Options for Processor

[TooncesLives]

I have a dimension 4600 with a P4 @ 2.8 ghz. Given the amount of spare parts I have laying around, I want to scrap the Dell motherboard and build up a better system. The lack of options on the board is preventing me from using some of my hardware (or has forced me to use up valuable PCI slots to get it to work). My question is what boards can I get that will allow me to use the processor from this system, and get a little better performance (I'm thinking 3 or 3.2 should be a good goal for me, seeing as I've never overclocked before) with out breaking the bank. I want to use this as an HTPC, and I'm going for something that is as quiet as possible. The big things that I'm looking for in a board are PCI-Express, SATA, and 4 memory slots. Here is a list of the hardware that I have and want to put it in. Depending on the number of PCI slots, I might be forced to give up my sound card and use on board audio (which wouldn't matter much, because my sound card is pretty weak). Let me know what you all suggest!

120gig IDE OS drive (hope to be getting a 10K SATA drive in a few weeks)
120 gig IDE storage drive
300gig SATA drive (for media content)
4x256 Crucial PC3200
GeoForce 6800 extreme PCI-Express video card
Hauppauge PVR150 tv-tuner
Chaintec sound card (looking for possible upgrade)
SeaSonic S12 600 watt PSU
LaCie dual layer DVD lightscribe DVD burner
NEC dual layer DVD burner
Zalman cooling fan
AT&T Wireless G network card
DVICO FusionHDTV5 Lite HD Tuner

 

[StealthyFish]

Hmmm... if that's a 2.8 on a socket 478. you're gonna have a hard time to find a board equipped with an S478 + PCIe + SATA. I haven't seen one yet. Since you've got a phenominal amount of really nice parts lying around, i'd just pick up a 920 and an Intel 955XE board for around $209.00 on www.newegg.com. look around, you'll see it under intel. Clocks well despite the fact that it's an intel board and has really really nice onboard sound so you can ditch the soundcard. keep the other stuff in your dell and just upgrade off a new platform. The 4600 is gettin slightly outdated and lookin for the motherboard that supports all you have might take you a substantial amount of time to find, but I may be wrong and there might be one around. I'll keep an eye out.

 

[Shmuckety]

I think there are a handfull of boards out there ( a small handfull ). Here is one: ASRock P4Dual-915GL. Review

I am not sure of the OC options, but the review may clarify this. Take a good look at google, there may be other boards that might be better.

Good Luck.

 

[TooncesLives]

Do you think I'd be further ahead to spend a little more money and get a Pentium D (probably 805) and a new motherboard and then sell the current system I have? Since I'm at a college I could probably get something for that system. Let me know what your thoughts would be on going with a different processor and motherboard. I hear you can get the 805's running at 3.6ghz, but I've NEVER overclocked, so I'd like to have someone walk me through what I should be doing.

 

[tim-x]

if you're bent on getting a pci-e system you have no other choice than to sell and upgrade. that ASRock 478 is absolutely awful and you'd be very ... very..... VERY disappointed with its performance. I'm in a similar situation with a 3.2c northwood and an asus p4p800-e-deluxe 478 comp. I'd suggest waiting for Conroe to come out before upgrading completely and just make the minimal upgrades to your system right now to keep it doing what you want it to (ie playing games etc.). Conroe benchmarks have proven to be superior to anything out there and are likely to blow AM2 out of the water. Your system is fairly good right now, keep it until the new technology comes out (as it's not even all that expensive anyway). You'll be paying the same for a conroe system 6 months from now as you would be for pentium D system right now.