Need to updgrade some computers - Hardware and Windows? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2025, 03:54:41 pm
content: I am not into gaming and the PC is used for production such as CAD, video, illustration media. Not too heavy duty. And I am only doing this because I need Windows software and upgraded OS and hardware is being forced.I already bought a few items to upgrade a microATX system running the free upgrade to Win10 (~10 year old HP):ASUS TUF Gaming B850M-PLUSAMD Ryzen™ 5 9600XG.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 RAMIf I swap this hardware, keeping the old SATA drive, what will Win10 do at boot?Best case is it lets me upgrade, or I have two unused Win10 licenses that I could install fresh and see about upgrade. The idea is I have at least three Win10 machines I'd like to update (one microATX and two ATX cases).Next I wanted to build a little more performance:ASUS TUF Gaming B850-PLUSAMD Ryzen™ 7 9700XCORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5When looking at MB, I am looking for SATA ports to support my older drives and a few PCIe slots, or I would probably get an ASUS Prime. Are there other mfg boards better to consider?

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 06:49:12 pm
content: So I was thinking about this upgrade to Win 11.It seems the only useful piece of hardware from any old system is going to be the HDD, so all we can do is install this old HDD into a new PC.Why doesn't Windows 10 immediately complain about the hardware (CPU) not matching what it was activated on and think you're pirating the OS?Maybe MS doesn't care anymore because the newer OS are there just to scrape your data and exploit you anyway, so they want it in everyone's home...maybe they will even pay me to install it...p.s., I discovered the bastid pc mfgs had sometimes used proprietary platforms like BTX cases so they're not really upgradeable with a new OTS MB...

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 07:06:14 pm
content: Quote from: metrologist on September 23, 2025, 06:49:12 pm"Doesn't" or Does?Because MS wants to sell you a NEW copy of Windows! Along with forcing you to buy all new hardware! Debate the merits of it all you want, but that is the root cause and there's probably nothing that you can do about it.Whether or not you continue to use V 10 or upgrade to W 11 is all going to depend of what SW you NEED and how long Windows will allow you to continue running your current version before shutting it down. It's an INDUSTRY and everyone out there benefits from forcing you to upgrade.

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 07:32:01 pm
content: Does or Doesn't is the question. I'll find out what happens because the Internet is providing answers.Here is another question that should be easy to answer but for some reason I cannot answer it.How many PCIe expansion slots (not M.2 storage slots, PCIe slots for cards that do shit) does the ASUS TUF Gaming B850-PLUS WiFi AM5 ATX Motherboard have?AUS website seems to list different numbers depending on what CPU, but or the Ryzen 97000X, I am seeing just ONE fickin port listed! If I use an AMD 850 chip I get three. (I don't have time or energy to sift through their overarching BICURFACTION table)https://www.asus.com/us/motherboards-components/motherboards/tuf-gaming/tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi/techspec/Amazon here says it's two...https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Center-Processor-B850-PLUS-Motherboard/dp/B0F66Q1PQ6/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1GU11TRO15GIY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VsJ6pBAmJNv9pQfTB7URKvmjRAFYJMpICm5YwN5Pk1d7efKRyAho0vWRu3QeCobcjYFZDkrVI_QWJ5dDe63ZT4igNXBuVXpB0taWATcK02YrgBezk8CNEmajPZRS-BgXm8h2d50aD19BneGxFYDuTw9qLFKSvdKInYRUp-igmZ1fd8BBgE5kYYKH34rEGjTKeCnxtCVX355REfElXww1FC4u_UeOMF79cMVtIA0ZgW0.M8GtYALltvQFbLexkRkb42c6kd1qT_hQ9rd1WD6yn4E&dib_tag=se&keywords=ryzen%2Bmotherboard%2Bcombo&qid=1758653919&sprefix=ryzen%2Bmotherboard%2Bcombo%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1Amazon here says it's FIVE!!!https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DPLPLR88/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1Oh, but the Amazon ads may say something different depending on what part of the page you're looking at. How is this legal advertising?

