Question Prebuild PC needs replacement motherboard.

[Anidiot123]

Hello guys I broke my motherboard awhile ago (Replacing thermal paste whilst tired was not a good idea. The socket pins got bent... idiot.)

Haven't got around to fixing it because it seems daunting to find a motherboard to fit all the parts on my prebuild pc that I bought years ago. I've found the exact replacement available from china but worried about a hefty import fee on that. So was wondering if I could find another motherboard that I could source locally.

My knowledge goes as far: it needs to be the correct chipset + correct socket. I did some searching on ebay and found loads that meet that criteria but don't support parts my pc has (ram and who knows what else.. If the ram isn't supported who knows what else isn't?)

The prebuild (i7-7700k and I am only using 1 gpu in the pc. The other was removed and kept safe as a spare)

OMEN X by HP 900-121na Tower Desktop PC Core i7 7700K 4.2 GHz 16 GB 512 GB - Hunt Office Ireland

The motherboard (mine is 840106-002 and not 840106-001??)

HP Desktop PCs - motherboard specifications, Munich-K | HP® Customer Support

Specifications for the Munich-K motherboard

support.hp.com

Am I over complicating this? Or am I correct in thinking that replacing a motherboard in a pre-build is not so simple as chipset+socket?
Another quick question: Is it possible my CPU could have been fried after attempting to reboot after a pin-straightening attempt?

Thanks.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

Looks like a standard MicroATX motherboard. Should be a simple find. Your i7-7700K is compatible with both Z170 and Z270 chipsets, and was actually released with the Z270. If you wanted, it is also compatible with H110, H170, B150, B250; however, the H110 could possibly suffer from VRM overheating, so I would rule that out unless you want to compromise on the performance of your i7-7700K. I tend to look for motherboards with adequate VRM cooling heatsinks.

Memory compatibility shouldn't be an issue if you get a Z-series chipset. Those allow for memory and CPU overclocking. 7th-gen Intel is rated for DDR4 2400, so only the Z-series chipsets (with few exceptions) support memory speeds past DDR4 2400. You didn't mention your memory speed, so this may or may not matter.

*Update: Also be aware that you may run into performance issues if you do not perform a clean format and install of Windows OS once you install a different motherboard. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a clean install of Windows unless you get the same exact motherboard.

 

[Lafong]

Other parts of the prebuild may be proprietary as well...case? connectors?

Sounds like it would be a good time for you to get off the proprietary train and onto the industry standard train.

The CPU is 6 years old as well.

Are you totally against a rebuild, keeping perhaps RAM, cooler, drives, and maybe CPU and power supply?

 

[Anidiot123]

Thanks for the replies guys. Funds are tight so wouldn't be able to do a rebuild unfortunately.

That was my concern regarding maybe HP had used their own specific parts/rig setup that can't be replicated on other boards.

So my safest option without going through every single part in my PC which I do not have the knowledge or confidence is to get an exact motherboard replacement. The prices aren't much different it seems (exact model number replacement on ebay for around 150)

What do you guys think regarding my CPU. Any chance it could have been short-circuited from misaligned pins?

Thanks for the speedy replies guys, sorry for the annoying nooby questions.

 

[geofelt]

Your windows license is now OEM which gets invalidated if you change to a different motherboard.
If you do not buy an exact replacement, then you are going to also need a new windows license.

And... why would you have felt a need to remove the cpu from the socket to change paste? A socket is designed for only up to 15 insertions.
Your cpu is likely ok.
If the pins are bent, why not try to straighten them out using a needle.
You have nothing to lose by creating more damage.