Need ideas on a new mobo

I really dont care what brand it is preferably dell since i just got a dell credit card. Hellgate london is the game im aiming at In the last 2 days iv learned the importance of the agp slot and how it compares to a pci slot. I will buy a video card. Can you recomend some mother boards? Iv never put a computer together im just learning as i go. How do i go about increasing the power supply, just order a 350w? Yeah your probaly right about the case, i dont know why Im trying to hold on to bits and pieces of my old computer, if i can buy a mother board for like 50-100$, get 2gigs of ram and a 50-100$ or so video card, do you think that would be enough? If not im just gonna go all out and build my first computer. I recently ordered a 3.0 pixel shader pci video card for 50$ wich can be returned if it wont suffice. This is the card http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1270455
At first i wanted to keep this mobo, but iv seen conflicting things on the dell site and on forums some say my max ram is 2gig some say its 1gig. If it is actualy 2gig then i would think with that card i should be ok but if its not, 1gig on a 1gig min game just wont cut it. If anyone knows FOR SURE what my computers maximum memory is id like to know . These are links to my confusion about my maximum ram.


http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=591514CAA5CA7304
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0740429
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim2400/en/sm_en/specs.htm#1105481

1 more thing that video card i ordered says something about ddr2 ram (wich is shown on the link) does that mean it wont work in my current mobo that uses ddr?

These are the games requirements:
* OS: Windows XP with SP2 or Windows Vista
* Processor: 1 .8GHz or faster (2.4GHz for Vista)
* RAM: 1GB or more (2GB for Vista)
* Video: DirectX 9.0c/10 compatible device w/ 128MB RAM or better and Pixel Shader 2.0 support; requires NVIDIA GeForce 6200/ATI Radeon 9000 chipset or greater
* Audio: DirectX 9.0c compatible device
* Disc drive: 8x DVD or faster
* Hard drive: 6 GB or more free space

Your max is 1 gig which is enough. Although for that game your going to want
at least a agp slot. It all depends on your budget and how much you'll actually play games.

-"a mother board for like 50-100$, get 2gigs of ram and a 50-100$ or so video card, do you think that would be enough?" - Yes

- "1 more thing that video card i ordered says something about ddr2 ram (wich is shown on the link) does that mean it wont work in my current mobo that uses ddr?" - No -- try to get a ddr2 with 256mb, 128bit, pixel shader 3.0, DX 9.0, 12 pipelines if not 4 will work.

Also looks like upgrading your mobo is gonna require you to upgrade your memory to ddr2. You should be able to keep your CPU and Power supply. Like I said before upgrading your PSU to at least a 350W is recommended. Most of (if not all) of the Pentium 4 mobo's come with PCI-E slots.

Heres the link for 2400 - http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-dimension-2400-pentium/4507-3118_7-30824846.html

Hey when you say power supply you mean a power cord right? Ill check out the prices of upgrading my power supply and will almost certainly do it. I have 2 1gig ram sticks coming in the mail they are ddr, I tried to cancel them but i cant send them back until i recieve them even thought i called to cancel them 1 hour after ordering. I dont mind sending them back, but instead of sending them back or sending back that video card i mentioned, perhaps i should just upgrade my mobo to a mobo with pci and agp slots, and either get a ddr mobo or onethat has ddr2 and ddr slots, iv seen some that have 2 slots for ddr and 2 for ddr2. I dont think that pci video card will work on a pci-e mobo(im pretty positive it wont). It would kick *** if there is a mobo with pci and pci-e slots so i could use what i ordered for now and upgrade to something better later.

It seems the only thing i wont be able to use later is that video card. Would it be possible to use it in a new mobo? If not i better just return it as well as the ram and get a new mobo, power supply, video card, and 2gig ddr2 ram. Its to bad my maximum ram is 1gig or i could remain a cheap skate.

Google can be very very helpful. Always try going there first for answers.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-supply.htm

To answer your question. No

Alright thanks.

Alright i read about my form its atx what are some other compatibility issues i need to adress when it comes to buying a mobo?

I looked at the how stuff works site up and down its really handy.

On all the new mobos i looked at they have
pci
pci-e x16
pci-ex1
slots

Does this mean i can use that pci card i ordered on a new mobo?

The way i understand it my mobo and processor are Processor Supported: Intel 478-Pin processor wich means thats my socket type. The new mobos are LGA775 Socket, when i get a mobo do i get a new processor? if not and i have to put my old processor on the new mobo it wont fit will it? This mobo says its pent 4 compatible but the socket is different so im confused http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A0524350

I don't know much about intels. So for the compatibility in sockets, I'm pretty sure it has to be the same socket even if it is Pent 4 compatible

Yes you can use that PCI vid card with any new mobo (every mobo has PCI slots)

New Mobo Compatibility = socket type needs to match desired cpu(478 ect.), needs to be compatible with desired ram (DDR333,DDR400 ect.), and video card slot needs to match desired video card. Those are the main things

Are you limited to buying things from Dell only? If not, your options would increase greatly. Also whats the budget?

eijmaster, don't say all MB have PCI slots because it may be little time but they (MB manufactures) are trying to get away from putting PCI slots and going to PCI_E slots the MB I am on as I write this only has one PCI slot, and it is not exactly new.

