Can I replace Biostar M7VIZ MB with Biostar M7VIG-400 MB?

[RICHINMINN]

I've got a system built using a Biostar M7VIZ motherboard, which uses a VIA KM400 chipset. That motherboard,, however, has died. I'm finding it very difficult to find another M7VIZ board to replace it with. I tried using an MSI K7N2G motherboard, but it wouldn't even boot into Windows (which doesn't surprise me, since it uses an nVidia nForce2 chipset). Would I have any better luck replacing it with another VIA-based Biostar board, like the M7VIG-400 which uses a VIA KM-266 Pro chipset?

Rich (in Minn.)

 

[kestrel1]

If you are trying to boot back into Windows XP you would need to re-activate it again at the very least. Unless you use the same hardware, unless it is a minimal system change, you have no choice.
You may find that a new install would be required & a phone call to MS, to tell them what has happened before you can re-activate Windows.

 

[RICHINMINN]

I don't think that Windows XP activation is the issue in this case. If Windows detects that it is running in a "substantially different" configuration, it will require re-activation.

Here's a scenario from

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/evaluate/xpactiv.mspx

"Scenario A:

PC One has the full assortment of hardware components listed in Table 1 above. User swaps the motherboard and CPU chip for an upgraded one, swaps the video adapter, adds a second hard drive for additional storage, doubles the amount of RAM, and swaps the CD ROM drive for a faster one.

Result: Reactivation is NOT required."


The problem I'm having is related, I believe, to the low-level drivers required to access all the functions that are built into the motherboard, things like chipset, IDE controller, floppy controller, etc.

Rich (in Minn.)

 

[kestrel1]

What you could try is a repair install of XP, with the new mobo. This may sort things out.
Going by the info that you gave above, it should be OK then. I wouldn't trust it though, I only changed the ram in one of my systems & it required re-activating. I went from SD-RAM to DDR-RAM & it complained. Not what I would call a sugnificant system change, but there you go.

 

[RICHINMINN]

Just an update to my original question:
I replaced the Biostar M7VIZ motherboard with a Biostar M7VIG-400 motherboard with virtually no problems at all.
I was able to boot up into Windows XP with the new motherboard installed, when it announced that it had found new hardware (video & audio controllers, + miscellany), so I installed all of the drivers for the M7VIG-400, and the system has been purring along since then.

I had emailed techsupport at VIA in Taiwan, asking them if I could make this motherboard change without having to completely reinstall Windows to make it work. The response I got said that changing from one VIA chipset to another VIA chipset shouldn't cause any problems, though there are, of course, no guarantees.

Rich (in Minn.)

 

[RICHINMINN]

Another note:
I DID have to reactivate Windows XP after this change was made, because there were a number of elements affected, including the motherboard, CPU, and memory (I had to leave out one of the two 512MB DDRs which was defective), along with the integrated video and audio controllers.

Rich (in Minn.)

 

[paparazi]

As you have found out, the KM400 and KM266 are very similar chipsets that use essentially the same platform drivers (although for the older KM266 it is recommended that older Via 4.43 drivers are used instead of the newer hyperion 5.10a's)
I just feel that it's a slight shame you have effectively taken a step backwards with this replacement.
Personally I would have chosen the much faster and overall better, Nforce2 motherboard (MSI K7N2G) and just clean installed XP.

Martin

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Participate and help others.

 

[RICHINMINN]

paparazi,
Yes, if it had been my system, I would have chosen the nForce2-based motherboard in a heartbeat.

I use nForce chipsets almost exclusively in the systems that I build, though at the nForce3 and nForce4 levels. I have built a number of nForce2-based systems in the past. This VIA-based system was one of just a handful that I've built based on VIA chipsets.

Rich (in Minn.)

 

[paparazi]

Hi RICHINMINN
I'm actually not bias either way.
Nforce2 was the king at that time and a clear 2 years ahead in technology terms when compared to the KM266.
The only real challenge to the Nforce2 came right at the end of Socket A's reign when Via bought out the KT880, with dual channel memory and performance at least on par with the Nvidia chip, problem was it came too late to the party so never really made an impact.

http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q2/via-kt880/index.x?pg=1

Martin

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Participate and help others.