I need some big time help.

[Acreo Aeneas]

OMG, yippee yay!!

I got my system to boot and POST. Found a spare 256mb stick of DDR400 RAM. Okay, definitely a RAM issue than. Oh could someone please delete this post...since it is an embarrasing moment for me.


Okay, I got my system back from the local computer shop and spent a week waiting for some sort of diagnostic which didn't take place.

Getting to the point, I think I might have majorly screwed myself, and think I might have fried 1 or more components in my system. Now how did this happen? Well, I tried about 2 weeks ago to see if I could add another gig of ram to the system, plugged it in, didn't work, removed it, but then system would not boot properly (no POST and blank screen). At first I thought maybe it's the RAM, swapped it out with another pair, didn't work. So then I put back in the original pair of RAM, and swapped out the vid card with another, didn't work. And I don't have a spare 478 socket processor to try.

Okay, so I'm thinking, if I fried the mobo, I can replace it with a Asus one I picked out. But I don't know if my processor still works, and I can't test it. And I'm not really sure if I should bring my system into Best Buy for a $70 diagnostic. On top of that, I might end up going for another week without my system. And seeing how my spring semester at college starts in 1 1/2 weeks...I need my system.

Okay, I really don't know what to do from here. Here's what I have...

I have about $250 to spend on replacement parts.
I have a spare working vid card (AGP).
I have a new pair of RAM on the way.

Here are my system's current specs:
Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz w/ HT (Prescott Core, Socket 478)
Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 G Mobo
2 x 512 MB of generic DDR400 Ram
120 GB Samsung SATA150 Hard Drive
eVGA 256 MB 7600GS AGP Graphics Card
SB Audigy LS Sound Card (PCI)
Thermaltake 480W PurePower PSU (Xaser III)
Fan Controller
Floppy Drive
Dvd-ROM
DVD+/-RW DL Burner
LCD monitor
wireless mouse
usb keyboard

Here's the parts I have picked out for replacements:
Celeron D 352 (LGA 775, Cedar Mill Core, 512 KB L2)
ASUS P5PE-VM Mobo
Kingston Value RAM (2 x 512 MB, DDR400)


What should I do?
And if I do need a new CPU, mobo, vid card, and RAM, will the above Celery D be suitable for BF2142 gaming?