Shiz

[xBlueXFoxx]

8500GT is not good enough for me, haha. But at least I can play games and such. Give me 2-3 years and I'll buy myself a new computer with all the latest inventory.

Yeah with today you'll want 9600 at least. (about a 60$ card on ebay) I would recommend Geforce 9800 or ATI HD 4770, or better.

[Danny]

I'm not great with computers and stuff, but the second setup in the first post, your motherboard is AM2+
Surely the AMD Phenom II X2 is AM3, but supports AM2+?
Won't it create a bottleneck that'll reduce performance?

[xBlueXFoxx]

I'm not great with computers and stuff, but the second setup in the first post, your motherboard is AM2+
Surely the AMD Phenom II X2 is AM3, but supports AM2+?
Won't it create a bottleneck that'll reduce performance?

Probably. I find it easiest to do this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-Phenom-II-X2-555...41508e3a1e

Buy the processor with the motherboard, much simpler solution because it's for sure compatible.

[Sean3]

Thats a good way but you can get better motherboards if you chip in a little bit. And when you search for CPU and MOTHERBOARDS, just look at the socket type the CPU has. Here let me explain

For example, the "Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819115202

If you click "Specifications" you can see the socket type

"CPU Socket Type
CPU Socket Type LGA 1366" <<

Now you just search a motherboard with a socket type similar to "LGA 1366"

And this motherboard should work
"MSI Big Bang-XPower LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard "

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813130289

"Supported CPU
CPU Socket Type LGA 1366
CPU Type Core i7 (LGA1366)
FSB QPI 6.4GT/S "

This is a good way to figure out what you need, and please if im wrong in this post, correct me. And i would talk to people who previously built pc's because they know more then me This is just an example ^

[Gaahl]

You're right Sean

I'm not great with computers and stuff, but the second setup in the first post, your motherboard is AM2+
Surely the AMD Phenom II X2 is AM3, but supports AM2+?
Won't it create a bottleneck that'll reduce performance?

That's plausible, but I don't think that will be much different, choosing another motherboard will make a very slight difference imo