v1 to v3...

[Mosad]

My computer wont boot.. something is wrong with either the power supply or motherboard, and i have over run my warranty... so that leaves with no choice but to upgrde...


So my questionsn are as follows:

MOST IMPORTANTLY - will i lose my data on my hard drive by changing to a new mobo?

Secondly, when installing all components onto the new mobo... what do i need to know? is it just plug and chug? will it all work without any installation required? All components remain the same... only the mobo changes..

Lastly, what is new in the v3 that wasnt available in the v1

 

[Jassi]

1 - Your data on the HD will not go poof due to a MB change.
2 - Look in to WinXP issues, I have heard that WinXP "marries" your computer and changing the MB is the red flag that MS uses to check if its the same computer. So, IMHO, you might have problems booting in to XP if this is the case.

Rest, I hope someone more qualified can answer.

 

[geecee]

V3 is the nForce3 250 chipset. V1 & V2 were the nForce3 150.

EDIT: To answer your second question, it would be best to re-install XP for a entirely different board (i.e. NF3 150 -> NF3 250 change). The boards are probably similar enough that you could boot it up and try a repair, but I'm not sure if it will work as I've never done that with XP. If you're feeling adventurous, you could give it a go, otherwise just re-install XP and give Microsoft a call. They probably won't give you a hard time as people upgrade their motherboards/systems all the time. Your data files will be fine as long as you don't re-format the drive when you re-install.

EDIT2: If you want to try the repair install, check out here and here.

 

[goshdarnindie]

My advice is to install XP on a newer, and proabably faster, HD. Then setup your old HD as a slave device and pull all of your files off that. They you have a spare drive available that you can keep copies of your important files so the next time your mobo fails, or more likely, your HD, you'll be ready.