Can a Phenom be upgraded with OEM windows?

[Someone]

Hi,
I'm thinking of buying a computer from Best Buy (as I don't have the budget to build right now) with an AMD Phenom II 521 Dual Core, which, according to my research, uses AM2+/AM3. My question is, would it be possible to upgrade it to a Phenom II X6 later without needing a new motherboard or messing up OEM Windows?
Thanks

[boggtrotter59]

Check the specifications of the motherboard and see if it supports 6 core processors. The OEM license is tied to the mobo I believe so if you simply swap cpu's you should be O.K.

Edit: If it's a budget box it probably won't support 6 core Thuban's but you never know...

[Bond007]

It all depends on what the motherboard supports. Get the motherboard model number and check the CPU support list for it.

[clshades]

Even if it did you probably wouldn't WANT to upgrade that box. Most people I've dealt with never have good experiences with best buy and their computers. Might be worth saving the money for a little better system. Keep in mind... even if they are selling that computer for 300 dollars they are STILL making a profit so it begs the question. How much is it really worth.

Let me be clear before you dive into this... you will have issues upgrading a proprietary computer from dell or HP. etc.

You might wanna read this 1st before buying. The cpu you are talking about is a rebranded CPU it is actually an Athlon II 275

You may wanna post your budget HERE and see what some guys manage to put together.

You can get this cpu : AMD 255 dual core 60 dollars
You can get any of these motherboards 60 dollars
Ram is so friggin cheap right now RAM!! 4 gigs 30 dollars


You get the idea here right? 150 dollars and your more than half way there.

[Ibekrazy6988]

I would honestly stray away from pre-built boxes. They tend to have a very limited (if any) upgrade path, and a lot of times you will get parts that are of lesser quality than something you could very well learn to build on your own.

[cujoel]

Agree with the previous postings. I'd save up until your able to put it towards a build you'll be satisfied with. Would you rather waste money on a system that isn't worth upgrading whatsoever or saving that money for a build that will out-perform a PC from BB or FS as well being able to be upgraded down the road? Just some food for thought.

[great_big_abyss]

I think I found the computer you were looking for here. So, $300 for a refurbished computer. And Sold Out online.

Okay, this is the best I can do, using only NCIX. You could probably shop around and find some slightly better deals elsewhere, or other members might have some different ideas.

Motherboard: MSI 880 GMS - E35 mATX - $56
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 260 Dual Core 3.2 GHZ - $71.75
RAM: Corsair 1x4GB DDR3 - $18.95
HDD: WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200rpm - $99.98
Case: Coolermaster RC-330 - $39.98
PSU:Seasonic 350W -- $38.60

Total: $325.26

You'll have to 'find' a copy of Win7. Or use Linux if you're comfortable.

The motherboard has onboard video c/w DVI & HDMI. It still has one PCI-E slot should you ever want to throw in a discrete video card. It's compatible with all the latest AM3 CPU's including the 6-core thubans, so upgradeability is guaranteed. 6x Sata 6Gb/s - as many Sata ports as boards costing 3 times as much.

The CPU is basically the cheapest AMD I could find: a 3.2GHZ Athlon II. It will work for surfing the web, MS office, skyping and media playback. Just don't expect to play the latest/greatest games.

I picked a single stick of 4GB Ram. At a later date you can add another single stick if you want to increase.

The Harddrive was the hardest part of this build. Because of the flooding in Thailand, prices have doubled. The best i could find was a 500GB WD Caviar Blue. You'll get decent boot/load performance, and 500GB should last a few monthes even if you backup your entire DVD/music collection. When prices go down again, you can buy a 1TB to supplement your storage.

Coolermaster is one of the premiere makers of cases: The RC-330 is no exception. Tool-less design, 6 3.5" drive bays and 4 5.25" bays give you lots of options for future upgrades. front mounted USB 2.0 and speaker/mic for convenience.

A sufficient powersupply from a reputable manufacturer. I could have found a cheaper one, but I was looking more for quality.

I'm sure you can beg/borrow/steal an optical drive from a friend. If not, it's an additional $15 or so for a DVD-RW.