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Originally Posted by Nucholza
Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't use my processor I don't think since it's an Athlon 64 x2 socket AM2 and the motherboard shows that it supports Phenom II X4 / Phenom II X3 ?
And thanks for the offer Jirou, I'll get back to you on it in a day or two.
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What motherboard do you have. Phenoms use AM2+ socket compared to the AM2. AM2 socket motherboards are *suppose* to be fully compatible with AM2+ socket motherboards. Basically, your cpu *should* be backward compatible but will not run at its full potential with an older motherboard (AM2). It should work fine, but you should double check your manufacturer's website, and you may need to update the BIOS.
On a side note, all quad-cores have little or no performance advantage while playing video games over their dual-core counterparts (1-6fps in difference). Triple cores numbers very similiar to quad-cores, so a triple core is a good low-cost choice for gaming if you are convinced you gotta have more than two cores because that was so two years ago. So if you are on a budget, its definitely something to consider.
If you are not on a budget and are not content with keeping your same motherboard, I would switch to Intel. Few years ago, high end CPUs were switching back and forth, but now AMD has changed their marketing strategies and have gone for more affordable CPUs while Intel is still pumping out high end CPUs and a good chunk of mid-level and "tweeners" along the way.
The best thing to do is just do the research on your own. In one hour of reading sites like tom's hardware, you can get a general idea of whats the best out there, and whats the best for you and your need. If all you do is play WOW, you definitely do not need a high end cpu.