what mobo/video card to get?

[bigshot514]

hey. i broke my am2 4200+ cpu a few days ago (broke/bent some pins) and i was thinking of just buying a new am2 cpu but now im thinking of buying a new mobo/cpu/ram because i have to buy new ram and a new cpu is about 80$, so i might as well upgrade. i been out of the computer technology scene for a few years so i dont know what to get, the last time i checked the best mobo was like the 680i...

1) what motherboard should i get? ( i want a quad core amd or intel, not the i7 or i5 cause im not really a heavy gamer.)

2) what video card should i get? ( i was thinking of the 5770 because its short and my case is small so getting a 260 gtx is not a option. i need a video card somewhere around the 5770 dimensions)

thanks for the help!

 

[aliasaid]

How much you lookin to spend?

 

[apsoul]

Whats your budget?
If you aren't looking for any super performance chips, the AMD Phenom II x3 720 is great bang for your buck (its a tri-core). It sells for about $100 and is very easy to overclock. You should with next to no effort(change one setting in the bios), and on stock cooling be able to get it to 3.0-3.2 ghz no problem. but first things first... How much do you plan on spending for this upgrade and we can go from there.

 

[bigshot514]

I'm probably looking to spend around 350-400$ for the CPU and motherboard. I was wondering if a am2+ CPU compatible with a am2 motherboard? What are the chances of me frying my motherboard when I took out the CPU? I totaly forgot about static electricity and didn't take any percautions. Can i still check if the mobo still works without a CPU?

 

[Muffin Man]

eh, i doubt you fried the mobo or cpu from static, unless youve been excessively rubbing your feet on a carpet.

I was wondering if a am2+ CPU compatible with a am2 motherboard?

that depends on the mobo. youd have to look it up on the vendors site and check which cpus will work and whether youll need a bios update for support.

is 350-400 your budget for just the cpu and mobo or for everything you said you wanted to upgrade (mobo/cpu/ram/gpu)?

i know you said you didnt want an i5, but it is a fast cpu and is well within your budget including a mobo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.290314

 

[bigshot514]

i want to spend 350-400$ on the mobo/cpu/ram...

 

[Trotter]

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX - Retail
&
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail
$236 w/free shipping

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards
$115 w/$15 MIR card

 

[Trotter]

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX - Retail
&
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail
$236 w/free shipping

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards
$115 w/$15 MIR card