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upgrading mobo question(s)
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Posted by: DarthKirby
Hey all.
Now instead of buying a PCI vid card and more memory, I'm thinking about a new mobo instead (since then I could get an AGP card). Someone told me I could get something called a 'a7v266' for about $40, which sounds like a great price. But I don't know jack about mobo cards, so I have a few questions...
First, do motherboards have to do with RAM? Like do certain mobos only accept SDRAM and others DDR? And, do all mobos come with some sort of integrated graphics? My mobo right now has Intel 810e, so if I take it out I guess I won't have a graphics card thing, And I probably won't be able to buy a good graphics card until a few months after I get the new mobo.
Second, does anyone know anything about the a7v266? I don't need it to be top-notch, just good enough to play Medal of Honor: AA and the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxies. And are there any better mobos that sell for a good price (like 40-60 U.S. dollars)?
Thanks in advance for putting up with my stupidity 
Posted by: uh...ok
Not many motherboards nowadays come with what's called "onboard video" anymore. Generally speaking, onboard video sucks in terms of performance and in terms of letting you upgrade in the future. But there ARE some decent motherboards out there that include on-board video, but they are far behind in terms of performance from getting a higher end video card separately.
The "A7V266" your friend speaks about is a motherboard by Asus (full specs here). It runs for about $50-60 according to Pricewatch, but it may be available for cheaper (and it may not) depending on where you shop.
As for what the motherboard is itself - it has everything to do with everything in your computer. Everything comes together through your motherboard - your CPU, your memory (RAM), your drives, your sound and video and other media cards, and even the lights and switches on your computer's case. It is a very crucial part of your system (arguably the most important) so the mobo is definitely something you DON'T want to scrimp on.
In terms of RAM, most motherboards are backwards compatible - meaning that they can take RAM of older types (not TOO old, as the RAM types of late have different pin configurations). However, it is generally a better idea to throw in the extra money for the RAM upgrade (to DDR). Older motherboards may not support DDR RAM, while newer ones MIGHT not support SDRAM (and I think last I checked, SDRAM-266, aka DDR, has a different number of pins than SDRAM-133).
Once again, you probably don't want to save money on your motherboard - you can always scrimp by losing a .1 GHz on your CPU, or have a little less room on your hard drive, but a bad motherboard sometimes pretty much means a bad system overall.
More specifically to the A7V266 - it looks to be a decent board. ASUS has a good track record and while that board may be top notch, it will probably serve your purposes though.
Be warned however - that particular motherboard only supports Socket A AMD processors, which means you may have to get a new CPU to work with it. I'm not sure if it's compatible with SDRAM 133 or lower, but you may have to replace that as well.
Finally, never be afraid or ashamed to ask questions to which you don't know the answer. None of us were born with this knowledge - we, like you, just learn by asking questions and reading what other people say.  After all, that's what this place is for.
-uh...ok
Posted by: DarthKirby
Thanks for all the info
When you say I may have to get a new CPU, your talking about the processor, right? Right now my processor is a 1.2GHz Celeron.
Posted by: redwench
yes, that is what he means. if you wish to keep your processor, go to www.intel.com there is a motherboard selector utility that will give you a list of mobos that are compatable with your requirements which you input. and no, it just doesnt spew out intel boards. this utility may or may not be linked on the front page. might take some hunting, but its there.
you may want to check with those games for the requirements. your cpu could be at the lower end.
Posted by: DarthKirby
thanks redwench you just answered my next question
Posted by: DarthKirby
Ok I was browsing around and I found something called an Intel D815EEA2 815E ATX Motherboard, priced at $55. It has the same Socket 370 as my current mobo, AGP 4x, 1 AGP slot, uses SDRAM and has a processor speed of 1.0GHz. Even though my current card is a 810e and this is just a 815e, but it's probably better since it has an AGP slot. But I figured I better ask for opinions on this card
Here is the link to the 815e card I'm talking about
Intel 815e Motherboard
Posted by: uh...ok
Looks like it could work for you if all you want is to use your current configuration with a new AGP video card.
I usually suggest an entire overhaul though. If you're gonna get a new motherboard, might as well get a good one, get a faster CPU and some DDR. But that's just me.
A word of warning though - if you're new at this - whatever you choose to do, make sure you read up on various sites (or some PC magazines, or maybe even manuals somewhere) about how you would go about taking apart your computer and putting it back together. A lot of things are just really basic - knowing what parts go where - and others are a little more obscure (like what the parts exactly do, how you're supposed to connect them, what precautions to take).
If this is your first time, make sure you're fully aware of any dangers to you or to the equipment before you start. Once you do all that and actually get to doing it, the learning experience you get out of it should be great.
And remember, when in doubt, ask.
-uh...ok
Posted by: DarthKirby
...Well I think I have decided what I'm going to do. Instead of spending alot of money buying only average upgrades for my computer, I'm going to buy 512MB of RAM and get either a Radeon 7500 or 9000. That should be enough to get me thru my games. Then maybe when I get a job this summer/next year, I'll save up and build a really good computer from scratch. And since I've never built one before, I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions to ask
hmm...I think I remember seeing a guide to building a computer on the Gamespot website. I'll go check it out. Good night everyone!
Posted by: redwench
that board really wouldnt be useful. you dont have a 1G processor, you have a 1.2Ghz. at best, youd lose 20% of your speed. at worst, it wouldnt work at all. find a board that supports your chip.
EDIT: ran the motherboard selector utility, found here: http://appzone.intel.com/boards/index.asp
the D815EEA2LU would suit your needs, as would boards from other manufacturers. (note the slight difference in model numbers) make sure you select a processor speed >= 1A Ghz, if that is indeed what you have. most boards that got past the screen will take any speed celeron, so thats not of great concern.
Posted by: uh...ok
Sorry if the info I gave you was wrong. Intel's info on the site didn't exactly show that it didn't support more than 1 GHz (and upon looking through it, I still can't find where it says whether it supports it or not; rather I have found the "Processor Support Page" where it lists the speeds and which revisions support what amount).
Anyhow, good luck with your upgrading!
-uh...ok
Posted by: redwench
i went by the link he provided. according to that site, they had the revision that did not support 1.2Ghz. if youre dying to get that board, watch the revision numbers. if a site doesnt give them, youll have to pass.
http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/ea2/ea2_proc.htm
i would personally pass on that board, simply because you wouldnt know for sure if you had the correct version until you got it home and opened it up. there are other boards that dont have thatt difficulty.
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