F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop The Athlon 64 3400+ is no longer competitive.

The Athlon 64 3400+ is no longer competitive.

The Athlon 64 3400+ is no longer competitive.

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techiseasy
Senior Member
688
01-04-2026, 12:11 AM
#11
The RAM you have now is 184-pin DDR memory. For a new motherboard, you should consider 240-Pin DDR2 or DDR3 memory.
I’ll let others give their advice. I understand you’re working with a tight budget, but it’s unclear how much you’re planning to spend.
I’m cautious about using a proprietary case. I once tried one and found the front USB ports/power cables couldn’t connect properly to the new motherboard.
Yes and no. Most modern motherboards only have one IDE port, which restricts you to just two IDE components (Hard Drive and CD/DVD Drives). Considering your system’s age, it makes sense that most of your drives are IDE.
Checking the minimum requirements for the game you want to play, you should be fine with what you have. Using your existing graphics card might help, and reusing your sound card could ease some CPU strain.
Wolf sends
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techiseasy
01-04-2026, 12:11 AM #11

The RAM you have now is 184-pin DDR memory. For a new motherboard, you should consider 240-Pin DDR2 or DDR3 memory.
I’ll let others give their advice. I understand you’re working with a tight budget, but it’s unclear how much you’re planning to spend.
I’m cautious about using a proprietary case. I once tried one and found the front USB ports/power cables couldn’t connect properly to the new motherboard.
Yes and no. Most modern motherboards only have one IDE port, which restricts you to just two IDE components (Hard Drive and CD/DVD Drives). Considering your system’s age, it makes sense that most of your drives are IDE.
Checking the minimum requirements for the game you want to play, you should be fine with what you have. Using your existing graphics card might help, and reusing your sound card could ease some CPU strain.
Wolf sends

J
JR_GAMER07
Posting Freak
915
01-04-2026, 08:39 AM
#12
It seemed like a typical situation. I processed an a810n system into a secondary unit (though I replaced the hard drive with a new one). The only issue was the front audio connectors. Everything else, including USB and peripherals, worked fine. The fact he purchased a standard power supply suggests it should be okay. As long as you use a 780g or 785g motherboard, it should function properly. Be aware that problems could arise, and you might need to invest more for certain parts—like a new hard drive if you switch to SATA. I suggest following my advice.
Check out http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128408. Look for an Athlon II X3 on that site, then purchase 2 gigs of DDR2 RAM. Then consider selling items; you should receive around $80 total, split as I mentioned.
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JR_GAMER07
01-04-2026, 08:39 AM #12

It seemed like a typical situation. I processed an a810n system into a secondary unit (though I replaced the hard drive with a new one). The only issue was the front audio connectors. Everything else, including USB and peripherals, worked fine. The fact he purchased a standard power supply suggests it should be okay. As long as you use a 780g or 785g motherboard, it should function properly. Be aware that problems could arise, and you might need to invest more for certain parts—like a new hard drive if you switch to SATA. I suggest following my advice.
Check out http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128408. Look for an Athlon II X3 on that site, then purchase 2 gigs of DDR2 RAM. Then consider selling items; you should receive around $80 total, split as I mentioned.

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Aquiel331
Member
70
01-05-2026, 03:45 PM
#13
$180ish w/o that GTS 250 hehe
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Aquiel331
01-05-2026, 03:45 PM #13

$180ish w/o that GTS 250 hehe

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Morgan_98
Member
103
01-05-2026, 11:10 PM
#14
hey
thanks for all the guidance.
as you mentioned, I’m not familiar with computer technology beyond what I’ve learned when fixing parts.
last night I was browsing eBay and saw some AM2 mobos and duo core CPUs at low prices—wondering if they’d work for my needs.
from what I’ve picked up here, it looks like AM2 was the standard before AM3, which is pretty recent (though AM2 is actually more advanced than the 939 I own).
- am i on the right track?
on the budget side, I think I could spend about £100 (and maybe a bit more if I take out a loan).
i’m based in England too.
again, really appreciate all the help!
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Morgan_98
01-05-2026, 11:10 PM #14

hey
thanks for all the guidance.
as you mentioned, I’m not familiar with computer technology beyond what I’ve learned when fixing parts.
last night I was browsing eBay and saw some AM2 mobos and duo core CPUs at low prices—wondering if they’d work for my needs.
from what I’ve picked up here, it looks like AM2 was the standard before AM3, which is pretty recent (though AM2 is actually more advanced than the 939 I own).
- am i on the right track?
on the budget side, I think I could spend about £100 (and maybe a bit more if I take out a loan).
i’m based in England too.
again, really appreciate all the help!

