Upgrading CPU, have questions about motherboard

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whitelion1284

whitelion1284

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My machine is built around a dual core AMD Athlon II 240 running at 2.8ghz. I'm considering an AMD Athlon II X4 CPU and want to know if I need a new motherboard or will the new chip fit in the old slot?
 
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tenaciousk
If you are just after RAM/ Mobo/ Cpu /Psu i suggest this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.30 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $453.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)...
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whitelion1284

whitelion1284

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Well, that's good to know. Thanks.

Currently I have a Dell drs780m02 and as I google I wonder if it might not be worth it to simply upgrade both cpu and mainboard anyway, as some of the AMD configurations look like a lot of horsepower for the money. Unfortunately that rapidly becomes very expensive as I think I'd also need new RAM, a new power supply, a new copy of Windows... etc. It also leads to exponentially more questions.

The goal is a more powerful computer for minimum expense. Any suggestions?
 
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casper1973

casper1973

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The socket and chipset definitely support an Athlon X4 but Dell usually have their own BIOS which locks them to only using certain CPU's.

I say their own BIOS... someone else makes it then Dell slaps their logo over it ;)
 
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whitelion1284

whitelion1284

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Thanks.

Okay, so a new MB+CPU combo may be a foregone conclusion. Which also means ram and probably a new operating system or at least a fee to MS to extend the license for the copy of Win7 I have.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what the best bang for the buck is right now? I mean I have a good custom case (not the dell) and a number of peripherals but is focusing on the MB+CPU+ Ram the best way to go?
 
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whitelion1284

whitelion1284

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Say $500-ish for everything. Maybe a bit more depending. And as I said I have peripherals, although I'll probably need a new power supply and operating system as well. But I have SATA hard drives, sound and video cards- although this side of the new NVIDIA Titan one can always use a better video card, right? I have several monitors and keyboards and mice, and a good custom case to put it all in.

My main concern is boosting core processing power by as much as I can so that I can go several years and still stay relatively current with multimedia and gaming.
 
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tenaciousk

tenaciousk

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If you are just after RAM/ Mobo/ Cpu /Psu i suggest this.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.30 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $453.26
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-23 07:56 EDT-0400)
 
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Solution
whitelion1284

whitelion1284

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Mar 22, 2013
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Wow.

I'm astonished. You just did all the research and solved all the frustrations I was having all at once.

How do I give you a cookie? LOL I don't see any way to up rep you or anything so I guess a very sincere thanks is the best I can do.

Much appreciated, mate.
 
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