If you get no boot data on the screen from the ROM BIOS and if you're sure there is no continued disk activity to indicate that it is booting through, then it seems to me that it can't execute the...

You're welcome. I'd go with 2 x 1GB because if one card goes down (shouldn't) you still have a respectable 1GB.

Please mark this thread as SOLVED.

As I say, I don't see how the wrong memory could fry anything in your motherboard. The CMOS idea is a reasonable long shot whic h will enable the boot process to rediscover your hardware.

The...

3 Beeps means a memory test has failed. You could go into BIOS setup (with the old memory properly installed) and see whether is an ECC memory option.

I don't see how the wrong sort of memory can...

That's fine.

On the architecture point - in my view, the architecture scope includes the software that can run. There's a good article here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core that...

You are very rude.

The difference in architecture is well described at Intel.com.

Obviously Core-2 Duo is the better architecture.

I suspect that the PC was on its exit path before you bought it. A CPU can only reach 80C when not worked hard if it is not being cooled adequately (I hesitate to suggest an over-voltage but not...

We need to have these in Celsius! No, just kidding. Most of the world has gone metric. Time your lot did the same.

Anyway, these temperatures are fine.

These temperatures are perfect.

... and you can blow cold air at the CPU from an external fan; I've had to do this when the case of my Quaddie was open.

Does this phenomenon occur when the case is closed? If so, are you sure...

Yes, turning quality down increases performance in direct proportion. Indeed one often doesn't notice the decrease in quality.

Regarding your proposal to build a f*ck-off PC from scratch. I...

I've been thinking some more about the advice given to you. Most games are for a single-CPU. The relative processor benchmarks can be found on thie following web page:...

Your motherboard is limited to a P4 at 3.4GHz and you can check this out at:
http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&maincat_no=1&cat2_no=&cat3_no=&prod_no=158

I think the long term...

Is there anywhere that I can download the mobo manual? I'd want to check a couple of things. Such as how the CPU is powered, what jumpers have to be considered.

If you can sometimes get things...

Motherboard jumpers for FSB speed?

Sage though you are, that's not quite the case.

XP Pro (32 bit or 64 bit) is constrained to 2 Processors, each with as many cores as are designed into each CPU. These constraints are not present...

I recently had the same choice to make and I also chose the same Quad as you. I have an application that can work across as many processors that you tell it and so 4 is better than 2.

Another...