@jefft mulled it over a bit and got info for you bro.
1st option kasi sa upgrade mo is getting the processor/mobo/memory combo right. according to my techie friend, it would be better to invest like on a mid-end processor then invest the rest on the memory. On the intel side I would suggest the e6300 or e6400. true the e6600 may have double the cache, but the amount of money you'd probably drop to get one of them would at the moment seem impractical. Unless you're overflowing with cash. On the AMD side the 3800+ x2 and 4200+ x2 are good options. If you're going to lay down this much cash anyway forgo the 3600+ x2. Now since you opted for the mid-end procies, spend that extra cash on good memory. I suggest getting ddr2 667 memories. not 533s but 667. the extra speed helps in gaming. if you can afford it go for the 800s. and always try to buy in pairs (1gb = 2x512) or (2gb = 2x1gb) to take advantage of the dual channel architecture of modern motherboards. corsair is a good brand, even the value series chips are fast enough. For intel motherboards i advise going with the 965 and 975 chipsets for these are the most updated and feature-packed boards. gigabyte, asus, intel and msi make good boards but are however pretty expensive. You could actually go with an ECS to save on cash, just don't expect the features of the former boards. oh and i know that most gigabyte boards have their pcie slots running at full 16x so that should help.
i would really push you to go gigabyte actually.
on the amd side you could go with asrock, epox, asus and msi. redfox/biostar may also be an option, although i know these boards have x4, x8 pcie slots only. the nvidia 4 and 6100/6150 chipsets are pretty trick and should serve you well. for more features though go with the nv4. if you're into having smaller sized microatx pcs, go with 965 chipsets for intel and 6100 chipsets for amd.
hmmm concerning your memory issues. i would suggest (if you can splurge) to go with ddr2. i haven't had the opportunity to check all the ddr1/ddr2 compatible boards, but they are slowly thinning out, that's why i suggest you go ddr2.
my techie friend is actually running an x2 3800+ on an epox 6100 board, 2gb corsair 667s on dual channel and a 7600gt 256mb for good graphic measure.
just balance your expenses. don't go with an uber fast and powerful vid card and don't splurge on the fastest processor. just get the mid end hook it up with sufficient memory (1gb is recomended) and a midrange vid card. (256mb recomended) oh and do go sata or sata2 to improve transfer speeds. depends on your need what size a hard drive you get, but to be able to speed things up incrementally get a fast hard drive. ill keep on looking for possible options concerning your memory, but as of the moment, i hope this elongated message helps.
