[SOLVED] Which of these board & processor options will work in Windows 7?

[djdynamix]

I have a problem with sourcing hardware for one of my clients. They NEED (not just want!) to continue running Windows 7. They use proprietary software which could take up to another 12 months to rewrite for Windows 10, and they require an option for the 20 machines they will need between now and then. They are free standing kiosks with no external connections, so they don't require updates, and security is not an issue. I've already tried various workaround options like compatibility settings, virtual machines, etc, but the bottom line is that it's Windows 7 or nothing! (So please, please, please... I'll be really grateful if you can just answer the question as it is asked, rather than commenting how wonderful Windows 10 is, and how we should embrace it. I know that already, and have upgraded the vast majority of the machines I support, but for this one client with 40 machines out there and another 20 required, it is not an option.)

Anyway... having got that out the way, here is my question.

I know that some of the current motherboards and processors can be made to run Windows 7 with minor tweaks to a few driver INF's. I'm sufficiently confident with that to make those changes, and have done it for other OS's in the past. Please can you look through the following list of motherboards and processors which are available from my wholesaler within my client's budget, and recommend a combination of board and processor which can be forced to run Windows 7 with readily available INF tweaks? Ideally, I'll be particularly interested to hear from anyone who has actually had Windows 7 working on one of the combinations listed.

Please bear in mind that full graphics capability is essential, but full USB 3.0 or 3.1 facilities would be merely a bonus, as the machines are cloned from OOBE Sysprep'd drives, rather than installed, and are then placed in kiosks with no USB access. I don't mind if I have to break out to command prompt during the initial setup if lack of drivers causes "Preparing your system" to freeze.

OK... Here's the list:

Processors:

A straight choice between Pentium Gold G5400 (with UHD610 graphics) and G4560 (with HD610 graphics). The G5400 is the preferred option, as it can be supplied from stock, if there is a way to tweak the UHD610 driver for Windows 7. The G4560 would have to be imported, although I already have the INF tweak for it. If you know that the UHD610 graphics for the 5400 can be forced to work in Windows 7, I'd be grateful if you could link me to the required INF tweak.

Motherboards:

GIGABYTE
GA-H110M-H
GA-H110M-Gaming 3
GA-H310M S2H 2.0

ASUS
H110M-D
PRIME H310M-K R2.0
PRIME H310M-D R2.0

MSI
H110M PRO-D
H310M PRO-VDH PLUS
H310M PRO-VH PLUS

Please can you make recommendations based on the information above? Have you used any of those boards and/or processors with Windows 7? Have you tried and failed to run Windows 7 on any of them? Do you have any other advice or suggestions (other than "Use Windows 10" Hehehe)?

Thanks in anticipation

Ian

 

[kerberos_20]

hi
all those boards will need driver tweaks, as there is no native USB support for those boards in windows 7 and no NVME

u can either get ps/2 keyboard and mouse to install windows 7, then download usb drivers later on, or u can inject drivers into installation media

here some video on how to make media

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APcboOpP4TY


here is win7 usb patcher (works for both intel/amd)
http://download.gigabyte.eu/FileList/Utility/mb_utility_windowsimagetool_B18.0213.1.zip

 

[Lushern1309]

Hi, im sure you can get a pretty good idea of OS support on those boards by visiting the manufacturers website, search the specific product and going to the driver downloads which most certainly tell you or asks for the OS

 

[djdynamix]

Thank you for the responses so far. I'm grateful for your input.

Two things arise from my further research. Firstly, I've read that the H310 chipset was modified to provide some W7 x64 capability, but some manufacturers, whilst offering limited W7 support for their H310 motherboards, don't make a distinction in their driver websites between releases with the new capabilities and those without, often using the same model numbers for both. Does anyone have any further information on that, possibly to point me to a board which was manufactured exclusively with the later chipset?

Secondly, I believe one of the problems may be the UHD610 graphics on the G5400 processor. Does anyone have any first hand experience with that particular processor and W7? Is there even a working INF tweak out there for that GPU?

Thanks