MOBO + Processor question (kinda odd)

[dorfman]

Here we go.

I have an pre-built HP elite from 2008.

its a AMD Phenom 9750 2.40 GHZ

It has 8 gig of Ram that is pc2 6200 .

It had vista 64 on it, which I upgraded to Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

So here is the question:

I want to change my mobo + processor: what would have to do?

I want an Intel i9 so a corresponding mobo that would work with the ram I already got.

I thought about even just getting a AM2/AM3 socket mobo that would fit the ram I got and just upgrading to a faster processor.

Would I have to restore/re-install win 7? Now it is an upgrade win7 and not a full win7?

Would have to just get a blank HDD and a fresh win 7? How could I make this work?

Also: any suggestions on mobo/processer combos would be great I want to stay right around the 400$ mark.

Thanks!

 

[aPanzerIV]

I can tell you right now, for $400 you arn't going to be touching I3's.

Here is a Complete rebuild for you.

AMD Phenom II 955 3.2Ghz -$150 -http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808
ASUS M4a785-M AM2/AM2+/AM3 - $75 - Newegg.com - ASUS M4A785-M AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
RE Use your 8Gb PC 6200 (667or800?), Should be plenty.
You can Re Use your Hard drive, just as long as you put a new OS on it.
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64 bit - $130 - Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

That should make a very nice system for you.

 

[dorfman]

Ha, kinda funny but I posted this yesterday as well..

http://www.computerforums.org/hardware/new-build-suggestions-104819.html

which has a I7 build for 400$ - Ram. (I'll have to buy new ram with that build)

and from everyone I've talked to I'll have run the win7 boot disc and it should be fine.

 

[Aastii]

Well it depends entirely on which version of Windows that you have. By that I do not mean, XP, 7, Home edition, Ultimate etc, I mean retail or OEM.

Retail will work regardless of what system it is on, but only on 1 system, per licence, at any on time. OEM can only be installed on the system that it was first installed on. It can be reinstalled on that system as many times as you like, but after a certain point when a certain amount of hardware changes have been made, it will tell you that you need a new key.

It is a bit of a grey area, because what constitutes "a new system" isn't fully defined.

Basically, you get a computer, later down the line, you want to change the CPU and upgrade the memory. The system is, essentially, the same system, just upgraded.

However, when you do what you are now, it is far from the original, you are on a new motherboard which has a different CPU manufacturer, different standard of memory, different chipset, it is, essentially, a new system but with the same hard drives, power supply and case.

Microsoft, and the Windows operating system, see a motherboard change as "a new system". There are some exceptions to this - if you stay on the same board, but have it replaced, or on the same chipset, the difference is the addition of features, not a massive change of how everything works, but generally speaking, you change motherboards to one with a different chipset, you will be told by Windows that you need a new key.

The boot disc will indeed work perfectly fine, but the key will not. And, unfortunately, as it is a HP pre-built, unless you bought a copy of Windows 7 retail separately, it is OEM, so you are having to get a new copy of Windows in that budget I'm afraid


=EDIT=

Oh and looking at pazer's list, there are a few things to not get:

Don't go for an AM2+ board, you may as well stick to what you have because if you want to upgrade again, you won't be able to, at least not to anything substantially better, because AM2+ only supports DDR2 memory, which is getting phased out in favour of DDR3's faster speeds and much lower power consumption, has no more CPU's being brought out for it, so the 955 you get is the best you can get for it, and always will be, and doesn't support newer technologies such as USB3 or SATA 6.0, which for now, are not a big thing, but are growing because of the advances they bring in bandwidth.

Also, do not get 7 professional, Home Edition is fine for anyone and everyone. Save yourself $30. You lose a few bells and whistles, but in all honesty, nobody except for a massive minority that have use for the extra features. If you are using your system for browsing the net, watching movies, listening to music, playing games, burning discs, school/college/uni/job work, video editing, music editing, picture editing ...... everything, that is what I am trying to say, you have 0 use for ultimate or Professional

 

[dorfman]

If you read my OP.

It said, I had VISTA 64....to which I upgraded to Ultimate 64

and actually Ultimate is the only way to you can have a Virtual XP...so if you play older games that don't work on Win7 but do on XP, it becomes of great use..so there 1 use for ultimate.

Also, if you had Vista home, you would have to upgrade to Win7 home. Otherwise you had to do a full wipe. I do believe. Ultimate is the only one you could upgrade no matter what O.S you had (windows of course) without wiping your entire HDD I do believe.


So my question would be: since its a Vista pre-built that I upgraded to Win7 would I still have to buy another copy of windows. If I switched the mobo and cpu.

