HP Pavilion a6244n revamp! [ Edited ]

[mattmehki]

Ok here is my build idea and I'm looking for someone to review it for flaws and compatibility issues.

I mistakenly purchased a e6600 duo core cpu which is not compatible with the stock leonite mobo.

I'm considering upgrading the mobo, ram, and OS to the 64 bit in order to use the new cpu and more ram.

The current build: motherboard is a leonite p5lp-le with a core 2 duo e4500 cpu, 750 watt psu and a gt240 gpu, and 3gigs of stock ram.

Here are the links to the ram, cpu, and mobo in question.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131794 ~ mobo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231308 ~ ram

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116347 ~ cpu

My question is mainly, will the mobo new ram and cpu be compatible, and will the mobo bolt to the stock case. The new mobo is a bit smaller then the old one. (leonite - 9.6 x 9.6) and  the new one (ASUS P5G41T-M LX PLUS - 7.9 x 9.6).

Also are there any other problems to consider before attempting this build? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Option b is to sell the wolfdale cpu and stick with my current build. Im willing to cut my losses on the cpu if the build will not significantly increase the performance of my pc, and or if there are other expsenses outside of purchasing the ram and new mobo. I already have a retail version of windows 7 that contains the 64bit OS.

[Big_Dave · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The bolt pattern of the new motherboard needs to match up with your old motherboard. Hopefully it will fit but no guarantees.  This could be a problem area.  The back I/O plate would also be a concern.

The technical specifications and compatiblity with processors and memory are better handled by the specifications provided by ASUS.  Review the ASUS motherboard here.

You really need to compare each motherboard to be sure that the on board connectors will match up with the connectors of your existing motherboard.

I am not sure why you have a 750 watt PSU as I can see nothing in your existing rig that would require more than a 300 watt PSU. Perhaps future needs?  Some of the older HP PCs will not even power up with a PSU over 650 watts.

[mattmehki]

I bought a 500 watt psu when i purchased the gt240 and the computer kept shutting down, when i upgraded it fixed the problem.

Is there a way to check the bolt pattern before i buy?

Also, if i upgrade all this hardware will windows seven redownload as if it were the same computer?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

I have a GT240 on the shelf and if doesn't require more than a 300 watt PSU.  The GT 240 is still a card that I will recommend for users with 300 watt power supplies and not needing DirectX 11.  Good choice!

A 500 watt PSU would have been more than enough. You probably had an issue other than insufficient wattage.  I suspect that the 500 watt PSU was faulty.  It's a moot point now.

Swapping out the motherboard will require a new Windows license unless you have a retail license.  Additionally, the HP recovery disks will no longer function.

I am not sure what your future needs are but the system rig that you are considering does have expansion and performance limitations.

Edited:  You might be better off buying a new entry level HP PC for $300, swap out the PSU and install your GT240.

[mattmehki]

I suppose I just dont want to have blown the seventy five on the new cpu, have you had any luck selling parts on ebay or craigslist?

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

You might get lucky on Ebay.  I did edit my above post.

What about a return exchange?

[mattmehki]

no returns on cpu's to newegg, even unopened.

regardless its a can of worms i dont think i want to open, and i understand those limitations being a 775 socket and all, suppose ill just try to ebay the cpu unopened and stick with my rigg for now.