Help with upgarding

Hi, I looking to upgrade my PC on a shoestring budget. Ideally doing it stage by stage, Im guessing I need to start with the motherboard but that may mean too much compromise to utilise current parts?
Current spec

gigabyte GA-M55S-S3 motherboard
4 x 2gb DDR2 ram 666mhz
Athlon AM2 CPU X2 6000+
Sapphire 4770 512mb graphics
ATX case and supply 650watt
500gb sata 2 drive
sata 2 dvd writer

would like to get something that can take more ram, maybe 4 x 8gb sticks + higher mhz then option of faster CPU AM3? something quad core or better.

Can anyone suggest a good starting place without spending too much.

 

The first question is to separate what you already own from what you plan on buying.

As an example, the board, processor and memory you have listed (while adequate for a shoestring PC) are basically obsolete for a build using all new parts. It's almost impossible to find a new board at retail that still uses DDR2. DDR3 is both faster and much less expensive then DDR2. Also, you can use a less expensive board with only two memory slots, each with a 4GB DDR3 stick (8GB total).

Please post a list of what items you plan on buying new and we can give you more specific advice on the upgrade options.

 

Im planning on buying motherboard, ram and CPU. Ive found a board I like the look of, its the Gigabyte 970A-DS3 Socket AM3 . Would you say this was a good starting block? Im was thinking team it up with AMD FX4170 bulldozer.

 

You need a socket AM3+, not AM3, to use a Bulldozer CPU. Gigabyte makes nice AMD boards. Here's the budget one I recommend:
GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128519

 

Sorry my mistake, the board I mentioned is AM3+ and does support the bulldozer CPU I mentioned.

 

The board abekl recommended looks like a decent deal, esp. with the current promo including free memory.

A few more general tips:

* Stick with 1066 or 1333 speed memory. Although some boards support faster speeds via overclocking, it can be a pain in the a** to set it up and may make the system unstable.

* If money is an object, you could choose a motherboard with on-board video and upgrade to a video card later on.

* Don't skimp on the power supply. Stick with a decent brand such as Cooler Master or Antec.

* Ditto for the hard drive. Western Digital's Caviar Black series is more durable and worth the few extra bucks. Avoid Hitachi or WD Green series drives like the plague; they seem to have the highest failure rates.

Good luck on the build.

 

Managed to get the board that abekl reccomended for £58.00 delivered. Around $91 usd. Now nee to find a good price UK basd FX4170 , or should I get an X6 CPU @ 3.6ghz