Upgrade Questions for my mobo

[HotDamn!]

I have an ASRock K10N78 NVIDIA GeForce 8200 Chipset motherboard

link for the mobo http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=K10N78

I'm a gamer and have some questions about an upgrade I want to do. Right now I am overclocking it pretty much to the max which doesn't bother me because I'm wanting a new CPU anyways.

Here's the setup...
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4600+ 2.70 GHz (overclocked to 2.70)
3.25 GB of RAM (3 sticks)
500 watt power supply
Also have a Thermaltake heat-sink which has a huge fan in the middle.

link for it http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Thermaltake+-+120mm+CPU+Cooling+Fan/8990489.p?id=121800708...&skuId=8990489

OK, I'm wanting to get some new RAM and a new CPU, I want to stick with the dual core 3.0ish and 4GB of RAM, I just need to know what would be best for me. I'm not looking to spend a whole lot so my limit for the RAM is 70ish and the same for the CPU.

I know that my mobo can take up to 16 GB of RAM, 1066, and also quad core processors but I don't need all of that right now. I'm thinking that with a dual core CPU I'll just be needing DDR2 800 and not the 1066.

I hope you guys can help me out and thanks in advance for anything. Also any other tips or hardware that would be useful for me would be great, I know some things about computers but there is ALWAYS someone that knows A LOT more. Thanks

[budz]

AMD has a Quad core cpu for only $99.99 & your mobo supports it.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.asp?Model=K10N78&s=AM2%2b

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Propus 2.6GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor, $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706

IMHO getting a AMD Quad would be the best upgrade for your system. Ram right now is very expensive due to a shortage and mass production of DDR3 ram. Are you running a 64bit os? If you are then ram would be fine but again it's expensive right now.

If I had some spare cash I'd buy that AMD Quad since it's so reasonably priced. I know you're a gamer but some of the testing I've seen surpassed a Intel Q8200 cpu for video encoding. Just my 2 cents!

[johns0]

If you are a real gamer then you need a better video card,a 260gtx is selling for less than $200 and plays all the latest games in high detail and get a quadcore like budz suggested,more games are coming out that are being made for quadcore and dualcore wont just cut it anymore.

[HotDamn!]

I'm only playing SOF2 and Left 4 Dead and stuff like that so my video card is fine with me for now but I am starting to like the quad core idea so I'll look into it a little bit more.

Thank you for the links and suggestions!

[HotDamn!]

And Johns, I've seen that video card and really would like it. Thats on my wish list for later on down the road lol.


It seems that every couple of years we could all use an upgrade so I'm probably going to get me a new mobo later on and then get a kick ass video card for it.

Also the Intel is running through my mind but I know that Intel can be a little pricey so I try to sitck with AMD due to that.