It is nearly limitted to dell, i can get a family member to use a credit card for me, but id rather use my own card, wich is a dell card. Iv never been a fan of going into debt, but credit seems to be the way to shop online. What i meant earlier is if i buy a new mobo does it come with a processor and i figured out the answer is no. I dont know why a lga775 socket mobo would claim to be p4 compliant thats kinda a broad statement when id guess most of them are actualy 478 pin. The only reason im at all interested in a pci slot is because as said earlier in the thread i already ordered a card for my current mobo wich only has pci slots and i then learned that my max ram was 1gig on this mobo so now im trying to get a new mobo and since i already ordered a 50$ pci card i want one with a pci slot and pci-e16x so i can use my pci card until i chose to really spend some money and go all out. I have a new plan to go cheap here it is.By the way i already ordered that ram for this computer before i realized its max. Ok i know its pretty noob thing to do but for 250$ i think its a pretty good plan and i can use that psu forever. Also iv seen new mobos that have 2 slots for ddr and 2 slots for ddr2 ram so i might use that ram forever too. And now the question, as far as i know from what iv learned in the past 2 days all that will work together, can you guys give it all a look and tell me if you think its all compatible. And can you give me a estimate how well it will work with that game im looking to play? Its funny 2 days ago i was on here asking how to upgrade my pixel shader, iv learned alot.

(32$)new mobo http://cgi.ebay.com/M963G-Motherboa...ryZ44943QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

wow thats a big link.

(100$)2sticks of new ram (already ordered) http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1155207


(50$)new graphics adapter(already ordered) http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1270455


(82$)And the most surprising thing this psu i can use later when i upgrade http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=A1263950

I can return that stuff i ordered but I really dont want too. My desired budget is 250$-? total. Im only working part time right now as I start going to college (waiting for fasfa).

I don't know much about intels. So for the compatibility in sockets, I'm pretty sure it has to be the same socket even if it is Pent 4 compatible

Yes you can use that PCI vid card with any new mobo (every mobo has PCI slots)

New Mobo Compatibility = socket type needs to match desired cpu(478 ect.), needs to be compatible with desired ram (DDR333,DDR400 ect.), and video card slot needs to match desired video card. Those are the main things

Looks like i have all that, um if theyre is anything i need to consider let me know, i just want somone to give my last post a once over before i buy the mobo. Just to make sure. And nickc all the new mobos iv seen have all of these slots, 2-3 pci slots 1-2 pci-ex16 1pci-ex1. Im sure they really dont intend for ppl to use the pci slots for a graphics card though, even though you can.

u are right they do not expect any one with a PCI_E16 slot to use a PCI video card but it will work and I did not say they had stopped making them yet it is that the manufactures are intending to, they are intending to go PCI_E, and I do not think that will be in the immeadate future.

Ok now i know nearly everything, all i need to know now is about the bios. I can't figure out if the bios on the processor and the mobo are compatible.
When people say bios do they mean that prescott thing?
processor bios
PXE 1 Ver. : Intel(R) Boot Agent GE v1.2.26, PXE 2.1 Build 084(WfM 2.0)
PXE 2 Ver. : Intel(R) Boot Agent FE v4.1.16, PXE 2.1 Build 084(WfM 2.0)
SCSI Ver. : Adaptec* AIC-7901 B0 v4.30S2 (for SCSI/HostRAID)
SATA Ver. : Adaptec* Embedded SATA HostRAID BIOS v2.2-14 Build 2204
VGA Ver. : ATI* RAGE* XL GR-xlamis3y.109-4.332
BIOS Base : AMIBIOS 8.00.10

Processor stepping(s) supported: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 Processors 2.53GHz,
2.6GHz, 2.8GHz, 3.0GHz, 3.2GHz, 3.4GHz, 3.6GHz (with FSB 533Mhz/800Mhz)

Microcode update versions:
CPUID Microcode update ID
0F0Ah 14(M04F0A14)
0F12h 2E(M04F122E)
0F13h 05(M04F1305)
0F24h 1E(M04F241E)
0F25h 2B(M04F252B)
0F27h 37(M04F2737)
0F29h 2E(M04F292E)
0F33h 0C(M0DF330C)
0F34H 17(M1DF3417)
0F41h 17(M9DF4117)

Mobo bios

Socket 478 for Intel® Pentium® 4, HT & Prescott processor, support 800/533/400 MHz FSB
System BIOS

• AMI 2Mb Flash ROM
• Supports Plug and Play 1.0A, APM 1.2, Multi Boot, DMI
• Full support for ACPI revision 1.0 specification


Sockets match
FSB match

Alright forget all that, I know everything i need to know now. Thanks for the help everyone. I now know how to fish, wheres the worms?

Sorry to tell you guys but you were all wrong my current mobo does have a 2gig max memory. I didnt order that new mobo and i got my ram today its working, i right click on my computer, hit proerties and there it is 2gig ram.

No hard feelings you all were just trying to help. And i didnt waste any money.
total cost for my upgrade 150$. + that psu wich i will use for the next 5 years at least 80$. Now i need a better monitor .

Cool deal. Good luck.