[SOLVED] Where can I purchase a budget motherboard with a built-in Wi-Fi adapter that also comes with an OEM Windows license?

[Oxidane]

Preferably under $100 CAD. As I mentioned "OEM Windows license", I am obviously referring to a pre-owned part that was used in an entirely different system.

 

[CountMike]

Windows license comes only with complete PCs, not with parts.

 

[Oxidane]

Windows license comes only with complete PCs, not with parts.

Yeah but isn't it attached to the motherboard?

So if someone bought a prebuilt computer, then pulled out the motherboard to sell it, wouldn't the license still be attached?

 

[CountMike]

Yeah but isn't it attached to the motherboard?

So if someone bought a prebuilt computer, then pulled out the motherboard to sell it, wouldn't the license still be attached?

OEM license is attached to MB but that license can't be transferred so it would be useless to new owner. Look up at Amazon or places like this https://www.bcdkey.com/windows-10-professional-retail-key.html for cheap.

 

[drea.drechsler]

OEM license is attached to MB but that license can't be transferred so it would be useless to new owner.
...

I'm not sure that's exactly true.

An OEM license is linked to the mother board, true, but I think a new owner could install the board and install windows giving it the original license key at the appropriate time and it should be good to go.

The only issue might be if the original owner linked that license to a Microsoft account, converting it to a digital license. I think, though, there's a way to de-link the motherboard (device, in the parlance of my Microsoft account) from the original owner's account. So shouldn't that also allow installing it as above, with the original key and get a good activation?

Microsoft doesn't make it easy, but they do have the process for doing this since people do want to resell their devices with the Windows license it comes with.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...icrosoft/8a33c3f5-6842-4ba3-a5ac-1306f2232914

 

[CountMike]

Linked to a personal MS account or not, W10 is registered at MS servers.

 

[drea.drechsler]

Linked to a personal MS account or not, W10 is registered at MS servers.

True enough...just not associated to a person but the device (motherboard). So the license can go with the device when transferred.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, an OEM icense from a prebuilt system, the license transfers with the hardware.
Not the person.

However....
The request for "motherboard + license" gives rise to a whole bunch of other questions.

What Windows version?
What type of motherboard?
What are the rest of the parts associated with this?
Used for what?
etc etc

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I think, though, there's a way to de-link the motherboard (device, in the parlance of my Microsoft account) from the original owner's account.

this works by allowing the original user with a digital license to remove a certain device and add a different one.
if you have a digital license tied to your system and want to upgrade the motherboard, this allows you to accomplish that and keep your original license with the new motherboard.

so the original motherboard would not have any license attached to it anymore.

 

[drea.drechsler]

this works by allowing the original user with a digital license to remove a certain device and add a different one.
if you have a digital license tied to your system and want to upgrade the motherboard, this allows you to accomplish that and keep your original license with the new motherboard.

so the original motherboard would not have any license attached to it anymore.

It might be true with a retail license but not an OEM license. An OEM license is valid only for the original device (motherboard for PC's, it seems) it was activated on.

So you can unlink that device from your account, transfer it along with the original product activation key to a new owner and they can still activate a fresh installation of Windows 10 on that same device. They may then link that device to their Microsoft account, making it a digital license for them.

This is how it's worked for me as I've transferred a PC to my son this way. In OP's case he could buy a used motherboard which comes with the product activation key originally used to activate Windows on it. But whether it's worth any premium above the motherboard alone depends on whether you can trust that the key is valid in the first place or that the seller actually delinked the board from his account. Unless they're someone you can get back to easily it's probably safer to buy just the motherboard and then a cheap gray market OEM license as suggested earlier.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Spoiler: previous

if the original owner linked that license to a Microsoft account, converting it to a digital license. I think, though, there's a way to de-link the motherboard (device, in the parlance of my Microsoft account) from the original owner's account.

this works by allowing the original user with a digital license to remove a certain device and add a different one.
if you have a digital license tied to your system and want to upgrade the motherboard, this allows you to accomplish that and keep your original license with the new motherboard.

so the original motherboard would not have any license attached to it anymore.