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 08:34:01 pm
content: This is about the cheapest route, 5500 with GB A520 MB.GB says MB has Radeon graphics, but AI says it needs a G-series processor, so this bundle needs a graphics card? Also, GB says it has 3 PCIe expansion slots, Amz says 1, I think anyway...https://www.amazon.com/Desktop-Processor-Gigabyte-Motherboard-Q-Flash/dp/B0FBWBDPBH/ref=sr_1_18_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CZb1DswXLUdrOmi7MCW_O9m_AWV4hJxYDysqwS0jRpkcS9360zVsMiZFpR7vVrRqKthDeamA9ikHG7euwcLb9TixGCq_DxgMhgePKyRlcYVPRDG5U5GbJPhPW3W40i6JUmvAqmcCvjufUc8EJFaEZLl0SW_SXUDZ1ERMUsB0WEPXaKeIH1UUuRr1SAMJ-Wjh5i6fe_iXBJV-qjHz76rwTus1jo63AaRCQyeVRoAjXaA.qR5LTQpXlWNBuXB_V9H0udPtwnEedPiOFJEkTpDU9Uo&dib_tag=se&hvadid=673813464239&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=1014034&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=9503412491523261368--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=9503412491523261368&hvtargid=kwd-309930024875&hydadcr=24360_13517583&keywords=cpu%2Bmotherboard%2Bbundles&mcid=67295f40fac6369fba81fcf84a1b3d25&qid=1758657042&sr=8-18-spons&xpid=OwLHd7mkXDczG&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9idGY&th=1

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2025, 11:52:51 pm
content: Quote from: metrologist on September 23, 2025, 07:32:01 pmYou are reading that wrong. The motherboard always has 4 PCIe slots. One is connected to the CPU and has different specs depending on what CPU that is. The other 3 are connected to the B850 chipset, so they always have the same specs.(And you can buy riser cables to connect M.2 slots to PCIe cards.)

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 02:21:47 pm
content: I see, sometimes they add the m.2 slots as PCIe slots. AnywayOne commenter suggested to just load Win11 on the old hardware and go on...But the first batch of hardware given and installed. No boot device found, but after enabling legacy boot device support, Windows 10 boots with some prompts to install drivers. It feels just like getting an oil change, no difference except the service light is still on (not eligible for upgrade).Windows still needs the Secure Boot enabled. This looks like a setting in Windows first, then disable the legacy boot support.And I realized the last PC I built in 2010.

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 06:00:01 pm
content: I guess there isn't much to know about the this ASUS B850M motherboard that you couldn't infer without some logical reasoning, but info is not very deep...Like, here is a header labeled COM. Details? This cannot be a serial com header, right?https://media.overclock3d.net/2025/01/m6.jpg

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2025, 06:14:36 pm
content: Quote from: metrologist on September 24, 2025, 06:00:01 pmItisa serial port, you just need to buy a cable:https://www.amazon.com/Serial-Motherboard-Ribbon-Connector-Bracket/dp/B00PI5XDQA

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 07:01:18 pm
content: I'm kind of stuck with a couple ideas of futility left...MS will not upgrade all Windows 10 systems to Windows 11. The installation we were working with is an update from Win7 to Win10 when they were offering that years ago, and as a matter of fact Win10 was installed clean once without any activation issues. The new hardware inactivated Win10, and MS will not reactivate Win10 without a Win10 license, so that install is dead.I have another old Dell that I installed 1 of 5 new Win10 licenses on years ago. During a big H20 or H22 update, Win10 decided the PC did not meet HW requirements anymore so that PC was dead. I installed that old hard drive into this new MB and the Win10 update completed, is still activated, but there is red text stating there are updates available but checking for them and trying to force updates now does not result in anything. We put the drive back into the old Dell e510 and after a 15 minute boot and struggle to get to the Activation settings, we connected the device to the desired Microsoft account and put the drive back into the new MB combo.Now I'm not seeing a path to upgrade to Win11 here. I ran PCHealthCheck and the system needs SecureBoot enabled, so the first idea of futility is to enable it and naively expect the redUpdates are availabletext will now show me a Win11 update. Once executing that, Win11 will be all updated, the OS/HW will be registered with a digital license, and then I can install a new drive and install a fresh Win11 and be good.<stupid me, SecureBoot is already enabled as Standard in BIOS but Win10 Info says it's off>If that does not follow through, I will call MS again with the futile expectation that they will help update this full fresh install of Win10 to Win11.This is getting shitty, disabling CSM, change MBR to GPT, make USB boot disk.... This is like the olden days again...Probably I spend all weekend on this and get nowhere.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2025, 10:41:17 pm
content: You can easily bypass the HW check and SecureBoot requirements.If you don't like this guide, you can find many more:https://www.neowin.net/guides/how-to-install-windows-11-24h2-on-unsupported-hardware/

