the pci-x ports on that board are actaully the 2.0 anyways...  so the answer is yes... good match...

you don't want just plain pci-x16 port with a pci-x16 2.0  card, because then you will have a bottle neck on the board and you don't want a plain pci-x16 card with a pci-x16 2.0 slot because then the card is under performance possible (though it allows the room for upgrade to 2.0 later on but why wait).

You're gonna have huge issues switching motherboards on an installed windows version. You're much better off doing a clean install.

As a helpful guide this is how i usually install stuff (I must have built upwards of 20PC's).

Install the PSU/DVD and HD in the case (best to leave the DVD/HD floating for now incase they require moving slightly).
Install the CPU/Cooler and memory on the mobo (a lot easier to do it outside the case, especially fiddly CPU coolers).
Insert the Mobo into the case.
Add in power cables/connections.
Put in Graphics card last (Just because its a big-un and tends to make connecting stuff harder.

You might want to think about getting a few fans to suppliment case cooling aswell. Oh, the PSU is way too overpowered for your system. You could happily use a 650w without issue (possibly look into a modular PSU with the extra).

This is a question I have on my new rig as well. What do you guys use for CPU cooling?

Well I dont think Im going to over clock the CPU (at first anyways), so I didnt think I would need anything beyond the stock CPU cooler. And I will need a new windows and such you say? Why is that? Could I format my old HDD and just put a new windows on it? Thanks

Oh, so I wouldnt actually need to buy anything for that? I could just format it and then recover my windows and itd be good to go?

Well, this is something I dont really understand, My computer came with a D drive, which is used for recovery. Anyone know how that works? It didnt come with recovery discs.

When you purchase a new computer from HP, Dell or whoever... they create a recovery partition on your harddrive.  This is used to set the computer the manufactured install.  This is used from severe problems.  Some computer companies use this instead of sending you a recovery disk.

Depending on your situation, I would suggest deleteing it and expanding you C drive over it or using it as you own storage drive for back up.  But this depend on your current space on C, depends on if you have a instaltion disk as apposed to a recovery disk (which uses the recovery partition).

I suggest liquid cooling myself, they now have these small all-in-one maintenace free liquid coolers that are rather low cost...  about as low as a high-end air cooler.

Go do a search at www.newegg.com and look at theliquid cooling systems.  Just click HERE

I just removed my water cooler because I have been testing out the Vigor Monsoon™ III LT CPU Cooling System.  And I must say i am very impressed with this.  For having two 120mm fans this puppy is very quiet.  Runs very smooth and it does a great job at keeping my CPU very cool.  About 30-32C @ idle and with 100% load for 10 minutes I never went over 70C.

My other PC which has the Masscool 7WA002L Liquid Cooler keeps the CPU at a cool 27C and after 5 minutes running full load using Prime95 hit at 42C...  which is very good.

Regardless keeping you CPU cooler will extend the life of the CPU and keep it for better performance when you need it.  If your going to be gaming at all... which seem to be the case because of what your seeming to purchase, I suggest5 getting a good cooler for your CPU. 

The CPU is a big purchase and you should take precaution to protect it.  With a good cooler you can still reach high temps when you game and so do the right thing and get a better cooler.  The stock coolers are crap and I would never use one on a CPU, I plan to game on.

agreed

Just FYI, you can try to boot the new motherboard with the old OS drive.  If it is Vista or Windows 7, the odds are it will boot up, install new drivers, and work.  It is far less likely with Windows XP but can occassionally happen.

However, even if does work, I recommend you then run the OS install disk to do an in place "upgrade" which will keep all your data and settings, but give the old OS a once-over full refresh for driver detection, etc.  This should guarantee you have all the right system level drivers installed.

If it doesn't work, you can always do a clean install, or even an upgrade from the boot disk.

But anyone who argues that you HAVE to install clean to make it work is thinking with a Windows XP (or older) mindset.  Vista and Windows 7 have an entirely new way of installing the OS that eliminates the issues from past Windows Operating Systems.  

The new Vista+ install code also has the benefit that there is no longer any advantage in speed, compatibility, or performance between a clean OS install or an in-place upgrade (which was NOT the case with 95/2000/XP). 

Well, I've *never* run across someone whose CPU has broken down because it wore out... And I know quite a few people who keep their computers running for over 5 years with regular air cooling. So liquid cooling from that point of view is entirely pointless, the computer is out of date before the CPU is worn out anyway. Liquid cooling is for overclocking enthusiasts, if you don't do that, you just add a pretty risky point of failure. If a fan breaks down, you'll probably not be worse off than computer shutdown. If on the other hand liquid pours out over your gfxcard, it's likely toasted.

Well thats just because you picked a bad liquid cooler. Most coolants are anti-corrosive and non-conductive.

Granted I wouldn't plunge your entire PC into a vat of the stuff, but to claim something like it would toast a graphics card from a spill is about 5 years out of date.

Maybe. Maybe not. What happens - even with Windows 7 or Vista - is that Windows boots up and it says, hey! What kind of SATA controller is here so I can communicate to my hard drives? What kind of northbridge and southbridge are we working with here? Then it loads drivers to anwser those questions. Those drivers are specific to certain chipsets, so if Windows loads and starts loading drivers for a nForce chipset but really what you have in it now is a P45, well, it will probably BSOD. It will probably BSOD because these are really critical parts of the computer. They have to be up and running for Windows to actually function, so changing them on the fly is out of the question.

Now, sometimes it will work, and as said it is most likely to work when the old chipset and new chipset are part of the same family.

Great, you just gave me some information that wouldn't even pass muster on a Wikipedia. What I'm looking for you is actual proof - not theoritical musings - that failure to use liquid cooling will cause a notable "shorter life" for a CPU. How much shorter? How does temperture cause decrease in life? Does making a CPU run one degree hotter shorten its life by one year? By two?

But while we're musing, let me tell you what I see. I see offices. Hundreds of offices with thousands of computers. Most of these are computers that are at least three years old and often times over 5 years old or more. These are P4s and sometimes even P3s. They are running on stock coolers in cases with a single exhaust fan. And you know what? They are not failing. In fact, I've never heard of a CPU failing in any of these machines.

Oh, I get it. So what you're saying is that if money is tight, you need to spend an extra $80 dollars to "protect your investment". Do you understand how ridiclious that sounds?