On a side note lads, iv a Core 2 quad Q8300 (LGA 775) CPU if anyone wants it,
Good old dell got me with there costume mobo on my xps720. It suports some quad
cpu's but not others and there wont be a bios update fixing it. This is also why
I havent been on to snipe grim or knife karma (yet), the machine wont handle the bigger maps.

Are you sure about no updates for the BIOS? What's the model number of the mobo, and I'll have a Google (it's quite in work). Or would you consider a cheap mobo upgrade, and put all the existing parts onto it?

its a costume dell mobo + PSU in the Dell XPS 720's syco, iv got the latest Version AO6 from dells website,
If i replace'd the Mobo id have to replace the PSU and the case, its a BTX borad.
Iv seen newer versions of there BIOS for other xps systems but duno if there compatable with the mobo I
have in mine so i havent installed them in fear of melting my PC.
The hole systems 5years old now and iv gotten good use of it, the Q8300 was just an upgrade to see me into
BF3 short term while i start putting some cash aside for an new rig

its a costume dell mobo + PSU in the Dell XPS 720's syco, iv got the latest Version AO6 from dells website,
If i replace'd the Mobo id have to replace the PSU and the case, its a BTX borad.

That's mad. I'd have thought you'd just need an ATX board as it's smaller than a BTX board but it has different power connectors (Dells home-brand connector, more or less). Would have been cool if the PSU was modular I think the way the BTX mobo is laid out is different as well, and only some cases support the two (atx + btx) layout.

As for the BIOS, I find OEM drivers are usually well out of date, and they tend to rarely update the BIOS's unless they get a lot of returns for a specific issue. If it's an Intel OEM board, check Intels website, and google the board; you may find other people with the same problem that found a compatible BIOS.

I say this as the A06 is 21st April 2008. The Q8300 was released 30th November 2008, thus any later BIOSes may have support for it. What's the model of the motherboard? As in, what is written on the motherboard next to the CPU (not an a Dell sticker)? But as BTX had it's production more or less stopped in 2006, I don't think you'll be successful, unless you find a Gateway BIOS (I think Gateway used BTXs as well). Doubt it, but may as well check it out.

for future proofing you'll want to be looking at either msi, asus or asrock as they all have psi e 3.0 and the new uefi bios

they are on scan etc but only those brands have it

might even get here as they don't seem to be that much cheaper in the US. Well on the newegg site anyway

motherboard
scan pci-e 3.0 board
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-p8z68-v-gen3-intel-z68-s-1155-ddr3-sata-iii-6gb-s-sata-raid-pcie-30-%28x16%29-d-sub-dvi-d-hdmi-atx (this seemed to be one of the only pci-e 3.0 ones i could find)

newegg
http://promotions.newegg.com/ASUS/111511/index.html?cm_sp=Cat_Motherboards-_-ASUS/111511-_-http%3a%2f%2fpromotions.newegg.com%2fASUS%2f111511%2f696x288.jpg

scan - ram
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/16gb-%284x4gb%29-corsair-ddr3-xms3-pc3-12800-%281600%29-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-15v

newegg
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233203

re cooler id go with the 120mm one have one myself and its very good

every thing else looks grand though the ram isn't in stock

re mobo go with the asus one

yeah the one you linked seem fine