suggestions for a good microATX board and processor to upgrade anexisting system

[Bob Fleischer]

I have an existing system with a Pentium D 805 processor and an Intel
D101GGC microATX motherboard. I like the system and the compact microATX
box it is in, but I'd like to boost performance if it isn't too expensive.
Thus I am looking for a replacement microATX board and processor (and it
will probably require new memory, too) to give the system a mid-life
performance boost.

Any suggestions/recommendations?

Bob
Groton, MA

 

[pcbuilder98]

I have an existing system with a Pentium D 805 processor and an Intel
D101GGC microATX motherboard. I like the system and the compact microATX
box it is in, but I'd like to boost performance if it isn't too expensive.
Thus I am looking for a replacement microATX board and processor (and it
will probably require new memory, too) to give the system a mid-life
performance boost.

Any suggestions/recommendations?

Bob
Groton, MA

Do you want to stay with Intel?
How many watts is the power supply?
What other items will attach to new MB?

If you want to make some preliminary estimates of your power needs the
following was recommended by another poster in this NG. DO NOT USE THE PAY
VERSION!
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

I'm not sure I would buy anything from those people. I saw a 1200 watt power
supply there, who needs it? Not I and probably not you. If I did buy such a
thing it better have posts so I can jump my car on a frosty morning.

Here's another PS calculator:
http://www.vbutils.com/power.asp

 

[Paul]

I have an existing system with a Pentium D 805 processor and an Intel
D101GGC microATX motherboard. I like the system and the compact
microATX box it is in, but I'd like to boost performance if it isn't too
expensive. Thus I am looking for a replacement microATX board and
processor (and it will probably require new memory, too) to give the
system a mid-life performance boost.

Any suggestions/recommendations?

Bob
Groton, MA

LGA775 and MicroATX, returns 112 entries.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0200280+1070509908+1075707619&Subcategory=280

If further restricted to FSB1333, returns 34 entries.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0509908+1075707619+1070725639&Subcategory=280

A couple examples. Read the reviews carefully.

ASUS P5K-VM LGA 775 Intel G33 Micro ATX $119
Note - only one PS/2 connector, keyboard only! Mouse via USB.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16813131187 (reviews)
http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1690&l1=3&l2=11&l3=542&l4=0 (specs)
http://vip.asus.com/forum/topic.aspx?board_id=1&model=P5K-VM&SLanguage=en-us (forum)

GIGABYTE GA-G33M-DS2R LGA 775 Intel G33 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16813128053 (reviews)

Processors:

E6850 Core 2 Dual 3.0GHz, FSB1333, 4M L2, 65W, (equiv 4.5Ghz+ Pentium4 speed) $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028

Q6600 Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz, FSB1066, 2 x 4MB L2, 95W $280
(G0 stepping if you can find one - lower power, higher overclock)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLACR

Quad core processor only makes sense if you have the software to
utilize it. Some recent multimedia software scales well.
Games such as MS FSX SP1 flight sim also use four cores.
Supreme Commander uses four cores ? Otherwise, if only
running MS Office, consider the dual core instead.

Coming soon, the QX9650, overclockable to well over 4GHz and quad core.
Similar processors (top of the line) are in the $1000 range. Which is
why the $280 ones above, are perfect for average use

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/10/29/first-inqpressions-intel-qx9650
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/intel_core_2_extreme_qx9650_penryn_performance/

Paul