Need help upgrading system with Biostar A880G+ MB

[theDubes]

I have hade this system for at least 4 years. It runs games fairly well, but I would like to see if I could squeeze anything else out of it without paying a but load. I do not want to tackle pulling the MB out, but I would not have a problem installing a new processor if there is an upgrade. This is the system:

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64bit)
MB: Biostar A880G+
Chip: AMD Athlon 2 x2 250 processor (2CPUs), 3.0GHz
Mem: Pareema 4gig DDR3
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6800 2807MB
PSU: Sentey BCP450-OC

This MB has 2 slots for ram and currently only 1 slot is occupied. I have no problem installing another stick of ram but I read that some were experinceing problems when both slots were filled.

I understand that the PSU could need to be upgraded depending on what upgrades are made but to what?

The biggest question I think is the GPU. Can this MB support dual GPUs? would it be feasable or should I look for a new single card? and if so which would this MB support.

Also, the watch battery on the MB. Does that ever need to be replaced?

thanks in advance for any help or suggestions. I am way behind the ball on what is out there and I was getting very confused with all the new options. I tried to put everything into this post i could think of but if i missed anything please let me know.

 

[clutchc]

If this is your board: http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=492
...you'll find the CPU upgrade path and the necessary BIOS version needed under the 'CPU Support' tab. Unfortunately, they are all obsolete now and can usually only be found used. Like ebay. You need a better CPU to start with. A quad core or 6 core at least 3.0 GHz (or better)

Yes, you need at least 8GB of memory today for gaming. But if you don't use matched sticks of RAM on both slots, it can cause memory errors. You have a dual channel memory system. With both slots populated, you will be able to use dual channel mode for about a 10% memory performance increase. But unless you can find an EXACT match to the stick you have now, I'd suggest buying a MATCHED PAIR of new memory. That's why dual channel memory is always sold in matched pairs.

No, your board can only accept a single gfx card. It only has one PCIe x16 slot. But in order to use a discrete gfx card, you may have to replace your PSU. Is this your PSU? http://mla-s2-p.mlstatic.com/fuente-sentey-bcp450-oc-liquido-22099-MLA20222784886_012015-F.jpg
If so, it is far to weak to run a good card. And it is a very over-rated "450W". Those specs are no where close to a 450W's specs.

The "watch battery" sometimes called the CMOS battery is there to keep your BIOS settings and date from being lost when you turn off or unplug your PC. If you notice that the date is wrong or settings seem to change, it is time to change it. In fact,save yourself some misery if the PC is several years old, and change it anyway. They're cheap.

That Radeon HD 6800 is a generic term referring to a line of HD 6800 cards or chips. Do you have a discrete card now or are you using integrated video?

 

[theDubes]

thanks much for the answer. really appreciate it.

Ok. on the MB, basically I would need to replace that to get a quad or 6 core, correct?

ram did't appear to be very expensive so if i can't find a duplicate of what i have now i will get two sticks of the same.

I am sorry earlier i just did a dxdiag and saw 6800 and thought that was the name. I opened the system up and it is a Sapphire HD6850 1gig gddr5 pci. not intergrated. If i remember correctly the MB had intergrated which was disabled andonly using the Sapphire.

So I guess the question is. should i upgrade the memory, PSU & video card or just buy a new system? Memory I can figure out, but GSU and PSU not sure. What would you recomend? And if I did upgrade those would it be worth it?

Thanks again!

 

[clutchc]

I never said you had to replace the board to get a quad core or 6 core. Your board supports the one listed on the link I sent. I just said it will be hard to find one now. Since you have a HD-6850, you already have as much gfx card as the old dual core CPU can keep up with. Anything faster will be bottlenecked by the CPU.

Although, you might be able to squeeze a bit more out of that aging dual core with a R7-265 if you want to give it a shot: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&IsNodeId=1&N=100007709%20600489396

Yes, the smart move would be to replace the system with a more modern one. You don't sound like one who is interested in building his own. (?)

 

[theDubes]

I use to build my own about over 10 years ago but I have not kept up and everything has progressed so much since then that seems too daunting. probably more cost effective to buy a new system. Clutch thanks so much, i still might upgrade this one and the kids use it. who knows. Thanks again.