Want to upgrade my motherboard so I can use a new 256mb video card - Can I still use my Intel P4 processor?

Find out what socket your processor is. If you can't have 256mb graphics, you most likely have socket 478. So.. It's pretty outdated so you should wait til you have enough money for socket 775 intel.

If it's a socket 478 you'll probably have to stick with an AGP card. I got an eVGA 7800 GS for mine not too long ago - it'll handle a lot and it has 256 mB of RAM. Probably the best mobo (IMO) for socket 478 is the Asus P4P800 SE.

But, the socket 478 is a dead end, as is the AGP slot. If you're looking towards the future, I'd suggest going for a socket 775 that includes support for the Core 2 Duo (even if you don't get one). These boards will have PCIe slots, and there's a wealth of PCIe video cards to choose from.

And PCI-e costs less for faster cards than AGP.

Thanks for the insight you have been very helpful. It is a 478 socket so I think you are right to upgrade to a 775 and core 2 duo. Thanks again!