Upgrading my computer

I am not a expert computer person. I need help. I decided to upgrade my computer instead of buying another one. I would like to start with the processor. If someone would be so kind and please tell me if I need to replace the motherboard also if i want to upgrade my processor.

My specs are:
AMD Anthlon XP 1600

Also, what processor would you recommend I upgrade to and if another motherboard is needed what would that be.

Thank you,
 
If you go to the manufacturer's site for the motherboard it will have a list of all the supported processors, just find the fastest to maximise your systems performance.

If it is an older motherboard you may find the maximum increase in performance that you can achieve replacing the processor simply won't be worth the money.

There are a huge number of motherboards to choose from, what you need to decide first is what you are going to use the system for, if it is going to be for gaming then you will be looking for a fairly high performance mobo and CPU. You should carefully check that any new board will be compatible with your existing memory or you will also need to replace that. Likewise with the power supply. Then if you will be gaming you will also need a good graphics card.

If the PC will just be for general everyday use then you should find a package available from most good suppliers that will include a mobo, memory and CPU. Then you just need to check your power supply.

Things to watch out for. If you stick with the old power supply make sure the connectors are compatible with any new mobo. Another problem that can occur with a new mobo is the front panel connectors may need to be altered.

Any more questions, please ask. It will help if you can provide the make and model of your existing power supply and motherboard.
 
You might be able to find a newer processor for your computer on Ebay, but even if the processor was twice as fast and still fit on your motherboard (not likely) it would still be slow compared to a more modern computer.

Mark has set you on the right track but unless the power headers on the new motherboard match the wire harness on the old case you'll never get the computer started without some modification of the wire harness on the case. Many OEM computer cases have a wire harness that is molded as a single block and if that is the case here then you'd probably need to take that block apart to fit it on the new motherboard.

Most motherboards with a Socket A processor require a 20 pin power connector from the PSU, but most newer motherboards require a 24 pin power connector and a 4 or 8 pin power connector for the cpu and have much higher power requirements from the power supply.

If you simply want an easy upgrade you'll need to know what motherboard you have, but if I were to hazard a GUESS you can probably fit an Athlon XP 2100+ on your motherboard as the 1600+ and the 2100+ are both Palomino cores and have the same power requirements.

Oops you may not have a Palomino core. You may have a Thoroughbred core. You'll need to know more about your computer before you can really make any educated decision about an upgrade. :)
 
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