Dell Optiplex GX280 replacement mobo?

[Krusty]

My sister bought a Dell Optiplex Gx280 (mid-tower) a while back. The motherboard fried and started giving the amber light instead of normal green. Googling it, apparently it's such a major fiasco there's an entire refurbishing market for replacement boards. There's mention of a giant lawsuit against Dell for making such a lemon of a computer.

The problem is replacing the motherboard with a like board doesn't improve the chance in any way that it won't happen again. The "replacement" boards are often refurbished from existing systems since they stopped making them. It's been sitting for a long time, over a year. My sister has since got a new laptop and moved on, and I want to get the tower up and running.

So I have a crappy Dell proprietary case I can't use for anything but Dell motherboards, and an otherwise good system. I'm looking for a cheap case and a cheap motherboard to plop all the other parts into. The good news is at least it won't require dell proprietary crappy install discs. I can just install standard Windows and be done with it!

I need some suggestions.

The motherboard needs to support:
Pentium 4 2.8GHz (2.6? 2.8?) LGA 775
800MHz FSB (any higher is optional, must handle 800MHz for current CPU)
DDR2 400MHz PC2-3200 DIMM 240-pin ram slots, at least 2, preferred 4 slots dual channel.
Must have Sata I, at least 1 plug to accomodate existing HDD.
Must have IDE for optical drive.
floppy header optional.
Prefer NO integrated video. It has a HD3650, which means:
Must have PCI Express x16 graphics slot.
Integrated sound is fine. Optional.
Onboard lan preferred but optional.

Here's one online reference that breaks it down:
http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-optiplex-gx280/4507-3118_7-30998912.html?tag=mncolBtm;rnav


So I need a mobo similar to that on a budget. No overclocking will be done, nothing special. I just have a PC minus a mobo. The CPU has a big heatsink tower on it, which I may replace if it's too big in the new case.

I also need a cheap case. ATX mid tower, maybe on the small side. Needs removable I/O sheild and rear vent and side vent over CPU. No PSU, I have one already. It doesn't need fans or anything. It can be that annoying steel stamped frame, whatever.


Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[gyrene81]

man that's a tough call, finding a p4 775 mobo with the right chipset for that cpu...

oem full size atx board....
http://3btech.net/as77lga775pe.html

http://www.ascendtech.us/itemdesc.asp?ic=MB4FOX915A01P8E

can't vouch for the vendors...

last one, buy.com
http://www.buy.com/prod/intel-d915gvwb-desktop-motherboard-intel-915gv-chipset-socket-t-lga/q/loc/101/10385960.html
probably one of the best boards they made for that chipset series...

[Krusty]

IMO, it's not the chipset that is the issue. Most LGA775s that run at 800 MHz FSB will handle a P4. It's old enough that they all have the rearward compatibility nowadays.

Those are pretty good links. Thanks!

[Ack-Ack]

You might find something from ASROCK.

ack-ack

[Krusty]

I was looking at the refurb ASRock in the second link there.

I've had an ASRock before. Not terrible. Definitely cheap (price wise). I think that something like that is my best option. I hadn't thought of refurb, but maybe I can snag an open box on newegg or something for half-price.

[Ack-Ack]

One good thing about ASRock is that those boards are actually ASUS boards, just marketed and sold under ASUS's bargain brand name.

ack-ack

[Krusty]

I didn't know that... very interesting.