Replace/Upgrade?

I have a 5yrld custom-built desktop computer that recently developed a faulty motherboard (2 bulged/blown capacitors). I don't play current/intense video games, and the computer was perfect for my needs. I'm trying to decide what to do next - to replace the motherboard with something compatible with all my components, to replace the motherboard+CPU, to replace the motherboard+CPU+RAM, or even if then becomes better/more economical to buy a full current cheap desktop to frankenstein.

The specs are as follows:
Slot 939 AMD 3800
2x matching pair PC3200 1GB RAM modules
2x ATA/IDE hard drives
4x SATA hard drives
1x PCI-Ex16 256MB (or 512MB?) GeForce graphics card
A good reliable 700 or 750W PSU
I run Win XP pro and have no interest in 'upgrading'(!)
This is my exact (broken) mobo

I built the computer myself and all the parts were 4 or 5 star rated at newegg, with a large number of votes - I made sure every single part was robust, fast and good value for money.

I originally bought a 939 slot mobo/CPU with the belief that it was the next big slot type, only to then discover it was soon superseded by AM_ series. Because of that, I'm open to the possibility that I may have to get a new CPU as well as mobo. That in turn has made me consider that I could get a much newer mobo/cpu, which would then necessitate a change in RAM too. I'm not prepared to reduce the number of hard drives I have though. Finally, I've dealt with mobos that don't have a graphics chip/output and it can be a pain to diagnose future problems, so ideally I'd like a mobo that can output video if needs be.

This mobo is the standard I'm comparing all options to, which basically supports all my components and puts me back where I was before the fault. I have no idea how good of a mobo it is, but $65 is a good price for a repair:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ASUS-A8N5X-939-...624243033?pt=Motherboards&hash=item3f02763d59

I really don't want to spend over $200, but obviously the less the better! What are your suggestions, and how much benefit would I get for replacing additional parts?

 

Well my birthday is on the 13th so I'm going with the option to change out the mobo+CPU+RAM. These are the replacements I picked:
Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-MA78LMT-S2 AM3 AMD 760G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
CPU - AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor
RAM - Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory w/ Blue LEDs Model

If anyone knows of any lawful impediment why these new components should not be joined to the existing hardware, they must speak now or forever hold their peace.

 

I have A8N-E series mobo and they are excellent, it may even run an X2 with a BIOS upgrade like I have an X2 3800+ in there now.

Well, since you moved on, then good luck. Only thing I can spot is that you spec in too much power supply. 500W is plenty for you.

 

You're absolutely right! It didn't look right written down so I went to check and it is actually this 550W PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817103931

 

Good choice on the PSU, good to see people spending that little extra for a proper power supply!

For $40 more you can get a Quad core CPU AND 4GB of memory, will save you money in the long term and having that 4GB will make a huge difference to you, even in general tasks over 2GB.

 

Hey there Burrel, thanks for the suggestions. I'm running Win XP so I won't feel the benefits of 4GB really. But I figured that by buying the most recent standard that I could afford (DDR3) it would make a later upgrade easier if I decide to move to Win 7 (or whatever comes after!).

I did wonder about the quad core though. The one you selected is 0.1GHz slower, but Quad instead of Dual. Will I notice much of a difference between the two, and if so what with? Multitasking maybe? It's very normal for me to be watching a movie, surfing the web, and doing work at the same time.