Upgrade advice please.

[Flying-Q]

My son has this motherboard GA-M57SLI-S4 (rev. 2.0) linky

He wants to upgrade the processor to a Phenom II 955 but the compatibility list says only the 95w version C3 stepping is supported. This version of the processor seems to be virtually non-existent even on the second market. Now we can easily find a C2 stepping 955BE 125w part which is supposedly not supported. What is likely to happen if we drop that one in the board? Will it work, or simply not boot, or worse?

We really need some advice before we shell out on the upgrade.

Thanks

Flying-Q

 

[o1die]

Check your local craigslist or anandtech's for sale forum; you may even post a WTB-wanted to buy (and list the 955 95w you need). Otherwise, get a cheap am3 board from newegg or other venders and switch to ddr3; your old combo cpu/board/ram can be sold as a package deal to pay for the upgrade.