 

[Aastii]

If you read my OP.

It said, I had VISTA 64....to which I upgraded to Ultimate 64

and actually Ultimate is the only way to you can have a Virtual XP...so if you play older games that don't work on Win7 but do on XP, it becomes of great use..so there 1 use for ultimate.

Also, if you had Vista home, you would have to upgrade to Win7 home. Otherwise you had to do a full wipe. I do believe. Ultimate is the only one you could upgrade no matter what O.S you had (windows of course) without wiping your entire HDD I do believe.


So my question would be: since its a Vista pre-built that I upgraded to Win7 would I still have to buy another copy of windows. If I switched the mobo and cpu.

Unless it is a very old 16 bit game, it will work on 7 x64. I've yet to find an XP game, or any application, that needs XP mode, and as you can see in my sig, both systems are running 7 ultimate x64, which I got for free from my local computer store, else I would have scrapped Vista ultimate x 64 and gone win 7 home premium, because there is no need for any other version.

And as you upgraded, yes, you would need a full copy. 7 upgrade is just that, an upgrade, not a full version. If you had Vista x 64 retail, which I assume you don't and it came with your PC, it is OEM, meaning you will need to get a complete new copy of Windows. If Vista x64 did not come with the computer, is the copy of Vista you got OEM or retail?

 

[Celegorm]

If you read my OP.

It said, I had VISTA 64....to which I upgraded to Ultimate 64

and actually Ultimate is the only way to you can have a Virtual XP...so if you play older games that don't work on Win7 but do on XP, it becomes of great use..so there 1 use for ultimate.

Also, if you had Vista home, you would have to upgrade to Win7 home. Otherwise you had to do a full wipe. I do believe. Ultimate is the only one you could upgrade no matter what O.S you had (windows of course) without wiping your entire HDD I do believe.


So my question would be: since its a Vista pre-built that I upgraded to Win7 would I still have to buy another copy of windows. If I switched the mobo and cpu.

First as an FYI, XP mode exists in Windows 7 editions Professional and up. Really the only versions that don't have it are the Home Editions and Starter.

I would say this is a gray area in the EULA, technically it's the same computer just upgraded so you shouldn't need a new OS (if you have to call MS you can say your motherboard died) However at the same time this over-haul makes it almost a new computer so you could argue it's required. I would say since my impression is that you're keeping the case, HDD and optical drives, this is an upgrade so you can use the same OS.

 

[Aastii]

First as an FYI, XP mode exists in Windows 7 editions Professional and up. Really the only versions that don't have it are the Home Editions and Starter.

I would say this is a gray area in the EULA, technically it's the same computer just upgraded so you shouldn't need a new OS (if you have to call MS you can say your motherboard died) However at the same time this over-haul makes it almost a new computer so you could argue it's required. I would say since my impression is that you're keeping the case, HDD and optical drives, this is an upgrade so you can use the same OS.

If I bought a system 10 years ago, but kept the case and hard drives, but then upgraded to a brand new system now, it would be just that, a new system. I don't think keeping the "unneeded " parts, such as the case, optical drives, video card etc should, or do, count. It takes into account the core parts of the system ie CPU, motherboard and memory, though the latter very little, as 1 type of memory will work on many types of systems, and they are also a very easy and "small" upgrade

 

[Celegorm]

If I bought a system 10 years ago, but kept the case and hard drives, but then upgraded to a brand new system now, it would be just that, a new system. I don't think keeping the "unneeded " parts, such as the case, optical drives, video card etc should, or do, count. It takes into account the core parts of the system ie CPU, motherboard and memory, though the latter very little, as 1 type of memory will work on many types of systems, and they are also a very easy and "small" upgrade

10 years is a little extreme though, don't you think? at that point, it's not an upgrade, but an overhaul which as I mentioned before is a case for redoing. But something to keep in mind is the way the EULA is written if the MOBO dies because the system isn't on the same motherboard then you should buy a new copy.

 

[Aastii]

10 years is a little extreme though, don't you think? at that point, it's not an upgrade, but an overhaul which as I mentioned before is a case for redoing. But something to keep in mind is the way the EULA is written if the MOBO dies because the system isn't on the same motherboard then you should buy a new copy.

My point is by saying "a little upgrade shouldn't void it" well I agree, but lots of little things mount up to a big thing. Over those 10 years you may have upgraded and upgraded again, you still have the same components you listed, but it isn't even close to the original system. So far as Microsoft are concerned, it isn't about a performance upgrade or "it is just a small upgrade", you do a significant upgrade, you no longer have the right to have a liscence for the original system, because you aren't on the original system, which is absolutely correct