It might be true with a retail license, but not an OEM license. An OEM license is valid only for the original device (motherboard for PC's, it seems) it was activated on.

you were mentioning a digital license ties to a user's MS account.
and that was what i quoted and commented on.

an OEM license wouldn't be digitally linked to an MS account.
so there would be no way to remove it from your MS account.
so that would have nothing to do with my response.

 

[drea.drechsler]

...
an OEM license wouldn't be digitally linked to an MS account.
so there would be no way to remove it from your MS account.
so that would have nothing to do with my response.

Yeah...that's where it get's strange. Insofar as I know the 'digital license' only exists once it (the device/motherboard) is linked to a Microsoft account and so is never transferrable. Except, of course, should you give a person full access to your Microsoft account I suppose.

The 'OEM' (can not be transferred to a new motherboard) or 'Retail' (can be transferred to a new motherboard) restrictions do not change when it becomes a digital license upon linking to your account. Although how the 'Retail' licensing works when moving to a new motherboard isn't clear to me since I've only ever played musical computers with OEM licenses.

But yes, all three of my systems have OEM licenses (two Win10Pro, one Home on a laptop) and they are all linked to my Microsoft account and using digital licenses. My son has one motherboard with an OEM license that was originally linked to my account, it's now his digital license. Each of them were originally activated with their very own, unique, product key.

 

[USAFRet]

I think it's pretty obvious the Windows version will be the same as the original key/license; so if Home, it installs/activates Home not Pro for instance. So attaining clarity on that when transferring should be the only issue.

But motherboard type is pretty obvious: only the very exact same motherboard with which originally activated so there's exactly zero room for variability.

I've never had an activation question arise when changing any other parts, to include CPU, memory, drives, whatever. So it might be MS used to key on parts changes a long time ago, apparently no longer


What could useage possibly have to do with it? When activated it's a perfectly blank OS: only when I install my first game does it "know" I'm using it as a gaming computer, or installing Blender to "know" I'm using it for rendering images.

He's not looking for just the OS, but rather the motherboard as well.
And an "OEM" license, you can't transfer that to other hardware.

So...assuming he finds something...AMD or Intel? Gaming or office?
What parts already exist?

If this is an "office system", a case could be made to look at Dell Outlet or similar, for a full system, incl OS, for $200 or less.
Instead of 'just the motherboard'.

If thisis to be a game system...well...what are the rest of the parts?

 

[drea.drechsler]

He's not looking for just the OS, but rather the motherboard as well.
And an "OEM" license, you can't transfer that to other hardware.
...

True enough, if the answer is referring to the hardware itself then it has to be appropriate for OP's intended use and therefore a separate consideration.

But it IS possible to get a used motherboard which comes with the OEM license they used for activating Windows with it. It does require the reseller to correctly prepare for the transfer though. That's all I'm maintaining.

 

[USAFRet]

And by "version", I was really asking Win 7-8-10.
Not necessarily Home v Pro.

 

[USAFRet]

But it IS possible to get a used motherboard which comes with the OEM license they used for activating Windows with it. It does require the reseller to correctly prepare for the transfer though. That's all I'm maintaining.

And that "OEM" would be tied to that motherboard. Not transferable to different hardware.

 

[drea.drechsler]

And that "OEM" would be tied to that motherboard. Not transferable to different hardware.

Exactly...and as I have stated previously: "An OEM license is valid only for the original device (motherboard for PC's, it seems) it was activated on. "

But all the other hardware surrounding that device/motherboard can apparently change as many times as you want.

 

[USAFRet]

Exactly...and as I have stated previously: "An OEM license is valid only for the original device (motherboard for PC's, it seems) it was activated on. "

Would be nice if the OP came back with some more info.