait a few minutes after boot before giving up and assuming it did not install.)