Advice needed for gaming PC

[1000FPS]

Hello
I am in the process of upgrading my PC, I am going to upgrade the motherboard, RAM, and CPU cooler. I have a few parts in mind, and am wondering if all these parts will be compatible with the rest of my system.

Already got:
Phenom II x3 720
Radeon HD 5770
Thermaltake 650w PSU
Seagate 250 GB Hard drive (big enough for what I need it for)
Windows 7 Ultimate

Thinking of getting:
ASUS M4A78L-M motherboard
4GB (2x2) DDR2 800MHz RAM (any brand)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 CPU cooler

One advantage of that motherboard is that is has Advanced Clock Calibration, so I will try and unlock my x3 720's fourth core, and then maybe a mild overclock too.
Will all these parts be compatible, and will the CPU work with that motherboard straight out of the box without a BIOS update? And will that cooler work on the ASUS motherboard?
Thanks

 

[batuchka]

I would say for a fresh build : go with AM3/DDR3 and any SB710/750 can unlock but ths is not a given , rather a bonus

 

[batuchka]

Here is an 800 series Gigabyte featuring "Core Unlocker" feature if u keen and RAM combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.424666

 

[1000FPS]

I would say for a fresh build : go with AM3/DDR3 and any SB710/750 can unlock but ths is not a given , rather a bonus

I dont really like the sound of a fresh build, because the parts that I already have are good enough, and I only play games at 1440x900, so quite low.
I live in the UK, so I cant order anything from Newegg

 

[dndhatcher]

If you are buying a new motherboard, buy a new AM3 socket model with USB3 and get DDR3 RAM instead of DDR2, dont get an outdated AM2+ motherboard. It will still work with your CPU and leave you in better position if you need to expand or repair in the future.

Look for a Gigabyte 870A-UD3 or 770TA-UD3 and some DDR3-1600 cas7 or cas8 RAM from Gskill, Geil, Corsair or Mushkin. I would avoid OCZ right now, their latest RAM seems to be problematic.

 

[batuchka]

I dont really like the sound of a fresh build, because the parts that I already have are good enough, and I only play games at 1440x900, so quite low.
I live in the UK, so I cant order anything from Newegg

The Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) on that socket AM3 720BE can 'talk' to both DDR2 and DDR3 so if u need to buy both RAM and motherboard an AM3 socket motherboard sporting DDR3 DIMM slots for RAM and a pair of DDR3 RAMs would be fine When the music's over your DDR3 can be salvaged as the sun has gone down on DDR2 platforms We could help better if u state your budget in pounds too ^^

 

[EnderYeah]

I would def look for a DDR3 board. All the parts you are keeping will work with it, and the price diff between DDR2 and DDR3 is negligable. Might as well go with the faster DDR3 and a board with newest features.

 

[1000FPS]

The Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) on that socket AM3 720BE can 'talk' to both DDR2 and DDR3 so if u need to buy both RAM and motherboard an AM3 socket motherboard sporting DDR3 DIMM slots for RAM and a pair of DDR3 RAMs would be fine When the music's over your DDR3 can be salvaged as the sun has gone down on DDR2 platforms We could help better if u state your budget in pounds too ^^

Would I see a big performance increase in games using DDR3 rather than DDR2?
And my original budget for the motherboard was £50, but I may need to extend it

 

[batuchka]

Nope little/no performance increase

 

[dndhatcher]

If you want a newer motherboard with USB3 then you need to budget closer to $100. Down at $50 its limited to smaller, older motherboards they are trying to unload before they become unsellable.

DDR2 RAM is not much cheaper than DDR3. In a couple years if you have a problem, DDR3 RAM will still be easy to replace, but DDR2 may become something you have to pay silly amounts for used on ebay.