Lightening strike

[(RIP) Shenzi]

A lightening strike zapped the motherboard of my computer, long overdue for me to buy another so no big deal. Having said that it would be useful to have it working just as a music studio. It is a Dell Dimension P3 733mhz. Dell will repair it but I would have to sell the house to pay for it.
Anyone got any ideas/advice? All help will be gratefully received.

Bob

 

[hops]

A lightening strike zapped the motherboard of my computer, long overdue for me to buy another so no big deal. Having said that it would be useful to have it working just as a music studio. It is a Dell Dimension P3 733mhz. Dell will repair it but I would have to sell the house to pay for it.
Anyone got any ideas/advice? All help will be gratefully received.

Bob

A long time ago I worked as a TV/Video engineer, from experience if your board's been hit by lightening it's likely to be well and truly FCUK'd.

New motherboard seems like the best option, if you're lucky, if not new 'puter I'm afraid. Sorry

 

[cookie]

you'll not get a new m/b for that cpu very easily.

strangely, if the cpu is undamaged it may be worth more than you think s/h. i tried to buy a pIII last year & prices were sky high.

knows why though

 

[shugie]

Dell use custom motherboards in most of their machines, so you will only be able to get a new motherboard from them.

Unlikekly to be cost effective, better with a second hand machine, usually very cheap.

Shug

 

[cookie]

just musing, but wouldn't the dell custom element be the m/b + BIOS? it would still be ATX format surely?

get a new m/b and it's no longer a dell

 

[Iain Hogg]

and a new M/B starts at around £25, processor extra.

Peripherals, like modems and graphics adapters, are probably also toast though.

Iain

 

[shugie]

just musing, but wouldn't the dell custom element be the m/b + BIOS? it would still be ATX format surely?

get a new m/b and it's no longer a dell

Must admit I've not looked in a Dell recently, but they did use non-ATX boards, made to their own spec., so a standard ATX board isn't much use.

 

[Pthagonal]

try here

www.scan.co.uk

goto today's specials lots of good deals..


pthag

 

[needlongerlegs]

Or Here

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/bundles.html

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/barebones.html

Mother Board Bundles or Bear-bones

board, processor mem and vid all for a one'er

used half a dozen of them good value and no problems yet.

G...

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

Thanks for all the help guys. As I understand it I just buy one of these motherboard bundles and connect it to all the gubbins in my box and it should work............is that it? If so I will have a dedicated computer for music studio software, that will get me lots of peace as one of my monsters can have it in their bedroom. Cheap at twice the price!

Second thoughts...is it really that easy?

Bob

 

[cookie]

Second thoughts...is it really that easy?

Bob

you really should do a clean install of windows if you change all that hardware, though you can get away with it sometimes, not good practice though.

that's with xp mind. if you have w98/me throw disc in the bin & get xp.

second thoughts, don't bin it, you will need the disc if you buy an upgrade copy of xp.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

you really should do a clean install of windows if you change all that hardware, though you can get away with it sometimes, not good practice though.

that's with xp mind. if you have w98/me throw disc in the bin & get xp.

second thoughts, don't bin it, you will need the disc if you buy an upgrade copy of xp.

OK will do, I do have XP but that had Win 98 on it. Thanks for the info.

 

[Wolfman]

Chip

Is this any good to you, never used , was to do an upgrade on my old computer, but it blow up ,so this spare, make me an offer, not easily offended,

Gary.

 

[Wolfman]

Another photo

Thanks

Gary.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

Gary,

Thanks for your interest.
If I had any idea what it was and how I could use it I may well make you an offer.
At the moment I am leaning towards the advice of Needlongerlegs and going for a motherboard bundle from Novatech mainly because I think I may be able to handle that

Bob