I purchased a PC on line and its junk. I’d like to dump the MB, but use the items:
|CPU:AMD Ryzen 7 2700 AM4 socket
|Cooling:AMD Wraith Cooler
|Graphics Card:|NVIDIA RTX 4060 8GB
|RAM:32GB DDR4 3200MHz
|Primary Storage:|1TB NVMe SSD
|Power Supply:550w
The case will except any size MB it looks, though the one in it now is about 7’x6’.
I’m just going to try and use the new parts with another MB.
That’s why in here asking for recommendations on a MB.
I would like as many usb 3.0 as I can and have 1 or 2 sata headers.
Bluetooth and WiFi would be nice, but could do without.
I’m an old CompTia A+ Net+ so I can do the swap and OS install even though I’ll most likely have to buy the Win11 Pro OS again as it was preinstalled with no sticker or docs and seems return or refund or even contact is imposable.
I second a B550 board. Very affordable and most of the vendors have at least one board with nothing but USB 3.0 (usually different generations, fucking USB consortium ) ports and at the very least 4 SATA ports.
Try signing into your Microsoft account instead of a local user account, and boot the old install on the new motherboard, and it might let you continue to activate Windows 11 on the new hardware without complaining. I’ve moved my Windows 10/11 install between 3 sets of hardware using this approach, and it’s worked fine. Might depend on what the original licence type was though.
I wouldn’t place this requirement too highly. I don’t use the integrated wifi/bluetooth on my ASUS board because it’s MediaTek junk whose last straw with me was to completely break all USB connectivity until I power cycled the machine. I have an Intel AX210 card in a PCIe slot instead.
Thank you all for your comments. I was browsing and looking at this: Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING WIFI II AMD AM4 (3rd Gen Ryzen) ATX Gaming Motherboard ant NEgg.
Original seller is now telling me to flash bios, but sent no link yet or even offer to mail flash drive with update. Wants me to DL and create media ect. Never again!
Will not let me do a repair or reinstall, some kind of TPM error plus no matter what settings I say “Never” to for sleep or hybernate don’t work and the machine will go to sleep or something and not wake. There are no settings in Bios to allow wake, worst and most semple AMI bios ever! System will run all day, turn off monitor for overnight and turn back on, blank screen no input message. Computer still running and blinking but no mouse or keyboard will wake. Quick press of power, system will shut down.
I’m an old CompTia A+ Net+, I have hunted and read and browsed for 6 days now. Ready to just put another board in it and use the “New” parts and start anew.
Another note, got it in Dec 2024 and finding dianostics logs from 3/2024 and 5/2024 and build in 2/2024. Never buy from them again despiter anaz** reviews!
ViprTech appear to be a brand out of the state of Maryland (based on the area code on the “About Us” page on their website. That being said, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t something malicious about the Windows install.
I’m a little confused now. Is this booting into the Windows installation that came with it?
Good point. I should have clarified, since I instinctively completely wipe used PCs before they go on my network on day-one:
Extract the current Windows licence key from the existing install
Wipe or replace the hard drive/SSD
Download original installation media from Microsoft and make a bootable USB stick
Reinstall to the blank drive from that USB stick
Activate and sign in with a Microsoft account (activation may be automatic, if it’s an a prebuilt from someone like Dell/HP/Lenovo since the activation key will be tied to the BIOS)
Then:
6. Replace the hardware and it should allow to you remain activated.
When it’s in this “blank” state - does the caps lock lights on the keyboard toggle on and off if you press the caps lock key?
I had a board which would drop the NVMe SSD after sleep. Behaviour upon wake was a black screen and flashing drive activity LED, but the computer was otherwise completely unresponse. No keyboard response, no response over the network, no display.
You might also want to try the GPU reset shortcut:
[Win] + [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [B]
Not real smart, but did a command line thing to see Key and it came up as all ****'s with a message about OEM license “and/or something else don’t remember” and to contact vender.
Do have a license key of some type from Belarc Advisor though.
But you weren’t supplied with a Windows key anywhere? Some of the newer System Integrators may apply it to the back of the motherboard manual.
Either way, it’s a good idea to do a fresh install of Windows no matter whom you buy from. Check everything thoroughly for a Win key. It might be there but accidentally overlooked. From there, you can do what @RagdollMeow said that they do and create a new boot media disc/USB and use that Win key to activate.
Caps Lock light, I don’t know, will try in the morning, I left it running. I don’t turn off me systems. FYI: ACP UPS 6 hour backup, so it’s not a power issue.
No sticker, no manual, not hidden inside unless behind right side panel. Been trying not to monkey with it much incase they wanted it back, but one week + and still email 2 or 3 days apart.
More info: Have gone into device manager and power management unchecked everything to not allow power to be cut to, USB, Mouse, Keyboard. No sleep, no hibernate , hard drive off after 8000min, lol. If it has a switch to prevent sleep ect, it’s unchecked or set to never.
Plus, option to “allow device to wake” or whatever it says, is grayed out every place I can find it!
But nothing in Bios is there. Boots with there logo at the boot selection tag pre boot. I think it’s custom Bios with hidden selections. Who knows.
Customizing the boot screen and logo isn’t inherently bad. Try doing it the old school way and repeatedly tapping the Delete (sometimes F8) key continuously right after a reboot.
) ports and at the very least 4 SATA ports.