Motherboard compatibility/upgrade question

[vitalic]

Hi there, I have a couple of questions would be grateful for some advice.

Firstly, since friday my pc won't boot (nothing appears on screen), I wanted to check the cpu so removed the hsf but the thermal paste was in semi-liquid form and went everywhere (is this normal or a sign the cpu overheated?) i cleaned most of it using a magnifying glass but there is some residue on the cpu socket, how can i diagnose this to be sure that the cpu was the point of failure and can a mb still function with a small amount of residue on the socket (inbetween pins)

Secondly, if i want to upgrade my cpu to say an i3, will my current mb (Abit AW9D-MAX Intel 975X) support it with its 775 socket? or would it be worth the investment to get a mobo/cpu/memory bundle to upgrade everything in one shot?

thanks

 

[o1die]

Socket 775 won't run i3, i5, or i7. As far as upgrading, it's cheaper to get a newegg open box or closeout 775. There's no such thing as a good investment with computer stuff. It declines in value almost as fast as my last new car. I base my upgrades more on the cost of ram, and it's pretty high, so I keep using my old ddr2 as long as it lasts.

 

[vitalic]

thanks, i didnt realise that, you saved me some hassle

agreed though, not only that but upgrades are difficult as well as expensive due to the rate of change, it's hard to know what will work well together if at all. unless you can afford to just buy an entirely new pc every 1-2 years there is a lot of information to take in before you can make informed choices.

im not sure what i should do in this situation, i could just buy a replacement cpu and potentially get another years life out of my current box, but then if the cpu socket is damaged ill have to replace the mobo and then im limited in choice due to having an outdated cpu.