ASUS M2NE SLI MB (I'm currenly on a 32 bit platform with a max of 4GB RAM, but it can use 8GB RAM on 64bits). http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M2NE_SLI/
 
Would it be worth it to upgrade with an AMD FX8350 (Vishera) CPU, Win 7, and 8GB of RAM on this older board? (If I can avoid spending extra money on the rest of the components for a new build, that'll be great). I use a lot of softsynths and the 4GB RAM limitations makes things very slow (especially when loading). I'll be installing X2 Producer as well. 
 
So far, my older machine has been very stable and I've only had to replace a couple of sticks of RAM and a video card.
 
TIA for any recommendations/advice.

AMD FX8350

I doubt the board will support that chip. Latest BIOS was in 2010, and with a board this old there are not likely to be new ones. If memory limitation is the problem, then increasing the memory might make sense, otherwise you are better off with a new board+cpu+memory which is going to get pricey.


http://support.asus.com/Cpusupport/List.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=M2N-E%20SLI&p=1&s=24

slartabartfast

AMD FX8350

I doubt the board will support that chip. Latest BIOS was in 2010, and with a board this old there are not likely to be new ones. If memory limitation is the problem, then increasing the memory might make sense, otherwise you are better off with a new board+cpu+memory which is going to get pricey.


http://support.asus.com/Cpusupport/List.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=M2N-E%20SLI&p=1&s=24

Thanks sltbfast.....very good point and I didn't think about the older BIOS. A new MB would be overall a better idea as I can slowly upgrade from the ground up.
 
I also need to buy Win7 Pro as well as new PSU. So all in all, at Micro Center, MB+CPU+RAM+PSU+Win7 all (roughly) came to just under $700.
 
Are there any brands of MB models you can recommend for an AMD3+ Vishera? (I've been inclined to go with either ASUS or Gigabyte as they seem to be more recommended than the others).
  

IMO ASUS and Gigabyte are the best. In my recent build the MB was one of the cheapest components. I think I spent more on the case. The SSD was the most expensive single component. You can compromise on several things like drives and video cards to save money. The power supply is the heart of the system so don't cheap out there, and get lots of ram because it's real cheap right now. 

ampfixer


IMO ASUS and Gigabyte are the best. In my recent build the MB was one of the cheapest components. I think I spent more on the case. The SSD was the most expensive single component. You can compromise on several things like drives and video cards to save money. The power supply is the heart of the system so don't cheap out there, and get lots of ram because it's real cheap right now. 

Thanks John and I completely agree. If I could've afforded it, I'd build an I7 based system, but for my needs as a hobbyist, the AMD FX 8350 will be more than enough. Regarding the PSU, I was thinking about a 650W PSU.....alhough it might be slightly more power than I need now, I'll be ready for any upgrades for the future.
 
I'd like to use this new build for a little gaming as well, but primarily for music. Are 16GB's of RAM enough?? (I'll be using a lot of softsynths/midi and my projects aren't generally more than 50 tracks with 1/3 of them being audio w/FX).
 
I always wondered if the bigger projects (100+ tracks w/tons of FX & softsynths), if 32GB's RAM would make a significant difference over the 16GB's?
 
I was thinking of this MB for the Vishera FX8350: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M5A99FX_PRO_R20/