masonc wrote:

Can a Win7 computer run XP?

I know that an XP emulator is possible,
but can a Win7 motherboard run XP directly?

(I'm thinking of a faster computer for my old XP.)

There is no such thing as a "Windows 7 motherboard".
There is no such thing as a "Windows XP motherboard".

When looking at newer hardware to run an old OS, make sure to check the
motherboard maker provides downloads for *drivers* for that old OS.
Drivers are the interface between the hardware and OS. An old OS would
have embedded drivers for hardware that was released after that old OS
was compiled and fixed in stone. It's up the hardware vendors to decide
if and how long they provide drivers for the old OS in their new models.

So if you are looking at newer, faster, better motherboards on which to
run Windows XP, make sure the model(s) you choose provide drivers for
Windows XP. Some won't because that is not just an old OS but also an
unsupported OS. The hardware will support the old OS but the mobo maker
isn't doling out the needed drivers to provide the interface between
their newer hardware to the older OS. Some mobo makers still do support
Windows XP. You have to check. Sometimes they'll mention supported
OSes in the specifications. If not, you have to visit their web site to
look at drivers available for a model of theirs.

Because it is the drivers (not the hardware) that will drive your
selection of a motherboard to match the OS you want to use on that
hardware, you need to check if the mobo maker still provides drivers for
your old OS. Typically that means you will have to select older mobos
to get old OS support (older product, older drivers still available) but
those old mobos might be faster, better, or whatever is your criteria
than your current ancient mobo.

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Z97P/specifications/
That does not support Windows XP (no drivers).

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77%2...Specifications
That does support Windows XP (there are drivers).

List the [minimum] criteria for your new mobo. Decide how deep are your
pockets. Stick with older mobos, like those with the Intel 7 series
chipset (e.g., Z77), since those will have a better chance that the mobo
maker still provides the old drivers for their old models.

MasonC hxxp: \\fr*ntal-l*be. inf*
MasonC hxxp: \\fr*ntal-l*be. inf*

That is considered spam, so either put it after a signature delimiter
line ("-- \n" or dash dash space newline) or don't bother appending the
off-topic fluff.