Hardware upgrade - need help

[PlagueWielder]

Hey

I have a Compaq computer and its getting pretty old and I want to upgrade it.

Here are its specs:
AMD T-Bird 1 GHz
384MB PC2100
GF2 MX 400 with 32MB
SB 128PCI

I want to upgrade the motherboard and gfx card and later the CPU. I dont really care about the audio card since I dont notice the difference anyway.

Ive been looking at these two motherboards:
Gigabyte 7VAX
EPOX EP-8RDA+

Do you guys recommend any of these two? If not can you please give me a link to a different one? Dont link to a mobo that is expensive cause I dont want it to cost too much.
I also want to be able to use my current ram with newer models. Is that possible? Or will I have to lower the speed of the newer ones?

As for the gfx card, I was looking at the ATI Radeon 9500 Pro. Ive read a lot of good reviews about it and also recommendations on this forum. Also, its the highest model that is available here so dont recommend anything higher cause I wont be able to get it.

One more thing about the motherboard, will they fit my Compaq case? I have the 7000 series case with 3 big slots (dont remember the size) and 2 small slots and it has that weird purple plastic thing at the front.

Thanks in advance.

 

[PlagueWielder]

Forgot to add, I have 7 slots on my case for PCI and AGP cards. Does it matter if any of them go unused?

 

[Geffy]

looks good to me (I have no experience with either mobo so cant comment on that)
Should fit in your case (dont hold me to that though)
The RAM if you have 2100DDR and mix it with 2700 or 3200 then it will run at 2100, its just a function of it always running at the most consistent speed which in most cases is the slowest.
Expansion slots in the case, shouldnt be a problem.

 

[PlagueWielder]

Im gonna open up the case and look at the motherboard so I can get its size tomorrow.

 

[Taurus]

even if your case is atx, you're most likely going to have to buy a new power supply for your new stuff. might as well just get a new case with a power supply. this way you can still have your old computer seperate and working.