2 dumb questions about Conroe requirements

[Ghost]

Haven't kept up with hardware lately, and my father is looking to upgrade from his Pent III, 800 Mhz box.

Looking at Intel Core 2 Duo, yeah, he's a gamer....

First question, if I replace his current computer case, does the case have to support BTX form factor? Or is ATX good enough?

Second question, I always get confused as to what power supply is required. Wasn't it a few years ago that certain Pentium 4 chips required a power supply with an extra connector? Do I need to buy that kind for the new Intel Core 2 Duo chips and mb's?

Sorry for my ignorance...

Thanks in advance

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

BTX doesn't look like it is going to become any sort of standard for custom builders. There's almost no cases that support it and even fewer motherboards. There's no reason currently to not get ATX.

I imagine just about any modern PSU you buy would have the connectors. I have a socket 775 motherboard (a conroe on preorder too ) and my PSU had all the connectors I needed.

 

[jackschmittusa]

You need more specs on your proposed gear to recommend a psu as you may need a variety of connectors (for vid cards, SATA drives, 20 or 24 pin mb, etc.) and maybe a multi 12v rail unit.

 

[Aluvus]

If the motherboard is BTX, the case needs to be BTX. Most motherboards are still ATX, and so are virtually all cases.

Every modern ATX power supply includes the 12 V "P4" connector, and yes you'll need it. You'll likely want a 24-pin (or 20+4 pin) power supply, rather than the older 20-pin.