New Motherboard or New Processor

Hello Geeks.

Been going through a bit of an upgrading phase here in the past weeks. I got some extra RAM (1gig of Crucial PC3200) and ordered a new video card (Gigabyte Geforce 6600GT).

Now, I've started thinking about my processor. I was toying with the idea of overclocking the XP 2500+, but it turns out my mobo does not support overclocking.

Thus I am stuck with the choice: do I find a decent Socket A mobo (currently looking at the Asus A7V880) that allows overclocking and maybe supports the PC3200 RAM, or do I just buy a new processor?

These are some of the questions I have (I'll probably have more later): will I get much of a performance boost by overclocking? Is the performance boost vs. wear and tear ratio worht it? Will a new mobo that supports PC3200 RAM also work with my now useless sticks of PC2700 RAM (turns out my current mobo does not like mixing and matching...MemTest86 returns many an error from my old memory sticks, which weren't there before)? I'm looking to use my computer for the next two years or so without having to do a major rebuilding and move to the 64bit processors (i.e. trying to milk what I can).

Thanks for your help.

 

I am of the personal opinion, that over clocking is never worth the potential damage, but then I'll often milk a computer for years. I'd have to say that buying a new mobo is probably a better bet, because you'll get the enhanced performance of the RAM, which will probably be a better bet than amping up the clock speed.

 

Personally, I fully agree with Triaxx2 about overclocking. If you overclock you'll also need to take into consideration of keeping your CPU cool, which would probably mean the added expense of a new HSF. Get yourself a good Socket A board, which should be rather cheap now, with a N4 chip and supports Dual-Channel RAM and you should be good to go. Like Triaxx2, I'll 'milk' a machine for as long as I can!! I'm running an AMD 3200+ on a GA-7N400 PRO2 MB (N2 chip). It's not the biggest dog on the block, but it gets the job done really well. Something else you may want to consider. Upgrading your HDD to a SATA drive. It won't give you blinding speed, but it will be noticeable. Good Luck!!