Looking for two parts
 

so I was told that my motherboard and processor burned out or something and now I'm looking to replace the two without changing my tower. I didn't have any problem with how the pc ran (up until it broke) so if I could just get a nice, but affordable, replacement to get it back up and running like before would be the best idea for me.
So basicly i need a motherbaard that goes with the dell xps 400 and a processor that goes inside. I don't know of many sites thst sell these for cheap, or at all, so i really need help looking for these so that i can stop surfing the web on my ps3 ~_~;

A Dell XPS? Unless they've recently changed their policies away from proprietary form factors, you're fucked. There's nothing that will fit the case properly except a Dell-manufactured motherboard, and they don't sell those (unless you send it in for THEM to repair).

I'm not 100% certain about whether or not Dell still does this, but regardless, the next time you purchase the computer, build it yourself. It's cheaper, you know EXACTLY what goes into it, and you KNOW that if anything breaks you can fix it.

Sorry about the sudden rant. It's one of my pet peeves. :(

fruckin crap! no wonder they said i needed a new case for the motherboard. Thanks for the info dude, didn't really feel like a rant, just felt like info i didn't know ~_~.
Anyways I got the pc for free, if i had the money at the time then i would have taken more time and built but what i need to do know is save myself some money.
Since I really do need a tower and motherboard, do they have to be manufactured by dell or can I get differents brands as long as all the previous parts fit inside (hdd, ram, tv tuner, power supply etc.) since I noticed that dell uses different parts.
I just need a point to the right direction so i can get this stupid thing fixed ~_~

Well... you'll have to crack that Dell open to see what is standard and what is not. Fortunately I bet your HDD and your optical drive will be fine... and I'm almost certain that your RAM and any PCI cards will be good too. Your PSU? probably worthless to anything but a Dell.

If it were me I'd get an Antec case with one of their PSUs built in, because I've had nothing but good experiences. This Sonata is nice, but not so cheap. I mainly like it because it's helps to keep everything quiet, and it's got space to mount some really chunky fans.

Almost any case from Newegg will do though. With regards to your motherboard and CPU, it is important to ask if you plan on gaming. If that's a no, or at least a "not seriously", then I suggest you go with an AMD CPU. If you plan to game, then you can only consider Intel Core 2 Duos, but that comes with a premium pricetag. The difference in performance is huge though.

ok cool thnx, thats what I needed to hear.
they told me at the shop that it would take me 300$ to repair so if I have to spend that much on it then I'd rather get the parts myself and make sure its good quality stuff. If I have to go a bit over than 300 for quality then i guess so be it. but yeah, i do do some moderate gaming so i'll probably go with intel and invest with a video card later in the future. Right now i'm just worried about getting the damn thing fixed.
If there is also linkage for a decent motherboard (cheap but nice if possible, if not then whatever) I wouldn't mind seeing it as well. Thanks for the guys.

motherboard
CPU
Graphics Card

Those three items would form the basis of a pretty decent gaming system. It won't be the best rig on the block, but it won't suck. In case you saw this post before I edited it, I've been having this conversation a few times recently, so I tried to cut and paste some recommendations from a thread elsewhere. Got the wrong ones, whoops. If you want to keep the price down, I'll have to find some alternatives though.

Motherboard
CPU

Somewhat more reasonably priced. You've got the full range of options with any build. You can spend as much or as little as you like.

i'm reminded how much of a cheap bastard i am when i looked at those prices ~_~
The case and the mobo i may get but i don't suppose there is a a cheaper solution for the proccessor. All i'm interested at the moment is getting my adobe programs to work nicely, my sister plays sims2 from time to time but if a cheaper cpu means not being able to play that for a while i think she could live without it for a while

Oh... right. When I said "gaming", I didn't realise...

Disregard all that. It's total overkill for the Sims 2. You can pay like half that and still run the Sims 2 just fine. I'm sorry, I was expecting you to want Crysis and whatever.

Go for a cheap AMD. I'm sorry I misunderstood your needs so completely.

haha dude its alright. I didn't specify anything becuase I myself would have still liked to play games like fear or maybe bioshock in the future =p