mobo is short for motherboard, where all the components hook up to on the computer.

Oh, makes sense. I have strong feelings its the mobo then.

OMG

Shut it. I'm a computer person, but not in the build-up know-how. Just how to do a lot stuff on them.

EDIT: added 'a lot'

Double L.OL

Then why are you accusing the Abit mobo of being the problem if you didn't even know what the hell it was?

Becasues I said motherbourd, not mobo. Didn't I?

Edit I did:

So whats a "Motherbourd" anyway? (its motherboard)

What is the cache of a processor? I noticed that most are 1mb, but this one is only 256kb. Do you think that will affect it much? The reviews all look good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104231

Typically you want more cache (cache is kinda like RAM for your proc, but much faster and more direct)

Also, about how much $$$ do you have to spend on a new comp?

Ugh, I'd definitely say go for something with at least 512 k of L2. My current processor only has 256 k of L2 (granted, it was just something so I could have a working system until I get the cash for an E6300), and BOINC projects are insanely slow.

No definite limit. I'm thinking $800-$1200.

EDIT: Minus speakers, monitor, keyboard, mouse, ect. I have that kind of crap laying around.

Avoid socket 754 like the plague, its dead (and so is socket 939). If you are going to go AMD, it must be socket AM2 if you want any sort of upgradability. But Intel's quad-core is just around the corner, and Intel's current Core 2 Duos are faster than AMD X2s, so right now I'd lean towards Intels. However, if you want AMD, you can get an X2 4200 (the same CPU I got) for a mere $180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103741 (this is the special low-watt version, so it only uses 65w of power and is only $5 more than the non-low power version - speed is identical)

If you build it for graduation you can probably get an AMD quad core by then, or you could just get an dual core and upgrade later

Aren't the AMD quad cores supposed to be more energy efficient/designed as quad cores better (and I think intel quad cores are just some dual cores dropped together )

@foamy: I'd wait until graduation to build the comp; a lot can change in seven months (especially the proc and vid card battles).

More elegant design, yes, but that may or may not transfer to real world results in terms of energy efficient and/or speed. Intel's quads are just two Core 2 Duo's stuck together, but them Core 2's are pretty fast

@Foamy: I'd wait for DX10 vid cards to come out if you have any desire whatsoever to play video games (should be within the next month or two, I've heard, so prices will have dropped and midrange cards will have come out in 7 months)

For those of us who don't play video games quite as much as you do, Kllrnohj, would you kindly explain what a DX10 video card is, and what its advantages are? I'd JFGI, but I bet I'm not the only one who doesn't know.

It pretty much allows you to play directx 10 games (the new ones that look really awesome >.> ). It pretty much is the renderer for the games like opengl (graphics api), except it is Windows only.

P.S. This may be wrong, but I am pretty sure it is correct

Oh, duh. >.< I didn't connect DX10 with DirectX 10. Don't mind my question, then; I've been reading about these new cards for months. Heh.

I just read that Microsoft will not provide backwards compatibility with DX 7,8, or 9 >.<