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3rd party motherboard for Aurora R4 w/ I7-3930K
I posted weeks ago about a bad BIOS update on my Aurora R4 that caused the motherboard to not even POST...
After a frustrating several hours on hold with Dell support today, the consensus (if you can call it that, because I kept getting different part numbers told to me) is that they don't have replacement motherboards in stock to sell to me. As such, I'm looking aftermarket. This is an Aurora-R4 purchased in 2012 with Windows 7 and the I7-3930K processor. Not knowing much about Alienware's custom case specs and/or other potential issues, does anyone have any advice for a reliable 3rd party motherboard that would allow me to replace the bricked one with a minimum of pain and suffering?
Cass-Ole
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May 9th, 2014 07:00
new & used r4 motherboards on eBay all day long. Part#'s in USA include:
your board's form factor ("size") is called a mini ATX / micro ATX or uATX
MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, AsRock are major brands; there might be 4 or 5 worthy boards to choose from, I like the Asus Rampage IV Gene uATX / 2011, it looks like the best, but I have an AsRock eXtreme4-M here, it's a good-looking board but I haven't installed it yet, holding it back. You have to shop by features, looks, feedback reviews, awards, watch for 'dual bios' 'crash-free bios', uefi ...
pick up an r4 mthrbrd from eBay is my advice, but in the meantime you can check online 2011/uATX reviews, see what your choices are, look for a best-of list - see what major online reviwers think are the best boards ... good luck
Your part# is on your motherboard, on a sticker in two places (photo). 7JNHO has a sticker that calls itself a revision, maybe a newer board. It is possible a replacement mthrbrd may not have a Windows 8.1 product key in the bios, unless someone would like to correct that statement for me.
reference to A02 (revision two, possibly) is present twice on this photo, but not on middle photo ...
Consultant Jim
4 Posts
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April 4th, 2015 11:00
Same story here. Applied a BIOS update recommended by Dell's automatic system scanner and it killed my motherboard.
Called Dell, put on hold for 15 minutes, call dropped. Repeat that scenario two more times. On the 4th call, after a similar 15-20 minute wait I finally reached a human being, who confirmed that there is no way to recover from a failed BIOS update and confirmed I needed a new motherboard. Put me on hold for another 15 minutes, and upon return informed me they have no replacements available.
Astonishing - their faulty update kills my computer, and they can't fix it. This computer is only 27 months old.
They suggested I search online for a used board, and give me two part numbers. I do that search, and turn up NOTHING. Get a flashlight, read the small print on my existing dead motherboard, find a number different than anything support told me. Luckily, one of those available on eBay, and it's on the way.
Lesson learned: never, ever, buy another computer from Dell/Alienware. I'll build my own in the future.
Tesla1856
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May 8th, 2014 17:00
Hopefully, you can get some actual examples. Have you tried searching Google or Forums?
All after-market mATX (mini-ATX) mother-boards are the same form-factor because they have to fit inside all the mATX cases out there.
The MIO-Board and AW-CC software (apps and drivers) only have a 50/50 chance of working with non-Dell motherboard.
Hopefully, your Dell-OEM Windows7-64 will Activate on non-Dell MB. Obviously, you will have to enter the key manually and might even have to call Microsoft for permission.
painterhenry
46 Posts
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May 8th, 2014 23:00
My brief search shows that you can buy the same motherboard for around US$260 to $335.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7JNH0-07JNH0-CN-07JNH0-desktop-motherboard-for-Aurora-R4-X79-LGA-2011-100-tested-working/1840520822.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7JNH0-07JNH0-desktop-motherboard-for-Aurora-R4-X79-2011-System-Board-100-tested-working/1695454900.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-For-Dell-Alienware-Aurora-R4-X79-LAG-2011-Perfect-support-E5-2630-E5-2650/941620414.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/7JNH0-07JNH0-desktop-motherboard-for-Aurora-R4-X79-2011-System-Board-100-tested-working-DHL-EMS/1687109330.html
It seems that the higher the motherboard price is, the higher number of positive feedback the seller accumulates. Other than this, I am not sure the difference among them. They are 'used' but the pics show them in good condition.
Tesla1856
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May 8th, 2014 23:00
Strange Dell won't sell you one because they are still building the Aurora R-4.
I'm never much on recommending used parts, but in this case, it might be worth a try (to side-step MIO-Board and Win7 Activation issues).
Alienware-Naomi
1.8K Posts
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May 9th, 2014 10:00
Hi!
I've sent you a private message with some information about the Aurora R4 Motherboard. I checked with the Technical Support department and the part is in stock for sale again. If you're interested in buying the part, reply to the message with your contact information so they can get in touch with you.
Cass-Ole
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April 4th, 2015 14:00
Jim, our part#'s here in the USA are below, I edited them into my May 2014 post also:
Tesla1856
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April 4th, 2015 15:00
Consultant Jim
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April 4th, 2015 16:00
Yes, I researched recovering from a corrupt BIOS, and tried the suggested fixes before calling Dell. As my handle implies, I do PC repair and IT consulting for a living. The 15 year old that applied the BIOS update swears that it looked fine up until the moment it crashed. He had used Dell's online scanner to find and recommend updates (he had reinstalled Windows and needed to put drivers back) He can't believe Dell did this to him. It is, as far as I can tell their fault, and beyond that, it is amazing that:
1) There is no backup BIOS on such a pricey machine
2) Dell has no spares for for a machine only a bit more than 2 years old
3) Their Alienware dedicated call center is so abysmally bad. It was hard to get through, and they were not very helpful
Tesla1856
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April 4th, 2015 16:00
1. Agreed. Been asking Dell for that since users first started bricking Aurora R1's in 2010.
2. Agreed. However, I'm sure we could find you a working "used pull" if you are interested and really want to fix it. One of the advantages of staying with Dell-MB is the free Windows license bound to it. Another is MIO-Board compatibility.