New motherboard+processor?

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:17

I'm looking to get a new motherboard and processor because at the moment the only processors my motherboard can support are pentium 4s. (I have a Gigabyte 8S648FX-RZ with a 478 socket)
Problem is, I can't afford to upgrade everything else I have, but don't want to have to then buy another motherboard in future when I do want to upgrade.

What I have:
-radeon 3850 AGP graphics card
-2GB DDR 400 RAM (PC3200)
-maxtor 6B200P0 200 gb hard drive (ATA-133 interface)
-a decent enough power supply to run the graphics card and everything else (can't remember what it is exactly)
as well as the motherboard and a 3.2ghz pentium 4

So what I want to know is if I can get a decent motherboard and processor, with the motherboard having both AGP and PCI-E slots, and being compatible with both DDR and DDR3 RAM, so I can easily upgrade in future if i feel like it. It would also need to be compatible with my hard drive.

I don't know much about motherboards so I don't know if this is all possible or not, so let me know.
Also, if someone could suggest a good (but cheap) processor to go with it that would be great.

Grimley · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:18

Budget?

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:21

Aint going to happen.

save more money and do a more complete upgrade(inc ram and GPU).

Your basketProduct Name Qty Price Line Total
AMD Athlon II X3 Tri Core 445 3.10GHz (Socket AM3) - Retail £64.61
(£54.99) £64.61
(£54.99)
Asus M4A78LT-M 760G (Socket AM3) DDR3 Motherboard £48.99
(£41.69) £48.99
(£41.69)
Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX4GX3M2A1600C9) £41.11
(£34.99) £41.11
(£34.99)
Sub Total : £131.67
Shipping cost assumes delivery to UK Mainland with:
DPD Next Day Parcel
(This can be changed during checkout) Shipping : £9.50
VAT is being charged at 17.50% VAT : £24.70
Total : £165.87

A extra £10 on the above will also get a quad core 630 cpu, but the triple core cpu maybe perfect for your needs anyway and a HUGE increase in speed.

Then just get a suitable PCI-E graphics card for your needs.

RJC · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:23

Your system is very outdated and what you require is not possible.

What do you use your system for.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:36

I thought that might be the case, is it definitely not possible? I'm really just trying to spend as little as possible though. I basically want to be able to play new games, not necessarily at the highest settings, but so they're at least enjoyable.
I can get an NVidia 9800GT (PCI-E) off a friend for free, but i think I'm right in saying that my radeon HD3850 is a better card? or at least it's negligible.
Stulid, that build is amazingly cheap, I'll have to consider it, will the motherboard support my hard drive?

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:38

Yeah its not really possible, ASrock may of done some strange random motherboard in the past with features that you want(they are strange like that) but trying to find one for sale these days will be almost 99% impossible and still just not worth the money for such old tech.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:38

I know I've seen motherboards with both PCI-E and AGP slots, and some with the option of using either DDR or DDR2

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:40

mrtommy said:
I know I've seen motherboards with both PCI-E and AGP slots, and some with the option of using either DDR or DDR2

Theres this - http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=P4Dual-915GL but its only DDR, but is PCI-E and AGP, also see above, your unlikely to find one.

Also a 9800GT will be a better card than a 3850, and for free is a bargain(obviously!!) they fetch about £35 in the members market inc delivery.

CAT-THE-FIFTH · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:42

The Asrock motherboards which have both an AGP slot and a PCI-E slot tend to have the PCI-E slot running at PCI-E 4X electrical IIRC.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:42

stulid said:
Theres this - http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=P4Dual-915GL but its only DDR, but is PCI-E and AGP.

Also a 9800GT will be a better card than a 3850.

Ok, well yeah that motherboard's pointless, as the only reason I wanted to do this was because my processor was bottlenecking the card.
I'll have to hope for some money this christmas.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:44

would I have to re-install windows if I get a new motherboard?

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:48

mrtommy said:
would I have to re-install windows if I get a new motherboard?

yes.

Cookeh · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:57

RJC said:
Your system is very outdated and what you require is not possible.

What do you use your system for.

Hey! My systems older than that, you big meany with your top-end stuff :mad:

But, re OP, DDR/DDR2 and AGp/PCI-E on one board is possible. But DDR/DDR3 and AGP/PCI-E doesn't exist.

I would go for a budget AM3 system, which will last a fair while and be easy enough to upgrade.

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 17:59

Cookeh said:
Hey! My systems older than that, you big meany with your top-end stuff
.

Stop buying the first thing in my sig and you could afford a top-end system

£10 here, £20 there, it soon adds up.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 18:12

I'm guessing it'd make sense to upgrade from XP as well, to take advantage of extra RAM and whatnot.

stulid · 23 Dec 2010 at 18:14

mrtommy said:
I'm guessing it'd make sense to upgrade from XP as well, to take advantage of extra RAM and whatnot.

Not immediately.

mrtommy · 23 Dec 2010 at 18:42

ok, well thanks, I'll have to see if I can scrape together the money for a new system.

Cookeh · 23 Dec 2010 at 21:10

stulid said:
Stop buying the first thing in my sig and you could afford a top-end system £10 here, £20 there, it soon adds up.

I've never indulged ty, you're just jealous of my connections

I have over £495 now, money isnt the issue - its persuading the 'rents to let me.

Apparently, what I have is "adequate" for my uses - despite the fact that it can't open more than 3 web-pages at once (I need this for geography research

) and takes around a decade to render anything.

GL with the build, mrtommy!