[SOLVED] New motherboard for HP desktop PC?

[davidsas]

I purchased an HP Envy desktop in 2017 with Intel Core i7-7700 Quad Core, and I'm pretty sure the motherboard blew up (power getting to the tower, but unresponsive power button, with no fans or beeps). I used to build my own PCs back in the day, but I've been out of the game for a long time, so I'm not super confident in my knowledge. I'm thinking I can just purchase a new motherboard with similar processor and install it.

I think the Windows license may be tied to the motherboard. I can tell you this: I ordered the CPU using standard HP online building process. So if they typically sell the Windows license tied to the motherboard, then that's what I did.

Any advice on purchasing a new motherboard re: specs or brands? Also, what should I expect regarding amount of work to reboot once the new motherboard is in? Any place besides Amazon I should be looking to purchase? What does the new Windows license typically cost?

No heavy gaming, just photography work and browsing.

Full disclosure: I am considering buying the motherboard and paying someone more expert than me (e.g. Geek Squad) to do the install if it seems too complicated/time consuming. While I'm up for the challenge, I'm going to be too busy at work for the next few weeks to go down an unfamiliar rabbit hole. I'm not proud... just my reality.

Alternatively, I could send the whole tower back to HP and have them do the work for $. While this probably guarantees the best outcome, I'm thinking the process will take a lot longer than having it done locally and be cumbersome (packing up the tower and shipping it).

Given this information, what do you recommend?

I greatly appreciate any advice!

 

[Eximo]

Side note, confirm your power supply is actually working. Might have lost the 5V rail or the 12V rail, so only part of the computer is turning on which makes it seem like a dead motherboard. If you have a multimeter handy, this is a quick test. If not another power supply could be used to try and power the computer, just to see.

The following chipsets will work with an i7-7700

Z170, Z270, H170, H270, H210, H110, B150, B250 (that should represent retail boards, you may be able to order a replacement board from HP, check the prices)

Form factor is likely mATX (Would really need an exact HP Envy model to be sure)

All the ones I am seeing use standard ATX power and screw layout, so a replacement board should fit right in. However, OEMs often use partial proprietary connectors for things like the front panel, if that is important, you might want to go ahead with buying a new chassis as well.

As for the OS license, yes typically tied to the motherboard. However, you may be able to reactivate using the same license key. This may require a manual activation over the phone, but you can claim hardware failure.

If not, typical Windows 10 Home is just under $100 retail. You can tie this to your e-mail account and use it on a single system at a time, but you can take it with you as you upgrade.

Amazon, Newegg, TigerDirect, etc all decent e-tailers.

pcpartpicker.com is a good resource for common etailers and lets you easily price compare and check for compatibility issues. Not going to have the Envy case though.