I just thought Id post this update for those that are curious ...
Just got back from the states - bought a similar chipset motherboard for my parents - theirs was a old dfi lanparty p35 mb bought a gigabyte p35 type motherboard. I was a bit concerned that the mb wasnt the problem or the only problem.
I also tried to boot up before doing this.
I havnt replaced a mb in a system for probably 5-8 years let alone one this old. Id like to say it was a breeze - but it wasnt.
Hang ups were:
- I tried to do a replace without cleaning/applying new thermal paste (forgot mine). The system wouldnt work and I realized that 90c was too hot for the cpu
and it was auto shutting down. Not sure if it was just the thermal paste or maybe the fan wasnt contacting the cpu well enough? ... So bought new thermal paste and put the fan back in (actually had a Really hard time - original cpu fan with those push pin things and I broke one in the process. Id say it took me almost 2 hours to get this sucker connected.
- Even after this I couldnt boot the system; and I found out I need to disconnect one of the drives (for some reason it was trying to boot from the wrong drive even thou in the bios I told it not too?
- ok so I could finally boot up the system but I wasnt getting a internet connection (thought that either the ethernet port was damaged with the storm or the cable or the modem/router. Again its been awhile since Ive had to mess with stuff like this and a system this old. Tried different cables (check fine), my parents had 2 routers that were similar (expensive) finally after like 4 hours I figured out that the new router that they had the wifi signal worked but the ethernet ports did not; was suggested via their technical support that the lighting might have fried that but left the wifi network intact? ... So my mom eventually decided to get a new router/modem (again expensive) (Most things are much cheaper in the states but 2 things are not ... cell phone service and cable internet service (they make you pay a rental fee to rent their modems let alone charge perhaps double what we pay here perhaps even more) - I told her we could have gone cheaper with a wireless modem in the desktop. Tested this new router; and volia' ethernet worked and the wifi also. I had to enter the routers setting and reconfirm things before it worked for some reason (the average joe would not have known to do this and to be honest I didnt either until being frustrated and trying various things. ie the setup directions did not say to do this.
- So once the net was working I proceeded to install new catalyst drivers (6950 radeon), and a chipset driver ... and finally a audio driver ...
Everything worked out ... computer up and running well; and to be honest better then it was since I installed MS office on there also.
So CPU and ram was fine and so was everything else but the MB.
Funny parents still didnt want to send to insurance - the states is like that. They get you to buy insurance then they really dissuade you from filing a claim and suggest even if you do your premiums will sky rocket. Probably 20 things got destroyed in the process; even their blender, nightlight etc ...
Least I didnt have to make them buy a 'new' computer - they dont use it for much. And next time I upgrade Ill give them my current system anyways ...
(I was sort of at a disadvantage since I didnt have much in the terms of parts or tools to work with). But the tech they took the system too at least diagnosed it right.
