Motherboard replacement

I've mentioned in a few other threads that I'm having (apparently random) keyboard/mouse issues. In addition, after installing my new graphics card and power supply, I had to wiggle the ethernet cord in order for the onboard ethernet to supply its green light (no internet until then).

I think this motherboard is crapping out on me. I have already completely formatted and reinstalled Windows, no effect. EDIT: The computer has also been freezing since installing the new graphics card and power supply, but the other issues have been before and after the upgrades.

Regardless, I don't have the money to upgrade my CPU/RAM/MB at this time, so I simply want to get a replacement that will work with my current CPU and RAM.

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
RAM: DDR SDRAM PC3200 (see Everest screenshot attached)
Current motherboard: GA-K8N-SLI (link)

I would like to spend around $100US or less (I don't want a complete POS, but I will be upgrading the system within 6 months or so).

Ideas would be much appreciated.

 

There are some GA-K8N-SLI boards on Ebay for around $50.

http://computers.shop.ebay.com/i.ht...&_osacat=1244&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1312


Sam

 

Ummm, did you replace the $.50 Ethernet cable? They are very low tech, and fragile and can only stand a limited number of yanks and trip-overs.

 

Looks like we're in the same boat- my machine that potentially has mobo problems (still waiting on my buddy to lend me a sata drive to see if the system will see it) has the same socket type cpu as you, and choices are getting pretty limited the older they get! I almost instinctively look for an Asus board right off the bat anymore, but I've had a good experience with an Evga board not so long ago, and have had good experiences with Gigabyte boards in the past.

This will probably be my replacement board in that machine unless I wait to upgrade the cpu at the same time, and it would work for your cpu- but not for your ram. However, 2gb of this would give you more than 2x the speed of 4gb of your current ram, and keep the total cost right at $100 before tax and shipping. I think you'll be very hard pressed to find a board anymore that will be AM2/AM2+ and DDR compatible.

 

Understand that a motherboard is the core of the computer and so a new motherboard is seen by the software industry, and the law, as a new computer. So unless you replace the motherboard with an exact replacement, or a suitable substitute from the same maker if the exact model is no longer in production, you MUST buy a new Windows license. The only exception is if you have a retail, boxed copy of Windows you bought separately at a retail outlet.

OEM/System Builders and Upgrade versions of Windows are not transferable to new computers.

 

Sorry to post again but my edit timer apparently expired. To correct what I stated earlier, 2gb of ddr2 ram would be roughly equivalent (depending on memory speed of both sets) to 4 gb of ddr, not 2x as fast. I had it in my head a 4gb to 4gb comparison, my mistake.

Since I'm here, Digerati has a good point, and that's something I almost never consider as I only own retail versions of Windows!

 

Ummm, no. Sorry, that's not how it works. 2Gb is 2Gb - regardless the speed.

 

Thanks for the replies.

The ethernet cable is like-new condition, and a high quality cable at that (has the rubber capped clips and all), and never gets touched/bumped/anything except when I'm unplugging it to mess around inside the case. I didn't have to wiggle the cord in the connection, I actually had to jig the ethernet plug inlet slightly for it to light up.

Thanks for bringing up the Windows issue, but I have a copy that will legally transfer (not OEM), so I should be safe as far as that goes!

IF I can get my keyboard/mouse issue fixed (I have a dedicated thread for it now), I'll hold out until my tax return, when I'm going to blow out on DDR3, Intel i7, and a suitable motherboard for it all.

I'm actually wondering now if I have enough mounting brackets for the motherboard, especially with the beast graphics card sitting on it now... I transferred the system from an old, bent, etc. case into a new full tower case, and it only had four (I think) mounting posts supporting the motherboard, so I transferred them to the new case as well. I'm almost thinking I bowed the motherboard and possibly short circuited or something some of the printed circuitry on the board.

That board looks cheap (and small)... but I'm honestly not going to waste money on a new motherboard AND RAM for 6 months of use, I'm looking to spend as little as possible.

 

And that board wouldn't work for me anyway... my CPU is socket 939.

 

That would be very odd if you case does not have more mounting points. ATX cases are designed to support 1000s of ATX motherboards and typically have several more mounting holes than any given motherboard. Even with four it should still sit level and not be warped.

What is the case make and model?

 

Haha, it's not the case's fault, it's mine!

I didn't use the new mount posts supplied with the new case, I transferred the old mounts from the old case, and there were only 4 old mounts. There's plenty of holes and plenty of new mount posts... I just didn't use them, because it worked fine in the old case that way. Like I said, though, plugging a heavy graphics card into it might've changed that scenario.

The new case is sweet... link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811103011

 

It's both, but In my case I just need something cheap to play movies and you requested something under $100. Bummer about the socket type, I've gotten so used to AM2/2+/3 sockets by now it's reflex when I see an unspecified athlon.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic at all Digerati so please don't misinterpret this, but are you saying that there would be no difference between, hypothetically, 1gb of 400mhz DDR and 1gb of 400mhz DDR2? I was under the impression that the higher DDRs (DDR2, DDR3, etc) transferred larger quantities of information (more bytes per second) at the given speed of the ram. If I'm mistaken in this I would honestly appreciate being set straight!

 

You should use one standoff for each motherboard mounting hole. These not only are necessary to provide a stable and level mounting surface for the motherboard to help prevent stress fractures and strain on connectors, but these mounting points are also grounding points for the motherboard to ensure a good "common ground" across all the circuits. Because these are grounding points, and because most cases have more mounting holes than any given motherboard, it is also critical to ensure you don't have any extra standoffs under the board in the case that don't match up to a corresponding hole in the motherboard as that may short out the board, and can potentially cause permanent damage.

No! This is mcsmc's thread so I don't want to run it off topic but I will say this, 1Gb is 1Gb. If the CPU and OS need 2Gb to operate your programs in, putting in faster 1Gb is not going to help. You will run out of room (resources) and the system will likely halt, or at the very least, beat the hard drive's page file to death.

The speed deals with how fast data can be moved in and out. The size deals with how much data it can move in and out. There is no [roughly or otherwise] 2:1 correlation. If the data is too big to fit, it does not matter how fast it can be moved, it won't fit!

Faster does not mean bigger.

Let's say you need to brief 1200 people, 600 at two locations. The briefers (CPUs) work at the same pace. Each location only seats 100 people at a time. Location DDR has 1 door and it only lets people in, or out - not both at the same time. So the room has to empty completely before the next batch of 100 can move in.

Location DDR2 has 2 doors, an entrance and an exit so 100 can exit while the next 100 enters.

The briefing (amount of work) itself takes the same amount of time as that is based on the speed of the briefer (CPU). And he cannot start until the rooms are full with a fresh batch of listeners.

Location DDR2 will obviously get done faster, but not twice as fast, as it can still only brief 100 at a time. Not 200.

 

Good to know... I'll have to dismantle it and screw the extra posts in, then.

Thank you for that information, I thought they were only for support (even though I'm pretty sure mine doesn't have the needed support right now).

I was definitely not thorough when installing the new graphics card (Nvidia GTX 65)... I should've added the other standoffs (thanks for the correct term as well) when I transferred the system into the new case.

 

Yeah, because when you pressed on the card to insert it in the slot, I am sure it flexed the motherboard, and that is not good.

 

Well, I just tore it all apart, and found it had 6 standoffs... it had holes for 9. So, I added the other three. THAT should be alright, now.

 

Good!