EMachines W1500 mobo replacement

**jakkwb** · June 15th, 2005, 10:48 AM

Greetings earthlings,

I have a dead W1500 EMachines system. I would like to know if i can:

Put in a normal FIC AM35 mobo and everything work (even the restore CDSs)

If not, if anyone has a source for one, please let me know. I do not want to buy one from EMachines.

Thanks,

J

**Kodiak** · June 15th, 2005, 12:41 PM

What is the one in it now?

**jakkwb** · June 15th, 2005, 04:30 PM

It is the original board installed by E-machines. It is a FIC BR32 board (made for EMachines?) , or so it is marked. I was just curious if I could drop a retail one in and get away with it.

**imagoon** · June 15th, 2005, 10:05 PM

replace the system board with the exact same model. Then swap the rom chip from the old one to the new. You will then even get the emacs logos =) and have the bios sig for the restore to run.

~Chris

**InTheWayBoy** · June 17th, 2005, 03:39 AM

Watch out though, cause sometimes the pin-out for the buttons on the case are custom, and even the same board bought on the retail market might not match up. I've been burned a few times on Dell's with that problem.

**Ruslan** · June 19th, 2005, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by jakkwb

Greetings earthlings,

I have a dead W1500 EMachines system. I would like to know if i can:

Put in a normal FIC AM35 mobo and everything work (even the restore CDSs)

If not, if anyone has a source for one, please let me know. I do not want to buy one from EMachines.

Thanks,

J

So, what MB do you have right now in your system - AM-35 (E-Machines version)? http://parts.emachines.com/emachines...oduct_id=68991 I have never heard of BR-32 motherboard...
Recovery CDs may work for another AM-35 MB (at least, I have got HP version of that MB - from Pavilion 523n), and I have tried recovery CDs from another (not W1500) E-machines - worked fine...
But there is no warranty as I've seen already some E-Machines Recovery CDs not working on regular (non-Emachines) MBs (even the same model)...
I guess it is looking for specific ID tag in BIOS...

But I don't understand why you need all that crap what comes with E-Machines recovery CDs? (besides, quite outdated considering age of that system)... You can simply use regular WinXP Home Edition OEM installation CD and just use the serial number sticker you have on the back of that the E-Machines... and then just install the latest drivers - system will work much faster... then you can create your own recovery CDs...
You can buy much better motherboard instead of AM-35...

**jakkwb** · July 7th, 2005, 02:55 PM

Sorry, I got my info mixed up. It is a FIC AM-35 mobo.

**Ruslan** · July 10th, 2005, 07:41 PM

You can use ECS L7VMM2 motherboard instead - it will fit in your case, cheap and very close to that AM-35 (has 6 USB2 ports, not 4 USB1.1 like AM-35)... another MB is FIC AM-37 (the same as L7VMM2). But there is no warranty your recovery CDs will work (I've never had W1500 EM so I couldn't try). Worst case scenario, you can use drivers on recovery CDs and license sticker to install the Windows XP OS regular way...

**jakkwb** · July 18th, 2005, 02:54 PM

So, can I drop in a FIC AM35, switch the BIOS chips, and it be an E-machines replacement? It is replacing an AM35.

I would like to try this if there is a good chance it will work.

A

**Ruslan** · July 18th, 2005, 08:35 PM

It can work - original AM-35 and E-Machine's version both have 2-Mbit ships... hope they are pin-to-pin compatible... and that chip is not soldered into PCB in original version... (as mine AM-35 is HP version with 4 Mbit BIOS and it is soldered in...

)