D
Diamonduck
Member
54
01-06-2026, 02:46 AM
#15
If beginning again, I’d definitely choose a basic DDR3 setup hehe
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Diamonduck
01-06-2026, 02:46 AM #15

If beginning again, I’d definitely choose a basic DDR3 setup hehe

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zFlare22
Member
210
01-07-2026, 01:49 AM
#16
If you're not planning to use this for another year or two, skip AM3. The CPU might fully use the HD 4670 in your main system; in my other setup, I have a 4600+ x2 and it's performing well.
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zFlare22
01-07-2026, 01:49 AM #16

If you're not planning to use this for another year or two, skip AM3. The CPU might fully use the HD 4670 in your main system; in my other setup, I have a 4600+ x2 and it's performing well.

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Huzaifa1
Member
50
01-07-2026, 08:30 AM
#17
Thanks. I might also be able to assist with a problem I’m facing.
During gameplay in Left 4 Dead 2, I frequently experience a sudden freeze on the screen while the computer becomes completely unresponsive (I also noticed the modem light flickering on and off, indicating it wasn’t working).
I’ve been using 'Everest' and 'SpeedFan', but they show very high temperatures:
PC idle: GPU 51°C, CPU 60°C, ambient 41°C, remote 38°C, HD0 44°C, core 45°C, fan speeds 1 (1689 RPM), 2 (0 RPM), 3 (0 RPM), 4 (0 RPM).
In-game with CPU at 100% usage: GPU reaches 68°C, CPU stays between 65-69°C, ambient drops to 43°C, remote to 42°C.
HD0 runs at 45°C, core hits 52°C, other fans are off.
Should I be concerned about cooling down the system?
Thanks.
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Huzaifa1
01-07-2026, 08:30 AM #17

Thanks. I might also be able to assist with a problem I’m facing.
During gameplay in Left 4 Dead 2, I frequently experience a sudden freeze on the screen while the computer becomes completely unresponsive (I also noticed the modem light flickering on and off, indicating it wasn’t working).
I’ve been using 'Everest' and 'SpeedFan', but they show very high temperatures:
PC idle: GPU 51°C, CPU 60°C, ambient 41°C, remote 38°C, HD0 44°C, core 45°C, fan speeds 1 (1689 RPM), 2 (0 RPM), 3 (0 RPM), 4 (0 RPM).
In-game with CPU at 100% usage: GPU reaches 68°C, CPU stays between 65-69°C, ambient drops to 43°C, remote to 42°C.
HD0 runs at 45°C, core hits 52°C, other fans are off.
Should I be concerned about cooling down the system?
Thanks.

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Miteus_St
Member
56
01-15-2026, 01:24 AM
#18
It isn't that high to prevent that. And if the typical response for heat issues is to power down and/or restart.
But honestly, why spend time fixing something that won't become a concern within a week after installing new parts?
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Miteus_St
01-15-2026, 01:24 AM #18

It isn't that high to prevent that. And if the typical response for heat issues is to power down and/or restart.
But honestly, why spend time fixing something that won't become a concern within a week after installing new parts?

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Mikas4
Junior Member
14
01-15-2026, 12:16 PM
#19
False_Dmitry_II:
That's not sufficient to trigger that issue. And if the typical response for heat-related problems is to shut down or restart.
But honestly, why waste time fixing something that won't become a problem in a week or so after installing new parts?
Well, I don't have any money right now, so first I need to figure out which components I should prioritize saving. It will take a few weeks or months to properly arrange a new mobo, cpu, or case.
I'd like to address the freeze issue—based on what I found, it seems this kind of problem is often linked to ram issues or overheating, so I'll look into those areas first.
Thanks
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Mikas4
01-15-2026, 12:16 PM #19

False_Dmitry_II:
That's not sufficient to trigger that issue. And if the typical response for heat-related problems is to shut down or restart.
But honestly, why waste time fixing something that won't become a problem in a week or so after installing new parts?
Well, I don't have any money right now, so first I need to figure out which components I should prioritize saving. It will take a few weeks or months to properly arrange a new mobo, cpu, or case.
I'd like to address the freeze issue—based on what I found, it seems this kind of problem is often linked to ram issues or overheating, so I'll look into those areas first.
Thanks

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TheDaneHD
Junior Member
12
01-19-2026, 08:13 AM
#20
It was only when I finally upgraded that I realized the PSU wasn't properly connected, which caused the system to freeze. D'oh!
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TheDaneHD
01-19-2026, 08:13 AM #20

It was only when I finally upgraded that I realized the PSU wasn't properly connected, which caused the system to freeze. D'oh!

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