Old MB and a New CPU

I forgot to mention that I really only use the computer for word processing, web surfing, and gaming. I don't do software rendering or anything that would really tax the system that much. However, I would like to see my 9800gtx+ get a little better FPS in games then what I've been getting ... I'm pretty sure my 5200 even @ 3.1 is a bottleneck.

I'd go with the x3. Even if you don't do anything that requires all 3 it's always nice to have one extra kicking arround in case your virus scan kicks on mid game or the like.

Im Not Gonna Laugh, I Like AMD Better Anyway And AMD Chips Are Still PLENTY Powerfull, I Like Your Idea. No Need To Waste Excess $$ When Your Machine Is Plenty Capable Of Handling Modern Games And Apps, Provided You Have A Decent Graphics Card And Plenty Of RAM, What Are Your Complete System Specs ATM??

For when I constructed it 2 years ago it wasn't to bad ...

ga-m57sli-s4 (rev. 1)
amd 64 x2 5200+ @ 3.1
zalman 9500
4gigs corsair xms ddr2 800 cas 4
xfx 9800gtx+ black edition
ocz xtreme 700w psu
Windows XP - Waiting on the new CPU before installing Windows 7 pro x64
Antec 900 Case

I think with this hardware setup I would see a noticeable increase in performance with an upgraded processor. I'm just unsure if the benefits of an extra core outweigh the higher base clock speed and C3 stepping of the x2 555 when the only available x3 720 is OEM ...

I've read benchmarks and product reviews for 3 weeks researching this and have reached an impasse with my decision making ability on the subject. Any direction given is greatly appreciated.

Thaks For That, I Would Agree, The CPU Upgrade Is The Thing To Do.
Your Graphics Card Is Plenty ATM, Considering Even My "Lowly" 9600GSO Has Handled Every Game Ive Thrown At It Including Crysis And Handled It Wonderfully.

Yeah I Definitely Go For A Triple Or Quad Core.