hey new need help :D

[mikey1990]

hey guys i have a hp pavilion a250n ..pretty good machine...but i wanna upgrade it...i am going to upgrade the processor, the ram, and the video card, and the motherboard. ...now, can i use the hard drive and cd/dvd drives that i used with my hp or do i gotta buy knew ones? and i already have the case taken care of..... Thanks Mike

 

[mikey1990]

i am getting a good motherboard and a good processor..the 5000+ X2 AM2....and the ati x1950xt

 

[talldude123]

List the specs of the computer.

 

[mikey1990]

i have a atapi cd rom 48x, and the hp dvd writer 300n, WDC WD1200AB-22DYA0..thats the hard drive 120 gb...i think its westerrn digital...i really wanna use these two cuz it will save me money.

 

[Trotter]

You can reuse the drives, no problem.

Something you haven't thought of... you will need a new power supply. Your PSU is most likely a 250W, which is way too underpowered to run a x1950xt.

Just to let you know... a 5000+ AM2 runs $265 at NewEgg, but a E6400 Core 2 Duo is only $221. The E6400 will run circles around the 5000+. I hate to say it, but it's true.

Here's some suggestions:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115004

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128017

G.SKILL 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231102
OR
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231098

FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX500-A, 2.0 version, 2 SATA, PCI Express, 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104934
OR
Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103937

 

[talldude123]

If you're looking for a cheaper upgrade, you could just go with a Pentium 4 or something like that.

What processor is currently in your computer? Intel, AMD?

 

[Trotter]

you could just go with a Pentium 4 or something like that.

WHY??? The whole idea of and UPgrade is to improve what you have. He already has a P4 2.6 w/HyperThreading.

A socket 939, AM2, or Core 2 Duo would be stepping up, from lowest to highest in speed. The AMD chips are a little more expensive, while a good C2D mobo is more expensive than a AMD board.