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First, you might compile a list of the games you have or want and search the internet for the recommended minimum system configuration for those games. If you don't know how to do the recommended configuration search, give us the exact name of the games and someone will be able to do the search for you.

Next, check this out...home1000

You can select options for what configuration you might want.
This will give you an example of prices on the market.

Good luck...

Well I'm wondering if I can get away with just grabbing a motherboard for 140 then fixing all my problems, I really would rather just upgrade one more thing and have my way. Is the one I posted worth buying, and will my current processor be compatible with what I have?

Well it says it supports Pentium, so it should support your CPU as long as it is an LGA775 socket P4 cpu. You'd have to get detailed specs on your current motherboard to see what type of socket you are currently using.

With the new motherboard, you are also going to need to get new memory because that motherboard supports DDR2 800 which you don't have currently.

At that point, you are pretty much rebuilding your entire computer except the CPU and hard drive.

On top of everything...make sure you back up all of your important data before replacing the motherboard cause you will need to reinstall Windows.

Just be sure to do the appropriate research before you make a final decision on how you are going to work everything out. Let me know if you find out that you do have all the appropriate hardware for that motherboard then I can give you a good approach to getting it all taken care of. If you don't know how to find out, try to get me your motherboard model, or if it is a brand name computer, let me know what make/model it is. If you feel this is all getting confusing, you may want to return the video card for now and take time to come up with your plan of attack.

It does tend to get confusing when you try to mix and match old components with new ones.

Well I'll just upgrade to a quad core then or something, I just want to make this easy, can you pick out a motherboard and PCU package out for me for under 250 bucks?

I'm just so tired of looking at pricing and model numbers and all this BS that I dont even understand, I just want a motherboard and a PCU and a video card that all work together cohesively, so if anyone has a quick answer, I'd rather spend 5 hours at work picking up a shift and making the extra money then spending 5 hours of my life researching this BS so I can save 50 bucks or something.

If you can link me to a midgrade motherboard and a compatible mid-grade PCU, then that would be perfect. And if I have to upgrade to DDR2 then fine, but just keep it under 250-300 bucks. I'm not picky, I just want something that works.

Edit: What about this? http://www.compusa.com/cgi-bin/Shopp...rchbcart=y&msg= Is that good? Can i go to comp usa pick that up and be okay with DDR memory and my new card?

That link you sent is a shopping cart. I can't see what's in it. Link to the product page.

Like I said way early in this thread...I put together a computer package for my brother for gosh durn cheap.

This motherboard - Newegg.com - BIOSTAR A770 A2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards

This CPU (which can obviously be changed for a cheaper or more expensive one) - Newegg.com - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Brisbane 2.9GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors

This memory - Newegg.com - G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

That'll cost you right around 300 bucks with shipping. You have to make sure your current case will support a full ATX motherboard (which I imagine it does since you didn't complain about the massive size of the 8800gt). That motherboard will support both SATA and IDE hard drives. I got that exact same video card for my brother. You already have the case, power supply, hard drive, and an optical drive, which means you should have all the components.

The motherboard will support any AM2+ cpu, which includes the Phenom quad cores for future upgrading. It supports DDR2 1066 which is faster than anything you're going to find at a regular retail store at the moment.

You'll pretty much have the same computer as my brother. It gets great framerates in Team Fortress 2, Unreal 3, Doom 3, etc. It shouldn't have any problem at all with Age of Conan.

One thing to note, if you do decide to go with my motherboard suggestion, you will have to manually set the memory speed to DDR2 1066 in the BIOS. For some reason, auto will keep it at 800 regardless of what memory you put in. Kind of odd.

I did some more research, asked some guildies and I thin k this is what I'm going to go with along with my 8800gt PCI express:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131246


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103211

With:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143118

Any objections? Is everything compatable?

That ASUS board is incredibly popular. You will need to pick up some DDR2 800 for that board, but that's not really something you need to research. Just pick one with a good rating and a good price. Everything should work out no problem.

I've become a bit of a fan of Biostar. They pretty much always have the best value for motherboards. The motherboard I chose supports more/faster memory, has an AM2+ socket (not just AM2) which will give you much more choice for future CPUs (the ASUS will be stuck with dual core CPUs only), a faster front side bus...and it's cheaper. The Asus does have one benefit...it is SLI, which means you can add a second video card down the road. But I'm not a fan of SLI and can't say from all I've read that I'd recommend an SLI configuration. I know a lot of people would beg to differ, but once again that's just my opinion.

I have a feeling your guildees probably stated that Biostar is a less than reputable brand. They do of course have that stigma attached being that they are the bang per buck brand and enthusiasts don't like them cause the BIOS is usually simple and they usually come with a cheap price tag. ASUS does of course have it's huge reputation. In my experience, all motherboards are made pretty cheaply and you'll find tons of people across the board disappointed with any brand. I've encountered bad boards with both ASUS and Biostar.

But yes...that ASUS board will work with that cpu/video card and should work with your other stuff.