Processor/Mobo Upgrade

[grifterspawn]

Looking to upgrade from what I have, and hoping to keep some parts I have.

450w OCZ modular PSU
4 gigs pc6400 (800mhz) ram

Going from an athlon 64 to...whatever.

I'm not sure if I should be going AMD or Intel based on cost/performance. I'm also not sure how far I can upgrade before my PSU would explode due to lack of power...any help? I use it for gaming/browsing/office/movies/tv/etc....

I saw a thread with everyone recommending the new E8400, but I dont even know if my PSU could handle it...

 

[Phunk0ne]

Well your PSU alone would be sufficient enough to support the E8400, but the question is rather, what else are going to hook up to your "new" rig?
Try this link, it gives you a guestimate in how much power you will need to bring your rig to life
eXtreme PSU Calculator

 

[grifterspawn]

Thats a great link thanks, so anyone have a motherboard that would support that processor well... Also, the 800mhz ram works in 1066/1333 fsb systems?

 

[Phunk0ne]

Originally posted by: grifterspawn
Thats a great link thanks, so anyone have a motherboard that would support that processor well... Also, the 800mhz ram works in 1066/1333 fsb systems?

Motherboard chipset that support the new 45nm Intel CPUs:

Intel chipset Motherboards:
- G31/G33/G35
- Q33/Q35
- P35 (recommended)
- X38/X48 (Just make sure you are buying a X38 chipset motherboard that is DDR2 compatible)

nVidia chipset Motherboards:
- 780i (quite expensive)

Your DDRII-800 RAM should work in any of these motherboards.

If I have missed anything, please anyone correct me as necessary.

 

[grifterspawn]

Hmm i hope the SATA on all these mobos works when you go to install win xp...

 

[Phunk0ne]

I was facing the same problem to before I reinstalled windows XP. So I decided to slipstream a copy of XP and add SP2 to it, using the following program:

nLite

 

[jdkick]

You should have no problem recycling the memory. The PSU wattage should be enough, tho there can be other factors like amperage and connectors (you may need adapters) depending on what you build.

The most common upgrade these days is an Intel Core 2 Duo and Intel P35 chipset. ABIT, ASUS and Gigabyte get the most recommendations and each offers solid P35 boards with varying feature sets/price points. I just built the machine in my sig and performs quite well for my needs (moderate gaming and some digital imaging). I do plan on upgrading the GPU tho so I can game at or closer to my LCDs native res.

What are you doing for a video card?

 

[taltamir]

your PSU can easily handle it... i am pretty sure it takes less power then the X2...
E8400 FTW