I was wondering is it possible or worth it for me to upgrade my my processor. I have an old P4 that is slow. I would like a newer faster one. My 3D card has been upgraded recently and is definitely good enough to play games such as Oblivion at high performance. It can also handle the online mmorpg games I play. I have 2gigs of RAM so I don't need more, but I may go ahead and get more anyway. I have 2 120 gig internal hard drives with plenty of space still available, a good sound card, and monitor. I don't need a whole new computer but I do need a faster processor to handle the gaming that I like. I don't care if it is another P4 or an Athalon. My main questions are... Would it be possible to just upgrade the processor? Will I need a new mother board with that and just attack my other components as well? Will a faster processor mean I need power supply or more fans to cool it? I will appreciate any advice that I can get. Thanks
I'd look into seeing if you could get a faster P4 to shove into that machine. You've got a ton of RAM, and depending on the type, you might have to scrap it if you went to a different architecture. Plus, is your video card AGP? Most of the new machines are PCI express, so you'd want a new video card too. So, you're kind of limited. If you want to get the newest technology, you have to scrap your ram and video card. You could upgrade your processor, but you'll be limited as to what you get based on the type of ram and video card you have, and if you want to get anything besides a P4 you'll need a new motherboard.
I actually have an AGP graphics card. I think when I looked to get that card, I had PCI slot as well, but that may have been for something else. Anyway the AGP card was on sale, so I bought it. How will I know if I can fit an new P4 into this machine? It is a lame question, but I am not the greatest at build it yourself computer type activities. I read about them a lot, but I haven't really done it myself.
I am not sure where I would find that, but I did try and find it under the "My Computer" option, and discovered that I only have PCI standard slots, and not PCI express. I may need to get a new computer, or get my wife a new one, and update her video card and then use her machine if I can't find a new P4 processor that will work with my RAM and graphics card. I found a P4 2.8 for only $63, and my current one is 2.4. I am not sure though if it is compatible with the RAM and Graphics card I have currently though.
A small program called Belarc Advisor will tell you what MB you have, along with a bunch of other info about your machine.
you have to find out more about your CPU, what socket ect, the most common is 939 i believe so if its a 939, you need anotehr CPU thats also 939, any other one wont work.
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php get that it will tell you the type of motherboard you have as well your clock speeds.
CPU upgrades give notoriously poor return because you keep the bus on the motherboards, etc. If the CPU costs more than $200 it is wasted money and even then it only makes any sense if you can get a significant speed upgrade, like 25% or more. In the scenario of 2.4Ghtz to 2.8Ghtz that you mention, I'm not sure if you would even be able to notice the difference.
If you're bent on getting a processor upgrade, and since your mobo is probably stuck with intels, then I suggest finding one with HyperThreading. It acts like a dual core despite being one processor. This is helpful for multitasking and number crunching.
Just OC your 2.4 to 3.0 and you won't have to waste money.... Then again if you don't know what kind of mb you have, you shouldn't risk it if you don't know what your doing.
Make the core2duo jump. Seriously. I love those CPU's. Upgrading your CPU with out upgrading your Motherboard is almost pointless if it has a low FSB. (Front side bus). Depending on your motherboard, and how old it is it can be anywhere from 300's...to 1066... Last system I built: Intel Core2duo E6600 4Gb's of Patriot highspeed 800mzh DDR2 6400 Nvidia 8800GTX GPU 2 320GB harddrives nvidia SLI motherboard....very good for overclocking.... Thermaltake case.... ...sadly it wasn't for me. But it was badass testing that thing. it ran EVERYTHING at max....MAXED.....like it was butter. man..... Best part of it? Built it for a Flight Simulator junkie (so I put FS X on it....) and the new one X is DX10 compatible so with Vista....it's goingto look INSANE!
That looks great. In my researching I was just looking at that stuff. That has to be nearly a $3000 machine right? I might be able to switch from 4 gigs of ram to 2gigs of ram, and an NVIDIA 7950 instead of the 8800 for close to $2000. What will it cost to upgrade a machine bought now, to be Vista compatible?
