BleepingComputer.com: Upgrading My Pc [including Current Specs]

Hi Everyone.

Bit of a long story but here goes.
Over a month ago, my old hard drisk died, blah, blah, blah, so now I'm stuck with Windows ME.
I'm going to purchase an OEM copy of Windows XP (Pro, SP2) but the store said I have to purchase a piece of hardware with it (which I understood). So I went home and thought about what hardware I needed.

A new hard drive, something around 160GB would be nice. (Then I'd slave my 20GB and use it as a backup, along with my external HD)
And some RAM... Say, 2GB would be a nice amount for a media PC
But wait, I wanna upgrade to USB 2.0 while I do this.
Oh, and a DVD burner would be fantastic

I spoke to my Pop about this (since he was gonna install all of this) and he told me that since my motherboard is so old, it'll be easier to buy a brand new one.

ASUS P4B-M <- click for motherboard specs.

Heres some basic system information that might help you answer my questions.

Motherboard: ASUS P4B-M
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 1513 MHz (15 x 101)
System Memory: 576 MB (SDRAM)
Disk Drive Type: IDE
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX/MX 400


Here are my questions.
I am definitely going to get a new motherboard. This is what I have in mind. Its cheap and is exactly what I want. Will I still be able to keep the CPU I have and use it again with this motherboard?

Does that motherboard come with a graphics card or do I have to purchase another one *rolls eyes*?

Does this motherboard take SATA or IDE hard drives?

What else do I have to upgrade when buying a new motherboard?

And yes, I am aware that if I am installing a new motherboard not to install XP until I do

Thanks in advance, I hope someone can help me

Given the age of your PC, getting a new motherboard is a good idea. The mobo you selected comes with SATA and a bad (for gaming, anyway) on board graphics card. The motherboard is considered a small form factor ATX, meaning that it is designed for small PC's. Because of this, it has limited upgrade possibilities. If you're reusing your current PC's case, you may be stuck with a motherboard of this size, that is if it is too small to hold a normal ATX motherboard. You will need to get new RAM, as much as you can afford, up to 4 GB for your new motherboard. Note, however, that you will need a 64-bit OS if you want to use all 4 GB. Otherwise, you're limited to 3-3.5 GB. You will also need a new CPU and possibly a new power supply.

Thanks a bunch.

I have another question for you.
How do I tell if the motherboard I have is a small form factor?
because I don't want to buy something that isn't going to fit.

Other than that, is there anything else that I have to buy?

Also, does the motherboard I want to purchase have on board sound?

I'm using the links you've provided in your post to determine this. On the Asus P4B-M motherboard, it will say under form factor, micro ATX. On the P5N, there is also a form factor field that says uATX which is pretty much the same size as a micro ATX. Micro ATX cases are used largely in small or HT PC's. If you want a motherboard that has more possibilities in upgrading, and if your case can handle the size, a standard ATX motherboard would be best. Your new motherboard has on-board Realtek sound system.

Thank you