HP PGTD-LA Motherboard (Yes I know HP teh suck).

Anyway the issue is that my friend Carol has an HP A1133w-b Desktop bundle. She however doesn't use it much, and only for messing around online/surfing the net, and such. Well she comes home turns it on and the monitor doesn't come on. So she checks the cable, and it's fine.

The parts inside are working fine, but the monitor isn't receiving any signal or even realising it's attached to her machine. So we try a different monitor, and still the same thing. Her monitor works on other machines as well.

I'm assuming as I can't really troubleshoot this thing properly as it is, that the mobo's VGA has just died on her somehow, and can't really be fixed as I see it without replacing the mobo.

I even tried putting a VGA card in the machine, but it either didn't recognise it, or there is another issue, but I can't diagnose it or anything.

I'm thinking about replacing the mobo, but since it is a HP and mainstream PC manufacturers tend to make the mobos precisely for the case they are in. I'm curious as to what if anything would prevent me from replacing said mobo with a better mobo?

I know the form factor is that of a generic Micro-ATX, but it's still a question of will it fit the case and work, and has anyone here had the same experience?

Finally, she doesn't want to spend much, and can't so that's why I'm even considering this, and I hope I won't have to makeshift the case for this.

Thanks in advance,
- Judas