Upgrading cpu/gpu looking for help

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Miracles

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Jun 1, 2013
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Hello, I have a Compaq-Presario from 2006 that I'm looking to upgrade, I was running a Geforce 8500 GT but it recently died on me so I'm using a Radeon x600 series from a ancient computer. I'm giving this to my nephew so i would like to upgrade it so he can actually play some games.

My current specs are:

Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor LE-1640, ~2.7GHz

Mobo: M2N68-LA (Ivy8) motherboard - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=c01237548#N442

Memory : 2x1GB Not sure on the speed or the brand

PSU: Rosewill Stallion Series RD450-2-SB 450W ATX V2.2 Power Supply

GPU: Radeon x600 Series (From ancient computer had to install windows 7 just to get the right drivers)


I'm having trouble finding a GPU that will fit in the PCI-E x16 slot, If possible i would like something that's better than a Geforce 8500 GT 512MB but not breaking the bank.
(Would a PCI-E 3.0 video card work on this mobo? I have a friend with a MSI Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2gb that is willing to give me a really great deal?)

I've been using this single core processor for the longest time, I don't want to have me nephew to suffer like i did. I'd like to find the best processor that can run on this mobo since it only supports AM2. I think its a AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ (duel core, runs at 2.5 Ghz) but i am not 100% sure. Even if I'm right i still couldn't find this to buy online anywhere and i don't know if Microcenter or Best buy would carry parts this old.

Thank you for reading this, Any help you can provide me is much appreciated.
 
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theonerm2
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bkoop

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True, but the following comes directly from the HP/Compaq web site

Athlon 64 X2 with Dual Core technology up to 4800+ (up to 65 watt TDP)
 
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bkoop

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Would a PCI-E 3.0 video card work on this mobo?

Yes, they are backward compatible. It would be helpful to know a couple of the games and the resolution, that needs to be supported and your budget.
 
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theonerm2

theonerm2

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Dec 28, 2009
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That HD 7870 would be way way overkill in that system.. You could never take full advantage of it without a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM. You could still use the same old case, power supply, and hard drives. You could even try to reuse your old Windows 7 OS. Sometimes it will activate again on new hardware. No guarantees on that though. If it doesn't activate you can always keep re-installing after the trial(which lasts 4 months if you rearm) or buy a new key. Those options are legal.

New Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131795R $43.99
New CPU FX 6300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286 $119.99
New 8GB of DDR3 RAM http://www.ebay.com/itm/8GB-2X-4GB-DDR3-PC3-10600-LOW-DENSITY-PC10600-1333MHz-DESKTOP-MEMORY-RAM-PC-1333-/180754289409?pt=US_Memory_RAM_&hash=item2a15cb9301 $44.99

Not too bad of a price to upgrade from that to such a modern system.

Or you could upgrade that CPU for around $30-40. That price includes the CPU and the cooling solution you would need. I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a graphics card if you'll have that old Athlon X2 4800. Really even $100 would be wasted a bit.

The CPU is here http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMD-Athlon-64-X2-4800-Dual-Core-2-5-GHz-ADO4800IAA5DO-SOCKET-AM2-Free-Shipping-/321098603706?pt=CPUs&hash=item4ac2f7dcba

The cooling solution is in the links below.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100017

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835200042

Word of advice... Do not buy anything on ebay that is shipping from China. They are often scammers and shipping takes months sometimes.
 
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Miracles

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Jun 1, 2013
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On my old card i was playing games like counter:strike source and world of warcraft on low, I'm thinking a small upgrade over that. It would be nice to be able to run games like cod4 or mw2. My budget tops is $60 but less would be better. The res is 1280x960



 
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Miracles

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Jun 1, 2013
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Thank you just what i was looking for, I'm going to order that cpu i have some thermal paste laying around its about 6 months old but still in the tube. Do you have any suggestions on a card for less than $60 that would be able to run decent games at low-med?
 
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theonerm2

theonerm2

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Dec 28, 2009
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/EVGA-NVIDIA-GeForce-GTX-460-SE-1GB-1024MB-PCI-E-2-0-/321159401248?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item4ac6978f20

$60 buy it now price and free shipping. Make an offer and you might be able to get it for a little less if you want to try it.

Also you need another 6 pin pci-e connector because your power supply only has one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-4-pin-Molex-to-6-pin-PCIe-PCI-Express-Power-Adapter-Cable-FAST-SHIP-1Y-WRNTY-/281114429343?pt=US_Power_Cables_Connectors&hash=item4173b9c79f

It is worth noting that even after the upgrades the computer would still fail to meet the minimum requirements for most newer titles because of the CPU. Still a lot better than it was though.
 
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