So many CPU choices.......Overwelmed!!

[footskier]

Looking to replace fried CPU & Motherboard

Looking at AMD dual core and Abit Board and am overwelmed

So many choices?

I may do light video editing in the future

Looking to spend around $300-$400 for CPU & motherboard

I guess I need to catch up a lot on latest technology

Any help greatly Appreciated

[guest7789]

Where to start... Are you definitely set on a dual core cpu or is it an option at this stage? Will you be overclocking and will you be playing games? How long are you intending on keeping this new setup for before you replace it?

Are you looking to get a graphics card as well as most new motherboards come with PCI-e slots and if you want to re-use your graphics card you will probably have an AGP one, so it might be incompatible...

Not too sure on the US prices, but a decent AMD dual core processor would be any of the X2 ones (a specific choice would depend on your budget) and if you wanted to overclock, then go for the opteron 165 as it overclocks like crazy!

Edit - you might want a new PSU as well, depending on what you have already!

A good overclocking motherboard would be a DFI one.

[ThreeOnTheTree]

I take it gaming is not important? If so, then quite a few motherboards will do the trick, since SLI and Crossfire aren't needed. Almost any motherboard should be pretty stable as well, just look for something that doesn't make a lot of noise.

[krupted]

Originally Posted by footskier

Looking to spend around $300-$400 for CPU & motherboard

dual core for sure. look at the opteron 165. you wont need to overclock it but you can and get a very nice gain. MSI motherboards seem to be top performers right now, they also run ram at their correct timings (nevermind)

[footskier]

Thanks everybody

First thanks guest7789, not really set on dual core but may as well, probably will keep for a while. May just keep PNY Verto GeForce 3 for a while. May overclock just for experience. Mainly rip CD / DVD's Have good PSU. Will buy good heatsink/fan also.

Thanks also to threeonthetree & krupted

[AMD Guy]

The nForce 3 250 sound like your best bet. Get it in a socket 939 format with AGP video to use your old card.

[footskier]

very hard to find CPU with proper support for a / desent MB with the right socket, and a AGP slot.

How would be the best way for me to reseach CPU's

There are dozens of AMD's sockets / core's / series ????

Frustrated

Thanks for help

[USSVoyager]

You should get a Socket 939 Athlon if you're going the AMD route.

The ASRock 939Dual-SATA2 motherboard is an option if you want to keep your AGP card and have the option to move up to a PCIe graphics card in the future, with no performance penalty. I have one of these boards myself and I can say that it's working fine for me, except for the SATA2 port on it, which has a few dodgy drivers in my experience. Besides that it's perfectly stable.

Justintime has used a few of those boards too, so he might let you know if I've forgotten anything

The Opteron dual core chips are supposed to be pretty good for overclocking if you have that in mind, but if you stick to an Athlon X2 3800+ (i.e. the cheapest dual core chip) then I doubt you'll be disapponted. Mines running fine at 2.4GHz now at its stock voltage, which brings it up to the spec of the part which costs £200 more.

Choices choices hey