Need help choosing motherboard+cpu

I decided to upgrade my rig a bit with a new case, motherboard and cpu. Mostly because i wanted to put together one from scratch for fun. I currently have a P4 2.6 Ghz and my motherboard is an intel, model D865PERL. I wanted to have at least 3.2 Ghz. If there's a good, compatible CPU that's not too expensive (<$150?) that i can get w/o buying a new motherboard that would be great. If not, anyone know of a good combo aimed at gaming that's at a good price?

 

Well, it looks like a 3.2 Ghz processor will cost you about $230, so no, you won't be able to upgrade to that for less than $150.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116172

 

Gaming @ 150$ doesn't exist, unless your gaming for 2 or so years back, then, your 2ghz is fine.

 

I thought i had it all set with this combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128307

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103535

But then a guy on another forum told me this:

"I don't think AGP and 939 go together...there never was a great AGP motherboard for the socket 939

the best 939 AGP motherboards where the few nForce3 boards
..but I think even the nForce3 754 systems could out perform those


if you must have a socket 939(really no point in building a cheap 939 system..esp. an AGP one).....go for the cheesy PCI-E plus AGP socket 939 motherboard "

Does this guy speak the truth? Or is my current choice ok? I'm not going to spend more than $300, and i'm also not trying to build the beefiest computer ever. Just one that is significantly better than the one i have now.

 

What are all the specs of your current computer. Then we will be able to tell you the most worthwhile upgrade. To me it seems that it would be a video card because your processor isn't that bad. Sure, it's not top of the line, but the CPU is not the most important component for gaming. In any case, you'll need to list your specs before we can make any accurate recommendations.

 

Radeon 9600xt
P4 2.6ghz
1 gig ram
2-70gig hard drives
Intel motherboard model D865PERL

 

If you want the most bang for your buck right now as far as gaming goes, a new video card would be it. If you were to get a Geforce 6600GT, like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130220 for $139 w/ $20 rebate ($119 total), you'd see a good improvement in games. However, if you can live with your current setup for a little while, I'd save up some money (maybe $500-$600) and then upgrade your motherboard, CPU, RAM, and video card all at once.

 

Re: Need help choosing motherboard+cpu & BIOS problem

One of the main reasons i'm upgrading is because I'm also going to get a new case and put my computer together by myself over the break. I just want it to be better than before when it's done.

Ok, I have another problem. For a few weeks, when I power on my computer, the monitor and keyboard don't get any signal, and there's no beep to show that it past the tests or whatever. But if i press the restart button, it usually would run fine, but never the first time. I was in BIOS and changed a few things, and now I can not get it to start up at all. That's partly the reason i wanted to get a new motherboard. Is this fixable?

 

ok, i fixed my BIOS problem. nvm.

I've gone a different upgrade route and decided to get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130220

"Memory Type GDDR3"- GDDR3? Is this ok for me? My current card is DDR

System Requirements: An available 4-pin Molex hard drive power dongle- after laughing about the word "dongle", i realized i dont know what the heck it means. Can anyone fill me in?

 

Yeah, that card will work. The GDDR has no bearing on the compatibility with the motherboard. It's built into the card. As long as it will fit into your motherboard, which it will (in an AGP slot), you should be fine.

As far as the 4-pin molex hard drive power dongle, it's just a power lead coming from your power supply. They are the little white connectors that give your hard drives power.

 

And i'm assuming I already have those dongles because they sound familiar. Thanks