XPS 8900, replace motherboard, XJ8C4?

agree w Tesla that Dell oem 8900 retail motherboard replacement is not worth the investment in 2022…unless you score a super cheap deal.  

currently on eBay a used 8900 board is $75 https://www.ebay.com/itm/175401470991?

some sellers ask for $79 obo. It is possible to strike a deal but unlikely to be a steal.

that is still a bit expensive given its age and tech limitation such as pciex1 m.2 ssd on board.

If you like to keep on using the 8900 case you can replace it with relatively inexpensive microATX motherboard of 100 up to 300 series chipset.  You can salvage the Dell memory and cpu cooler.  If it is 100-200 series board you can still use the Dell cpu.  Socket is the same.  100-200 series supports intel 6th gen cpu in 8900. 300 series needs Intel 8th or 9th gen cpu such as i5-8400 or i7-8700.  Aftermarket motherboard is often a better deal than Dell oem 8900 motherboard.  

Maybe you are receptive of some advice?

The project will turn-out better if while shopping for your new motherboard, just go ahead and pickup a nice computer case and Corsair power-supply to go with it. Then, just move over whatever parts you had originally planned to.

Now-days, your bootable C-Drive should be a NVMe-SSD.

---

@thadoctur wrote:

I want to replace motherboard on older Dell XPS 8900 Desktop. What's needed to replace part. Service tag?,

Will DELL XPS 8900 Motherboard 0XJ8C4 Mainboard will this board work? OS build: 19044.1949. What info do I need to get correct motherboard. Thanks

---

Oh, sorry. You want to repair it back to original. Yes, that is a better idea for sure.

Problem is, it's too old to get a new motherboard from Dell, and any working motherboard are just old "working pulls". This machine is too old to be affordably repaired. Plus, it is also missing some key recent technologies, and won't even run Windows-11. 

I suggest you purchase a new one. IIRC, the XPS-8950 is the latest model.

THANKS

@Tesla1856 

"won't even run Windows-11"

actually this is wrong.  WIN11 Runs on a potato so all the new requirements can be bypassed including secure boot and TPM 2.0 and CPU version and Ram.

Not supported does not mean not working.  The only advice I give now is that you want PRO 10 so that PRO 11 is free. 

Even 2006 Optiplex GX620 with Pentium D 915 to 960 works with 7 8 10 11.

4TH gen I7 is fine for almost everything including games if you add an inexpensive RX460 and have at least 16 gigs of ram.

No TPM will prevent specific games from running like valorant however if you install 11.

---

@redxps630 wrote:

 

1. currently on eBay a used 8900 board is $75 https://www.ebay.com/itm/175401470991?

some sellers ask for $79 obo. It is possible to strike a deal but unlikely to be a steal.

2. tech limitation such as pciex1 m.2 ssd on board.

 

---

1. Old used stuff, while they might work better than his ... maybe not 100% (or for how much longer) ?

2. I think M.2, but only for SATA SSD. No NVMe-SSD support.

The XPS-8900, it's already 7 years old.

---

@speedstep wrote:

@Tesla1856 

"won't even run Windows-11"

actually this is wrong.  WIN11 Runs on a potato so all the new requirements can be bypassed including secure boot and TPM 2.0 and CPU version and Ram.

Not supported does not mean not working. 

No TPM will prevent specific games from running like valorant however if you install 11.

---

It's just not a viable plan if the machine is connected to the Internet (now-days). 

If you want to run Windows-11 on a Dell, I think better for the majority of people to stick to this list ...

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000187485/dell-computers-tested-for-upgrade-to-windows-11

Even if you are only "playing games" on it, I bet 98% of those people still want to make online purchases on it .

---

@speedstep wrote:

@Tesla1856 

"won't even run Windows-11"

actually this is wrong.  WIN11 Runs on a potato so all the new requirements can be bypassed including secure boot and TPM 2.0 and CPU version and Ram.

Not supported does not mean not working. 

No TPM will prevent specific games from running like valorant however if you install 11.

---

I will continue to answer questions in this fashion. 

Not only the answer to their question, but also some advice (if it seems to me they are going down the wrong path)

... even though I'm constantly corrected and even some users don't seem to like it (ie to accept the reality of their current situation).

For some one looking to fix a computer, rebuild the software, have it work 100% ... and keep it a while longer ... now-days (it is 2022 after all) I personally think at a minimum, you need a system capable of:

- UEFI and SecureBoot
- TPM-2.0
- USB-3.0
- NVMe-SSD (for OS and main programs to run from)
- Capable of running Windows-11 (without a Registry hack). 

thanks got a refurbish one at AliExpress China $94.