Looking for a new MoBo

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pro2a

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As most of you know I upgraded my CPU/GPU/PSU and RAM. Sometime in the next 3-6 months I'm going to get a new MoBo.

This is what I have now:
My current motherboard is a micro ATX ASUS M2N68 AM SE2, it's a nice solid board, but it's limited when it comes to expansion.
-And the hardware I just added to it.
AMD Phenom II X4 945 (3.0Ghz Quad) AM3
4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066MHz RAM
Antec 550W PSU.
1GB Geforce GT 240/ PCI-E x16

I know the first step is going to be getting a bigger case to fit a full ATX MoBo. I don't care for the micro ATX due to limited expansion. The case I can handle, but I want to get a bigger MoBo so I can run more RAM and upgrade even further in the future. This is where I get lost.

My current MoBo has only 2 slots for DDR2 RAM and the max I can put in is 4GB. Basically what I want to do is get a new MoBo that will support my current hardware, but can be added to later. I don't want to have to buy all new hardware, I just want to migrate all my hardware over to a larger board for further expansion in the future. I'd like a board with 4 slots for RAM with a max capacity of 8-16GB. Right now my MoBo is basically maxed out on how much RAM I can use (Only 4GB).

What I am looking for is a MoBo that meets the following:
4 slots for DDR2 RAM that can run a frequency of up to 1066MHz up to 8-16GB
Fits my AM3 processor.
Has at least 1 (preferably 2 PCI-E x16 slots)
Can support SATA drives.

Any good ones out there that meet all this?
 
That actually looks perfect. I've never messed around with installing a motherboard though. I mean I can put it in and connect everything physically. My concern is getting everything to work. I have a general idea on how it works (like I know I'll have to reinstall drivers and such), but what about my dual boot of XP and Vista? I know that they can't just plug in and start working with a new MoBo, but I also know it's not terribly complicated either. Any pointers on that? For a board that low cost, I may just get one here soon :)
 
I got this one for me:
Newegg.com - ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO AM3 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

This one is my wife's:
Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TA785 A2+ AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G ATX AMD Motherboard

I am loving the Asus. Lots of stuff I haven't even messed with yet. The Biostar is nice as well, but it is a little narrower than my board. Lots of nice features with it as well.

You will have to reinstall Vista. With XP you might be able to use sysprep or a repair install, but since you are dual booting I doubt it. If you could you ought to make the jump to 7... you won't regret it.
 
I have a Micro ATX in a mid tower case right now.... Since I had my PC custom built I'm having a hard time telling if a full sized ATX board will fit in my case. To be honest I'm not even sure what the name of the case is. There are no markings on it at all. Here is a picture of the inside of my mid-tower... Can you tell by looking at the picture if a full sized ATX would fit in there?

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1406/dscn0411y.jpg
dscn0411y.jpg


I may give Windows 7 a shot as a secondary and keep Vista as my primary... but a new OS costs money more money. I don't have the discs for Vista so a reboot of Vista is not possible, otherwise I'd dual boot Vista and 7 and scrub XP all together. My secondary tower has it for all the old games I like to play.
 
So I got this MoBo. It looks as if I will be able to migrate everything over with ease without having to upgrade more or add parts. My CPU, RAM and GPU will all fit and are compatible. In addition I got 4GB more of the same RAM I have now for a total of 8GB. I also got a copy of Windows 7 - 64 BIT OEM from Newegg too. I plan on taking Trotter's advice and just doing a clean install of Windows 7. I may keep XP just as a backup.

I do not foresee there being any issues, does anyone else?
 
Looks and sounds good, mate. You will be very happy with the results. ;)
 
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