Gaming Board

[Paradise]

So I want too upgrade some of my units, and be able too play some of my games on a machine that I made for the sole purpose too game on.  I am going too be useing most of the parts that I have all ready and just mainly need a board and heat sink.  I will be useing the cards and the old board and replace one of my older servers and have it run Server 2008.  I have a AM2 + CPU and DDR and DDR 2 RAM, has PCI and least have more then 3 slots.  I am wanting too play Dead Riseing 2, AC Brother Hood, Skyrim.....


I thought that I could get one from Tiger Direct, New Egg, Amazon, Computer Geeks

[DaveLembke]

I am going too be useing most of the parts that I have all ready and just mainly need a board and heat sink.

I have a AM2 + CPU and DDR and DDR 2 RAM, has PCI and least have more then 3 slots.  I am wanting too play Dead Riseing 2, AC Brother Hood, Skyrim.....

I wouldnt waste any money on a build like this with those games. If you had a motherboard with an AM3 socket and added a quadcore, that would be a starting point for the games you listed to run without issues. Additionally DDR2 is a minimum for the memory for the motherboard to accept, DDR3 being better. You can buy a brand new Socket AM3+ motherboard and be able to go cheap on a used AM3 quadcore such as the Athlon II x4  620 2.6Ghz minimum or spend a little more for a Phenom II x4 or x6. Later if you want or if you have money now you can install a FX CPU with better performance such as an 8-core CPU into the AM3+ socket. Additionally, I would never suggest using a Server OS for gaming. The fact that your going to use Server 2008 as the base OS for this gaming system build makes me question if its a legal licensed copy or a pirated copy with a build that you were suggesting where you seem to not have the money to buy better hardware for games that should really be played on better hardware and Server 2008 is not a cheap OS.

[Paradise]

So a ICORE 2 would not be good too use either

[DaveLembke]

Core 2 Duo = I core 2 ..... You would need an Intel Motherboard socket 775 that supports the CPU. Some socket 775's only support up to Pentium 4 or Pentium D's, it all depends on the chipset on the motherboard. If its an older 865 or 915 chipset its likely to only support Pentium 4 and maybe some Pentium D and not Core 2 Duo.

If you go the route of a socket 775 Intel motherboard, i'd go for a Core 2 Quad minimum for those games

If you go the route of a socket AM3 AMD motherboard, I'd go for a Athlon II x4 Quadcore minimum for those games

* If you dont already have the parts on hand to just assemble from older computers mixing and matching parts then it might make more sense to buy new parts such as a more modern AMD Quadcore if your looking to skimp on price.

Do you have a budget and if so how much do you have to go into this build?

That having been said.... I have run Skyrim on my wifes computer with a Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Dual-Core at 2.4Ghz and 4MB L2 Cache with Geforce 9800GT 1GB video card and 3GB DDR2 667Mhz system RAM running Windows 7 32-bit Home Premium. The game will run, but you have to back off on the graphics and even when you back off on the graphics the CPU is pegged at almost 100% for both cores to keep up with Skyrims demands. Additionally when some big event happens in the game, the CPU and GPU go into an overload condition in which the sound and video get out of sync for a few seconds until one or the other or both are able to catch up to the work load. I have played Skyrim on my Athlon II x4 620 2.6Ghz Quadcore and ASUS AMD Radeon HD5450 1GB video card with 4GB DDR2 800Mhz Gaming Quality Corsair XMS2 RAM running Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium and it runs Skyrim better than the Dual-Core. Resources show the CPU at 70% for this CPU when gaming and if I had a better video card in the system it would smooth out. But given my wifes computer was core flooded to 100% for both cores playing the game, I suggest a quadcore instead that is rated fast enough to match that of the system requirements.

[Paradise]

Core 2 Duo = I core 2 ..... You would need an Intel Motherboard socket 775 that supports the CPU. Some socket 775's only support up to Pentium 4 or Pentium D's, it all depends on the chipset on the motherboard. If its an older 865 or 915 chipset its likely to only support Pentium 4 and maybe some Pentium D and not Core 2 Duo.

If you go the route of a socket 775 Intel motherboard, i'd go for a Core 2 Quad minimum for those games

If you go the route of a socket AM3 AMD motherboard, I'd go for a Athlon II x4 Quadcore minimum for those games

* If you dont already have the parts on hand to just assemble from older computers mixing and matching parts then it might make more sense to buy new parts such as a more modern AMD Quadcore if your looking to skimp on price.

Do you have a budget and if so how much do you have to go into this build?

That having been said.... I have run Skyrim on my wifes computer with a Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Dual-Core at 2.4Ghz and 4MB L2 Cache with Geforce 9800GT 1GB video card and 3GB DDR2 667Mhz system RAM running Windows 7 32-bit Home Premium. The game will run, but you have to back off on the graphics and even when you back off on the graphics the CPU is pegged at almost 100% for both cores to keep up with Skyrims demands. Additionally when some big event happens in the game, the CPU and GPU go into an overload condition in which the sound and video get out of sync for a few seconds until one or the other or both are able to catch up to the work load. I have played Skyrim on my Athlon II x4 620 2.6Ghz Quadcore and ASUS AMD Radeon HD5450 1GB video card with 4GB DDR2 800Mhz Gaming Quality Corsair XMS2 RAM running Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium and it runs Skyrim better than the Dual-Core. Resources show the CPU at 70% for this CPU when gaming and if I had a better video card in the system it would smooth out. But given my wifes computer was core flooded to 100% for both cores playing the game, I suggest a quadcore instead that is rated fast enough to match that of the system requirements.

So in other words it really wouldn't be good too use, I would have too get a board for it if I did use it.


I was thinking the AM3 but, I don't know what for board be good too use since mostly all mine are Intel.  I also, need it too be a ATX with least 3 PCI Slot's DDR or DDR 2  IDE Controller 

[DaveLembke]

If buying new it looks like the DDR2 based motherboards have been removed from inventory from main component chains. To go with DDR2 motherboard you would probably have to buy used or find a online retailer that has one that is not at a premium. I have seen boards that shouldnt be worth more than $40 listed for $169.99 before as some people sit on old new inventory that is obsolete, but never opened to jab people for the fact that they have that old part new that must have a value greater than original price tag, when to 99.9% of the population would laugh at the price tag and say good luck getting that much for an obsolete board when you can build a new barebone for about that price with Motherboard, CPU, and newer DDR3 RAM.

Looked for both Socket 775 and AM3/AM3+ Boards and all thats available through major online retailer are modern stock that require DDR3

[Paradise]

I was hopeing, too get away with not too get new RAM either but, that leaves the old for the Server and would make it faster with the 4 GB in it.  I still need a board with those spec's though too reduce the cost

[Paradise]

I am also, guessing that I won't find any boards with a Floppy Drive connection either

[camerongray]

Your motherboard will make no real difference to the performance. For gaming you most likely need a new video card but given the age if the system I'm not sure if it's worth spending any money on.

[Paradise]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113368&Tpk=AM3

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113369&cm_re=AM3-_-19-113-369-_-Product


from what I see this chip would be good too use along with this board


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113368&Tpk=AM3 -  8MB L3 Cache
4MB L2 Cache


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132513R


Far as RAM I was thinking Kingston but, I need it too work in pairs.

[camerongray]

If you want to game you are also going to need a video card, at this point you are basically looking at a whole new machine.