Is this a bad Motherboard?

[davidy613]

Hi. I'm a first time poster of these forums and a computer newbie.

I try to understand the computer components and what they do etc.
I might be planning on upgrading my computer in a few months or so.
My question is: will I need to upgrade my current motherboard in order to use
it for the more advanced processors such as the Phenom II series or the i7?

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfr...cc=uk&product=3716671#

That's my Motherboard (pictures included).

Also, I have trouble understanding the part/feature of the motherboard.
If someone can clarify these terms for me and what they do, I'll be very grateful.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

According to this CPU list, it can only take first gen Phenom's. http://www.ecsusa.com/ECSWebSi...=988&MenuID=69&LanID=9

 

[davidy613]

So if I wanted to upgrade to a Phenom II series, I would need a new Motherboard that supported AM3? If so, are there any recommendations for which
one to get?

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Originally posted by: davidy613
So if I wanted to upgrade to a Phenom II series, I would need a new Motherboard that supported AM3? If so, are there any recommendations for which
one to get?

Not necessarily, P2's work with AM2+ as well but run with DDR2 instead of DDR3 so if you don't want to buy new ram get an AM2+ board.

 

[davidy613]

The current Motherboard is an AM2+. I bought this CPU as a whole so I wasn't too sure if my parts were compatible if I were to upgrade.

Another question, will this Motherboard overclock well? How can you tell if a Motherboard overclocks efficiently?

 

[heyheybooboo]

I just learned that the GeForce 6150SE / nForce 430 can support an original Phenom. Who'ed a thunk it?

Originally posted by: davidy613
The current Motherboard is an AM2+. I bought this CPU as a whole so I wasn't too sure if my parts were compatible if I were to upgrade.

Another question, will this Motherboard overclock well? How can you tell if a Motherboard overclocks efficiently?

There are a number of issues you are dealing with: 1) If you are looking to overclock an OEM like HP your options are very limited because of the BIOS. If you are lucky someone like BIOS Man can provide a new chip (or flash-capable BIOS) with expanded settings for overclocking and tweaking for around $40; and

2) Overclocking utilities such as AMD OverDrive (AOD) will not work with gForce/nForce motherboard chipsets from nVidia. You stand a very small chance of overclocking with a utility called nTune but don't count on it.


Perhaps even a greater issue - the hardware components in an OEM build such as this are not typically designed for the stress and voltages of overclocking.