RMA'd motherboard firmware question...

[jsmileb]

After an hour online with Intel tech support, it was determined that a DH55HC motherboard was faulty and has to be RMA'd. Graphics with a i5-650 processor would not work, though the board worked fine with an X-16 card. As I used an OEM version of Win. 7-64, would it be possible for Intel to install firmware on the replacement board that would allow the operating system to see the new board as it would have the board that was replaced? The only component changed will be the motherboard, all drives including boot drive will remain unchanged.

 

[Tmagic650]

If the motherboard is the same model, the "old" Windows 7 install should work. You might have to re-activate Windows 7 though

 

[captaincranky]

Since the VGA is actually internal to the CPU, I'm a little curious as to how it was determined that the board was at fault (.) or possibly (?)

 

[jsmileb]

Captain, I asked that very question of the Intel tech. His thinking was that the CPU being a singular unit, that it was unlikely that the board would work with a graphics card if the CPU was defective. That possibility, being that the CPU was bad, was not entirely discounted. I offered to send back the motherboard with the CPU, but he did not wish to approach it that way. We'll see. I hate to even send back the motherboard, but the whole reason for the motherboard choice was the presence of a native HDMI port.

 

[captaincranky]

For the sake of discussion, or perhaps future reference, here's Gigabyte's iteration of an H-55 Home theater board; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128421 This actually has a "Display Port" video out, in addition to native HDMI. Believe it or not, the display port comes in handy with a Dell monitor I just purchased. (Dell apparently doesn't want to spring for HDMI licensing).

The driver issue is a bit dicey though, and Windows 7 has an Intel driver installed, which seems to work OK, (full sound though HDMI cable), but it's 1.2 GB in size!

Tmagic is correct about the activation issue, the different board and different LAN serial numbers will likely be enough to trip the, "reactivate me button".