I've been thinking about upgrading my computer and I came across a few questions. First of all, does the motherboard have to be designed to handle dual core processors or are they all compatible as long as the sockets match?
I have the Giga-Byte GA-81915p duo pro.

I was also curious about cpu speed. I noticed that many of the dual core processors are lower speeds. I currently have an intel 3.2 hyper threaded Prescott processor. What dual core processor would be at least equal to that?

I was looking at graphics cards as well. I currently run an x800xl and the fan stopped working. Since I need a new one I figured I might as well upgrade. I was thinking about the ATI Radeon X1650 PRO Video Card. Any feedback on this card? Thanks in advance.
_________________
Plasma HDTV Reviews Football Forum