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 02:45:14 pm
content: Well, I don't know all the consequences of running an older, unsupported version of Windows11 on hardware that is missing the required security features.The very old Dell Dimension, I forget what got it past SecureBoot, but it actually updated to Win11 and is activated to an MS account (old HDD installed into new PC HW).Identical process on a second PC is showing the OS is not activated - all Win11 requirements met though. I will need to call MS to try and activate this one.Since I'm here, I found my old laptops. This one is a Toughbook T45 with a trackball, so I put some games on it with MS office. This thing works great, especially Missile Command with the track ball!

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 29, 2025, 03:04:48 pm
content: here is my first laptop bootup

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 30, 2025, 12:21:06 am
content: Quote from: metrologist on September 22, 2025, 03:54:41 pmYou will have to try it to find out.I accidentally booted a copy of my Phenom 2 Windows 10 drive on my Ryzen 2 hardware and it just worked.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 01:53:16 am
content: same on a Athlon 64 x2 loll booted lolll was surprised and accepted all drivers and or found most of them

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2025, 04:11:55 pm
content: MS says they will update current licensed versions of Win10 to Win11 for free, unless your version of Win10 is something something they don't know how to activate it....I had two unused licenses on a Win10 retail box I bought ~10 years ago. The OS is saying it cannot activate this new install because it's been used...The shitty version of Win11 is $140.

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2025, 07:29:30 pm
content: I read a question asking about the legitimacy of those $10 Windows licenses you can buy online from places like Groupon. The questioner was belittled for their lack of logical reasoning that if MS sells the product for a dollar amount, then all those ridiculously low online prices are obviously a scam.But then, using an MS browser and an MS search engine, 99% of the results are advertising low dollar licenses. Actually, not a single result links directly to any 'legitimate' reseller, except the MS store is buried in there.I'm having an issue with the Asus Prime B650M-A AX II bundled with the 7600X CPU, and I bought G.Skill CL36 RAM. I'd like to say it's unbearably slow, but it's worse than that. I am hoping it's a bad hard drive. It's an older SATA laptop magnetic drive. 120GB 5400 RPM. Other than that I have no idea where to start other than just trying a different set of RAM.I'm having an issue with the Asus Tuf Gaming B850M-Plus Wi-Fi bundled with the 9700X CPU, and I bought Corsair CL30 RAM. I cannot get the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to work. I tried installing drivers through Asus driver hub that automatically launched and installed everything. I tried updating using the Armoury Crate SW and I tried manually installing drivers from the Asus product support page (these launch UAE but nothing seems to happen). This PC still needs to have a Win11 update so I hope when I get there the Win11 drivers will work. A lot of people seemed to have this issue.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2025, 01:25:16 am
content: Quote from: metrologist on October 06, 2025, 07:29:30 pmThere are legitimate lower cost Microsoft licenses available if you know where to look. In Europe software licenses can be resold under certain conditions. I bought several Windows 10 Professional licenses through Kinguin a couple years ago:https://www.kinguin.net/c/15019/windowsThe legal basis came about in 2012:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UsedSoft

author: gmb42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2025, 11:09:54 am
content: The legal battle between MS and resellers, in this case ValueLicensing (sic), a UK company really should use the correct British spelling of Licence, is ongoing seehttps://www.theregister.com/2025/09/08/microsoft_valuelicensing_latest/

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2025, 01:33:46 pm
content: Regardless of that, it's almost equivalent to seeing flyers for an the Epstein ranch vacation on the local PD bulletin board.And poop. The PC I was able to activate W10 and upgrade to W11, which was running very slow - the OS got corrupted when using CloneZilla to clone to an M2 drive.