bobkn said:
Further, if it's an OEM installation of the sort used by large PC makers, the license will be locked to the BIOS of the original motherboard.

An installation on a new MB won't have a normal means of activating.
Yep, if it's a factory OEM install of Windows 8, 8.1, or 10, the product code is embedded in the BIOS and is non transferable.
Even if it was a stand alone system builders copy, once installed and activated on a device, its not transferable to another device. Not in a hardware upgrade scenario. Replacement of defective hardware is another matter, but even then its subject to the rules laid out in the EULA.