Well I'v been using this pc i got a few years ago for a while now and upgraded alot of stuff but think its time to upgrade the motherboard since its old as hell xD.

So basically is upgrading a motherboard difficult if I have little to no idea what I would be doing and any suggestions on which motherboard and processor I should get if I want to run modern pc games at Normal not high? Also would I need to add more fans to the pc as well?

Current pc specs (dont laugh xD):
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz (2 CPUs), ~3.2GHz
Memory: 2048MB RAM
disk drive's: 250 gb western digital and a 1 TB seagate
Power source: Thermaltake toughpower 750w
Gfx: Overclocked maxcore 55 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 from BFG tech
display Memory: 1694MB
Dedicated Memory: 881 MB
Shared Memory: 767 MB

Thats all the important stuff i found on dxdiag :p

Hmmm.. Well running modern pc games at normal... I think the GTX 260 should be fine. If you want you could upgrade to the GTX 460 and run games near maxed out.. Especially since 460s are getting to be pretty affordable now.

but anyways back to the mobo+CPU combo you were asking about.

Pretty much every pc gamer goes for the i5 2500 or the i5 2500k if you want to OC. It's the best CPU for its value. And you also get a quad core which is a significant improvement from your dual core.

For the motherboard.. you could go for the z68 or z77 platform. Unless you can find a p67 platform for cheap now a days. I would recommend a Gigabyte Z68X UD3-B3. Best board for it's value in my opinion. Stable for ocing and won't break the bank.

adding more fans depends on your current setup right now. However if you're planning to OC your cpu.. then I would definitely recommend getting an aftermarket cpu cooler.. because I'm sure you know stock fans from intel are pretty bad.. D:

What I Would Get:
i5 2500k
Gigabyte Z68X UD3-B3
Corsair H80

Well if I wasnt going to OC would you recommend something else??

Btw ive been using this case I found because its small enough to fit my desk


dimensions: 7.1" (180mm) W x 17.4" (441mm) D x 14.2" (360mm) H

and how about installing the actual mobo+processor myself is it really complicated since I've generally avoiding upgrading them because of how complicated it looks compared to upgrading other parts xD

Installing the motherboard isn't that difficult if your somewhat inclined in assembly.

Here's a couple of videos that should give you an idea of what it's going to take
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Mx1n7qRTE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1X2Wpwl4dg

But seriously, the only complicated part of all this, is trying to lay down the wiring in a way that doesn't touch any fans and doesn't restrict your air flow and the case wires (power, reset, extrenal USB ports etc etc) if you don't have the manual.

About the case, need to make sure the motherboard will fit the case. If this is an ATX case you need an ATX motherboard. Typical cases are usally ATX/mATX, meaning it will also take Micro ATX but there are others. From the look, I'd say this is an ATX/mATX.

Since it's an Acer case, I'm not sure how customizable it is in terms of motherboards as "consumer PC" are usually proprietary, meaning it will only take what Acer puts in it.

I'd also update Memory. As Mangekyo stated the i5 are good perform/cost but, 2GB of ram, should be at least 4GB if not 8.

lol now that i think about it...if i buy the new alienware x51 its even smaller than my current case and would cost the same as or probably even less than upgrading my processor, ram, motherboard and gfx card.
any opinions on this?

alienware is...well not going to downgrade it or anything but I don't know how to put it: its a lazy, expensive way out of a gaming machine--nothing really cool about that is there :p

But I'd stress all the points Trister made if you're still considering making it yourself. The LED wires and USB/audio stuff is something you have to plan a little ahead on where you want it. Professionals tie their wires in bundles using zip-ties. You should ziptie things like the USB wiring, LED wiring, CPU fan wiring, case fan wiring, and lastly you should neatly bundle all the powersupply cables and tie those so they don't fall down or what not

I know alienwares are overpriced even more than macs but if you think about it
i5 2500k-$220
GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P-$190
Corsair H80-$85
Evga gt 520-$50
ram-$55
new dvd rom (mine isnt working properly)- around $20
1 tb 6gb/s hdd-$140
comes out to about $760 then with the tax its more.
thats the price of the parts in one of the alienware x51's plus it comes with portal but im gonna think about it for a while lol
btw thanks for all the replies guys anymore opinions would b great as well

How much RAM are you getting? Are you going to keep the current OS you have for it? If so you can only have 4GB and if not you should figure $100-140 for a new OS

That cost seems more like building a new PC than upgrading it xD

well how about a huge upgrade :p and yes bronx im gonna keep my current os and I chose the price of 2x4gb ram because that was whats in the alienware x51 and also more ram is better :p

You can't have more than 4GB of RAM with a 32 bit OS

oh u sure :/ I have an extra windows 7 home premium disk that hasn't been used yet

Bronx is correct. 32-bit has a 4GB limit no matter what version of Windows. Only 64-bit can have more than 4GB.

Trister wrote:

Bronx is correct. 32-bit has a 4GB limit no matter what version of Windows. Only 64-bit can have more than 4GB.

Here is a list depicting Windows 7 memory limit for both platforms (32 & 64 bit):



Also VERY important, make sure to upgrade your power supply (ensure you get a PSU with the appropriate connectors) that will provide enough juice for all those high performance components you're adding (the more u add, the more power u need). PSU are often overlooked when building or upgrading a computer. A poor quality PSU can greatly reduce the life span of a good system, cause instability or worst system failure.

the retail windows 7 cds come with 64 and 32 bit cds :p and il have to upgrade my Thermaltake toughpower 750w?

Your PSU is pretty good--better than my 220W lol

It should definitely be able to run all those components.

my PSU is better than yours too bronx just need to get a GPU. or i might just build.

BuJeeran wrote:

the retail windows 7 cds come with 64 and 32 bit cds :p and il have to upgrade my Thermaltake toughpower 750w?

My general rule of thumb is if you need to invest more than $300 for performance increasing components you should get a new computer.

if you can find anyone you know with 192GB lol installed ram tell me where they live so i can shoot them for being a complete fool who has way too much money and no brains lol

gatecrasher wrote:

if you can find anyone you know with 192GB lol installed ram tell me where they live so i can shoot them for being a complete fool who has way too much money and no brains lol

yea i was wondering about that as well xD i thought 32g of ram was max but damn :/

That's cuz its for servers and high level applications, like video/music production or CAD, or 3d modeling, rendering.

You might want to just get W7 Ulti 64 bit off of a torrent site or something. I have it and it works perfectly.

supersceptile wrote:

You might want to just get W7 Ulti 64 bit off of a torrent site or something. I have it and it works perfectly.

Thank you for making the cost of legitimate software to go up....

BTW if you have some non-legitimate version of Windows, you cannot get updates (I think) and having an up-to-date version of windows is one of the best ways to protect your system.

thebronxbomber wrote:

supersceptile wrote:

You might want to just get W7 Ulti 64 bit off of a torrent site or something. I have it and it works perfectly.

Thank you for making the cost of legitimate software to go up....

BTW if you have some non-legitimate version of Windows, you cannot get updates (I think) and having an up-to-date version of windows is one of the best ways to protect your system.

I'm installing windows updates as I type this

supersceptile wrote:

thebronxbomber wrote:

supersceptile wrote:

You might want to just get W7 Ulti 64 bit off of a torrent site or something. I have it and it works perfectly.

Thank you for making the cost of legitimate software to go up....

BTW if you have some non-legitimate version of Windows, you cannot get updates (I think) and having an up-to-date version of windows is one of the best ways to protect your system.

I'm installing windows updates as I type this

meh you still have an illegitimate copy of Windows