Replacement Question Ok, so after some troubleshooting I came up with a problem that either my motherboard or cpu (or both) broke. Took it to a pc store to get a more thorough troubleshooting... got same answer. Since I don't have any replacements to test which of them broke, I decided to upgrade it all together. Found some CPU/Mobo bundles, with some RAM. Now my question is, if I was to replace my motherboard/cpu/psu/ram on my pc, would anything else need replacement too? Will I have to reinstall my OS or even worse, buy new OS? The motherboard I'm buying is not the same as the one that broke, though it is on the similar line (p5n-e sli). But even so, could I buy a motherboard not in the same line and it won't affect my pc? Maybe even another brand. Sorry for long message, but thanks in advanced for any answers I get.

The old board appears to be an nForce 4 chipset while the new is a nForce 6 chipset. this may be problematic for a repair intsall so ensure you back up your data, game saves, email etc BEFORE starting



OEM s/w licence is linked to the system and usually replacing the MoBo constitutes an "new" system but replacing a faulty MoBo is IIRC allowed under the licence. You may need to call up and get an activation code though. I have done this sucessfully and IIRC it is an automated service anyways. Have a pen and paper handy though.



Have a read of these links. They may be useful when trying to repair the OS



HERE and HERE and HERE



Note 3rd link is a clean install so skip step 1 for a repair install. The old board appears to be an nForce 4 chipset while the new is a nForce 6 chipset. this may be problematic for a repair intsall so ensure you back up your data, game saves, email etc BEFORE starting

OEM s/w licence is linked to the system and usually replacing the MoBo constitutes an "new" system but replacing a faulty MoBo is IIRC allowed under the licence. You may need to call up and get an activation code though. I have done this sucessfully and IIRC it is an automated service anyways. Have a pen and paper handy though.

Have a read of these links. They may be useful when trying to repair the OS

HERE and HERE and HERE

Note 3rd link is a clean install so skip step 1 for a repair install.

there should be NO charge to get an activation code for your software. I was not charged anything when I did this exact same thing. Just ensure that if asked you tell them that the MoBo was replaced due to failure... there should be NO charge to get an activation code for your software. I was not charged anything when I did this exact same thing. Just ensure that if asked you tell them that the MoBo was replaced due to failure...