Reccomendations CPU/Motherboard

[Twisty]

Sis in-law's desktop (HP ENVY pheonix) met her needs (web browsing, word documents, playing music) fine but the motherboard has died and I am finding it really difficult to find a replacement.
It's a LGA1155 i5 with 8GB DDR3 ram - CPU, RAM, PSU is fine.

Requirements

• Cheap
• Nothing 2nd hand!
• micro ATX (or mini ITX) form factor
• 1x USB 3.0 and 4x usb 2.0
• pci-e x16 slot - she has a GTX 730 graphics card.
• mini pci-e port existing wifi, or she will need a wifi card.

My first though was to replace with an LGA1155 motherboard but it is 2 generations old now and in Simlim I could only find gigabyte mini-ITX board which has no usb 3 and only 2xUSB 2.0.

My next thought was to buy an AMD CPU/motherboard, as then can re-use the DDR3 RAM, but I couldn't find any AMD cpu's in simlim!
Can find at newegg/amazon e.g. AMD X4 860k + ASUS M5a78L-M Plus + Dual Band Wifi for ~S$200 but then the shipping adds another S$50-100

So I am a bit stuck, any ideas appreciated.

 

[singupingu]

Budget? 1155 socket is expensive due to scarcity.

Get a Asrock h81m-hd5 with i5-4460 @ $330 from pc theme. This can use ddr3 ram. And get PCIE wifi card @ 59.

To save cost, consider down to i3 since what she does is at no way intensive.

Sent from Overpowered Phone Mark III using GAGT

 

[Koenig168]

You might want to check whether a replacement MB is compatible with the HP casing. I currently have two HP MBs including one socket 1155 and they have some proprietary connectors like mini LED.

If you are going to buy a new MB, it makes more sense to sell the CPU and go for a newer chipset instead.

 

[BlackCube]

Budget? 1155 socket is expensive due to scarcity.

Get a Asrock h81m-hd5 with i5-4460 @ $330 from pc theme. This can use ddr3 ram. And get PCIE wifi card @ 59.

To save cost, consider down to i3 since what she does is at no way intensive.

Sent from Overpowered Phone Mark III using GAGT

I would say down to i3 would suffice.

 

[Buaya_Hunter]

I would say down to i3 would suffice.

Even a modern pentium will do....


Like the legendary pentium g3258...

 

[ZrE0_Cha0s]

before u go on find those board, make sure u have done enough research the case measurement for mobo. that's why OEM build is always so hard to replace due to some are build by their liking, not customers. customers just choose whatever they provide only


anyway if u are willing to take the risk can go for taobao for the replacement board.

 

[gld998]

actually just hoot a $50 lga1155 n your problem resolved. i bought b4 quite board at that price. i remember convergent got new old stock. check them out at caraohell

 

[Twisty]

Thanks for the advice.
I suggested she got a gigabyte lga1150+i3 4170 for ~$250. She came back with i5-6400 and a lga1151 ddr3 motherboard for $400+. Not sure if the extra $ will deliver much extra performance but I put it all together and it is working fine.

If it was for myself then i would have got a $50 lga1155 mobo, or a whole 2nd hand system for $200, then i would have a spare of everything