Which MoBo to go with this computer?

[Hot Sauce]

Hey guys,

My friend wants to upgrade his computer so he can play Starcraft 2. He needs a new motherboard, power supply, video card, and some more ram. As a long time browser of this forum, I know a bit about computer hardware so I can choose a good video card, ram, and power supply for him, but I know nothing about motherboards.

I was hoping that you guys could recommend an affordable, solid motherboard that would go well with these components. He will be purchasing all of the hardware from a local computer store (NCIX). He needs a new motherboard because his current one doesn't have a PCI-E slot. Price is definitely a big factor.

Processor: (Current) Pentium 4 @ 3.0GHz
Video Card: Powercolor Radeon HD 4670 PCs 750MHZ 1GB 1.6GHZ GDDR3 $85
(http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=44972&vpn=AX4670 1GBK3-PH&manufacture=PowerColor)
Ram: (Current) 1.24GB (Will be getting 1GB more)
Power Supply: 500W OCZ StealthXStream OCZ500SXS ATX12V 24PIN $60
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26884&vpn=OCZ500SXS&manufacture=OCZ Technology
Motherboard: ?

Thanks guys.

 

[sportwarrior]

Eh... I'd recommend getting a new processor, as well. You can definitely find P4 boards with PCI-E 16x for around $100, but he's investing in inferior outdated tech. He could spend that same $100 on an AM3 board and get something like a 955BE for an extra $140 or a 555BE for $100 and he'd be totally set. Much more advisable to do that.

 

[Hot Sauce]

Eh... I'd recommend getting a new processor, as well. You can definitely find P4 boards with PCI-E 16x for around $100, but he's investing in inferior outdated tech. He could spend that same $100 on an AM3 board and get something like a 955BE for an extra $140 or a 555BE for $100 and he'd be totally set. Much more advisable to do that.

Thanks for the quick response. So I gather from your post that if he keeps his P4 processor, he'll have to find a P4 mobo, which is an outdated technology? I really don't know anything about the necessary compatibilities.

 

[sportwarrior]

Thanks for the quick response. So I gather from your post that if he keeps his P4 processor, he'll have to find a P4 mobo, which is an outdated technology? I really don't know anything about the necessary compatibilities.

Pretty much, yeah. He'll be fine for now, but he's only delaying the inevitable by a year or two. He's eventually going to run into another game that will require more CPU juice to run effectively, and then he'll have spent $100 on a useless mobo.

I'd really recommend spending the extra cash to get a cpu/mobo combo that will give him some more headroom in the future.

 

[Hot Sauce]

Pretty much, yeah. He'll be fine for now, but he's only delaying the inevitable by a year or two. He's eventually going to run into another game that will require more CPU juice to run effectively, and then he'll have spent $100 on a useless mobo.

I'd really recommend spending the extra cash to get a cpu/mobo combo that will give him some more headroom in the future.

Makes sense. With that information in mind, we've decided to just go for a brand new rig. I've made a new thread in the more appropriate General Gaming sub-forum. It has a list of components that I've picked out for his rig, and it is open to feedback.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1036043746#post1036043746