However if you were to expend slightly more and leave for the Phenom II X2 550 you would observe a much larger improvement in gaming. The Phenom II series has their full 6mb of L3 cache which actually helps with gaming and some other applications. Here’s a contrast with the 550.

Is that an AM3 board? If so, you can NOT place an AM2 processor into an AM3 board. Socket AM3 has 938 pins vs. 940 for AM2/2+, so it will not fit. AM3 board = novel processor.

Your best gamble is to stay your existing motherboard and stick in an Athlon II X4 620/630 or Phenom II X3 720 or Phenom X2 550.

Your present AM2/AM2+ motherboard should be backwards friendly with the new Athlon IIs and Phenom IIs.

In contrast to your old Athlon 5000+ the CPUs that I listed will be a vast jump, so it’s in your benefit to replace the CPU as it’s old and nacked - changing the motherboard will not advance presentation.

Yeah you don’t require a new mobo and ddr3. You can use your existing mobo if it’s AM2+ and your existing DDR2.There’s almost no presentation benefit of DDR3 over DDR2 with that platform.

That is true, AM3 processors have mutually memory controllers, (DDR2 and DDR3) they will work in most (most) any AM2+ motherboard and they will job with either DD2 or DDR3 memory. But you cannot employ an AM2+ processor in an AM3 board. The AM2+ processors only have the DDR2 memory controller and so they will not job on an AM3 board that needs DDR3 memory.That is the dissimilarity between the 2,, the sockets are really the same.

My MBO is Asus M2N-MX (it doesn't support AM3 CPU), and I am preparation to promote to Asrock A770DE+ (AM2+/AM3 support, DDR2). This way I can remain my DDR2 ram and my Blacky CPU until I upgrade to an AM3 quad.

I'll probably obtain the board for Christmas and I'll obtain the quad when new games approach, because I play just COD: MW2 now.

No I didn't verify the connection. You said it doesn't support AM3, so rationally it would be an AM2+ board...... But you unsuccessful to mention it’s an AM2 board.

I ensured Asus website and the "M2N-MX2 does not support the Phenom IIs formally, but do not let that put you off, I have seen bounty people run Phenom IIs old chipsets before yet without authorized bios support. I'd say effort to drop in a Phenom II or Athlon II X4 and if it works great it does not work then purchase the Asrock A770DE. Regardless you'd require a new CPU; the Athlon 64 X2 is actually starting to show its age.

After selling my M2N-MX I can recover to an AM2+ mobo for 30$ I believe it's a superior deal?