Mobo specs needed

[Zanga]

Hi

I'm trying to revive a wasted dell opltiplex 260. It didn't have: CPU, RAM, HDD, Optical Drive... i should have told you actually what i do have: Case, PSU, Mobo with most of the capacitors are blown or in the process of blowing. I have partially recapped it, thrown two sticks of 512 MB DDR (total 1GB), and a 40 GB HDD. The CPU is a old Celeron at 1.8 Ghz, 128 K, 400 FSB. Installed an XP on it, works ok, but i'm thinking to turning it into a semi-HTPC, but the CPU really lacks the power. So i took my download machine apart and pulled it's CPU out, another Celeron but @ 2.66 Ghz 256 K, 533 FSB, problem is that it won't boot up. I have reflashd the bios with the latest version but it didn't do any change. The chipset on the mobo is Intel 845G. I have searched over the net for some supported CPU's, mobo info etc. but didn't find something helpful. Ohh and one more thing, what would be the recommended cpu speed for 720p with Intel on board graphics...if possible, and do a old Radeon 9250 128 MB would help ? as i have one of them in low profile but it's tooo long and hits into the harddrive bays so it need some moding and don't know if it deserves the trouble.

[Namslas90]

Look here;

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx260/

[Polaris573]

Any Intel Socket 478 processor based on the Northwood or Willamette core with FSB of 400/533/800 MHz. The 8** series chipsets sometimes support Prescott based processors but a BIOS update is necessary and often the manufacturer does not provide it. Looking through the BIOS change log for the GX260 it is highly unlikely that Prescott processors are supported. Be advised that any processor with an 800MHz FSB would under-clock the FSB to 533MHz.

My personal recommendation would be a Northwood based processor with 533MHz FSB and hyperthreading. Good luck finding one at a reasonable price though. With conroe based processors costing 40 USD paying even 80 USD for a skt478 Northwood processor is ridiculous. With the motherboard as damaged as it is, even if you have fixed it for now, longevity is in question. It may actually cost you the same to get a new processor and a cheap motherboard then to find a used Northwood or Willamette.

I wouldn't recommend running HD video on integrated graphics that old; even with a processor upgrade you are likely to get some stuttering.

[Zanga]

@Namslas90
Already seen that, it doesn't mention a supported CPU list

The 2.66 Celeron 256K 533 FSB is the now named Celeron D 330 ? and is it based on the Prescott ? If so i found that Dell didn't suport that, so i'll need Northwood based processor. As for trying to fix it, until now the cost was zero, all parts i'm using were jut laying around gathering dust. I only need to "invest" in a few more capacitors (also i have left the system on by night running a burn-in-test, and found it still working in the morning, just a bit to hot, but OK). If i slightly mod the case i can fit a Radeon 9250 with 128 MB under the hood, will it be any god for HD (don't really need 1080i, most of the movies will be DVD, DivX and some 720p) ?

[LittleLizard]

i tell you this. A northwood pentium 4 will cost you around 70. maybe a little more, then you have to find a socket 478 cooler.
For 70 dolars you can buy a dirty cheap amd mobo with a more dirty cheap sempron and it will cost you around tha

Example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813135060 - mobo + processor. its old so you can re use your ram

[Solaris17]

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=76284

i have 2 478 procs for sale both 400mhz bus with clock speeds of 2.4 and 2.5 ghz one a celeron (less cache) and 1 a P4 (more cache)

[Hayder_Master]

take some full cash cpu i mean 512/m cash , i see 2.6/512 i don't know if there is more than it , and take ddr ram with 333 bus cuz 400 fsb run with prescot cpu (1m cash or the pantium d 256 cash) and about hdd take any high size no problem i run 300g on same board before

[Zanga]

The only hard drive that i need is the one that will boot OS + programs, as for the files they will be mostly streamed from another computer or played direct from the optical drive. Now i'm trying to fit a 120 mm fan to that case

[Zanga]

Plans change, got a new rig this time it's a HP Compaq d530 SFF, comes with a 865G chipset, has dual channel DDR 400 (4 slots !) has a lot more space, better cooling, Prescott friendly, SATA, Intel extreme graphics 2 etc. The problem is that half of the capacitors are blown (Rubycon) and i'm out of exchange ones