processor upgrade (budget)

you need to upgrade your mainboard and ram too, so what is your budget ?

NO, you can't this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037 is a LGA 775 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_775 which was introduced 10 YEARS AGO. No parts are compatible nor available AND NOT COST EFFECTIVE. They don't make IDE connects, they don't have 10 year old CPUs, etc.

For only $199 you can get at Walmart a Laptop OR desktop PC that is alot faster and cost effective then this ancient beast.

The best processor you can upgrade to is one from the Core 2 Quad series, but you need to establish if that's a worthwhile upgrade. You also need to establish that your existing motherboard will support the TDP of a Core 2 Quad processor; the socket alone isn't good enough.

If you use your PC for simple tasks (documents, Internet browsing, etc.) then you won't see much of a benefit in upgrading the processor. If you use your PC for gaming or media tasks, then you're much better off just building a new machine.

All we need is your motherboard model. If you are lucky, you will be able to upgrade to a core 2 quad.

Some Core2Quads can be had for very cheap and if compatible can help make your machine last a while longer. I just upgraded from a Q8300 to an i5. In day to day usage I don't notice much difference honestly. Gaming is a whole different story but just doing basic tasks and moderate gaming the core 2 quads are still very capable.

Whilst the motherboard does indeed support Core 2 Quad processors, it only supports DDR2 800 RAM up to 8GB (4 sticks of 2GB). This RAM speed will be a bottleneck for modern games, so upgrading the processor isn't worth the cost in my opinion. You're much better off just building a new PC.

Nonetheless, I suspect that the DDR2 800 RAM, even if you maxed it to 8GB, would still bottleneck modern games. It's the speed of the RAM that's cause for concern.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ivy-bridge-wolfdale-yorkfield-comparison,3487-21.html
look at this link , even core 2 quad cpu isn't wise choice for upgrading , you can keep current pc for daily use and get a console for gaming

You need to budget for a motherboard, processor and RAM. Replacing just one component will bottleneck the others. What is your total budget for all three items?

A full platform upgrade will give you better performance all around no doubt. I would not bother adding expensive and outdated DDR2 RAM to that motherboard. However if you have a sufficient enough amount of RAM and don't have a huge budget for a full platform upgrade C2Q's can be found for around $50 and the DDR2 wont be as much of a bottleneck as you may think. My old rig had 4GB DDR2 800 and played BlackOps II Multiplayer maxed out @ 1080P with no issues. Same for Borderlands "the pre sequel" The rig is still used by my fiances little brother to play day-z and plays it much better than the 3.9Ghz dual core amd and DDR3 it replaced.

That said*** If you can afford to update your entire platform you would be well served to do so. The 775 socket while still reasonably capable is very aged.

If you don't have the budget to rebuild your computer, just pick up a q9400. They go for around 40$ normally. Ddr2 ram does not really make much of a difference in gaming. Maybe a 3-7 fps difference. I would maybe buy the cpu to tide you over until you can afford a better machine.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/111565210466?nav=SEARCH

OMG NO! *BAD BAD WRONG ADVICE HERE*

YES DDR3 makes a hell lot difference. The max 'speed' a DDR2 can hit is only 1066Mhz, while say a i5 Overclocked with DDR3 you can get over 2400Mhz! Never mind the 'bandwidth' is double as well.
Comparision: Which is moves 'more' : a 2 Lane Road at 45MPH or a 4 Lane Road at 120MPH?? - DUH!

Don't believe me? Here actual OLD test to settle the debate (mind you this is all obsolete old equipment)
http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/1782/amd_phenom_ii_ddr2_vs_ddr3_performance/index11.html

@OP: You have to learn on PC side it is PAY TO PLAY, you will need to pony up the money in order to 'play games' even at the screen size and level your at, and NO it isn't just $100-200!! If you have that little then GET A CONSOLE (PS4, PS3). You will get MUCH MORE BANG out of each BUCH you spend in comparison to a PC. Want a example?

http://www.ign.com/wikis/xbox-one/PS4_vs._Xbox_One_Native_Resolutions_and_Framerates
a PS4 can play Battlefield:Hardline 1080p @ 60fps HIGH settings, a PC comparable is these specs:
http://www.pc-specs.com/news/13111/battlefield-hardline-beta-system-requirements
http://www.dsogaming.com/pc-performance-analyses/battlefield-hardline-multiplayer-beta-pc-performance-analysis/

But wait then you buy Dying Light right? and .. IT DOESN"T WORK! Why?
Because while a PS4 CAN also play it at 1080p @ 60fps HIGH on PC side you need a totally BEEFIER system http://www.pcgamer.com/dying-light-system-requirements-are-killer/ to GET the SAME performance as a PS4 .

So you want to play games, well all games are NOT the same (as you can see) on how they play on your hardware. YOU want it simple, then go console, otherwise you need to spend some larger bucks to play the 'same way' on a PC (or as most people say "as I saw on youtube").

Typical way to do it: i5, 8GBRAM, 1TB Desktop from www.slickdeals.net (Around $349+), pick out a GPU you can afford (AMD R9 or Nvidia x60/x70/x80 aka 760, 670, 980) from $300 to $1000, then swap out the PSU FIRST to power the new GPU before you buy the GPU ($90+ Bronze ccertified 600+W www.pcpartspicker.com) and you will have a 'standard' Gaming PC to last you the next 3 years before you need to replace the GPU then replace the entire PC by year 5 as it can't perform for games / doesn't have the ports/ Windows no longer supported / etc.

In the link you posted, there is quite a small difference in fps between the two. Maybe a 1-2 fps difference. If you overclock ram to 2400 mhz there is a decrease in latency which actually decreases performance. If you don't believe me, look it up.

Anyway, enough with the dumb arguing. If you are a mild gamer, a decent graphics card pared with a core 2 quad will easily suffice.

Well said cmi. People forget how much the core 2 quads can handle. Especially now that modern games are being optimized to run on quad core CPUs. That 7770 will pare well with it.