Ok so forgive me for not knowing this but can i just buy an CPU and just throw it on my motherboard or do i have to buy a new motherboard/ cpu together? thanks
No problem, just ask away No and yes, No since you can't just throw any CPU on a motherboard, and yes you have to buy a motherboard and a matching CPU, you don't have to buy them together though, you can buy those seperate from eachother at various stores. As long as you buy a motherboard with the same socket type as the CPU, (I've got a ASUS 8V Deluxe motherboard for instance which has socket 939. In order to make it work I need to look for an AMD CPU with socket 939) Intel and AMD type CPU's use their own unique numbers to identify their socket types. At the moment AMD's latest is AM2, and Intel's latest type of CPU's are socket LGA 775 / Socket 775 or Socket T The term CPU socket (or CPU slot) is widely used to describe the connector linking the motherboard to the CPU(s) in certain types of desktop and server computers, particularly those compatible with the Intel x86 architecture. That's the thing were talking aboot, Good luck, Marcus_X
You currently have an Athlon XP 3000+ which runs at 2166mhz if you have the 333mhz FSB version or 2100mhz if you have the 400mhz cpu. Download cpu-z to find which one you have.... CPU-Z My guess is that its the 333mhz FSB 2166mhz one. It uses Socket A (462pins) and will be a Barton core. Provided your motherboard will support a 400mhz FSB the fastest cpu you will be able to use is the Athlon XP 3200+ which runs at 2200mhz. If it wont support a 400mhz FSB then they did do a 333mhz fsb version of the Athlon XP3200+ which runs at 2333mhz. The difference between this cpu and the cpu you have now is negligible. I wouldnt bother tbh! You were asking about PCI graphics cards too. You have an AGP 8x slot... id just use that. It will be harder to find PCI graphics cards... (assuming you meant PCI and not PCIe) and AGP 8x will perform better anyway.
