Suggest a Processor?

[Micael]

This is my computer.

http://www.dealtime.com/xPF-Hewlett...-3000-512MB-80GB-DVD-CDRW-Combo-Drive-9-1-Med

Recently bought a 500W power supply and I have upgraded to 2gigs. My processor sucks and my computer is fairly old (3-4 years?) so i have no clue on what kind of processors are compatible with my machine. It says socket 754 so that might help.

What kind of new processor do you guys recommend that's compatible with my machine?

Also I have an ATI Radeon X1950PRO Graphics card.

 

[KingCody]

why do you say your "processor sucks"?? your processor is only one of several factors which determine system performance.

when was the last you formated & re-installed windows??
-if the answer is never, then that could be the main reason why your system is slow. if it performed well when you bought it but seems slow now then it just needs a good cleaning (software-wise that is). the best way to do this is to back up your important data, then format your HDD and re-install windows (windows will format the drive for you during the installation).

your processor may be slow compared to today's offerings, but that doesn't make it too slow to use. it's more than capable of surfing the web, email, office programs, and mild gaming.

if you still want to upgrade then I'm afraid you won't have many options with that motherboard. socket-754 is an old platform and finding new processors for it may be tough. the only model that newegg sells is the one you already have lol. you can probably find something on eBay or if you check a few more stores.

but to be honest I'm not sure it's worth upgrading a socket-754 system. the fastest CPU you can get for that system is an Athlon64 3700+. while it would be an improvement it would not be huge. you'll still be limited by socket-754's slower hypertransport BUS, lack of dual channel memory support, and lack of faster CPU models to use with it.

my advice is: unless you can find a s754 3700+ cheap, then hold off on the upgrade until you're ready to upgrade the whole system. that would include at least your CPU AND motherboard at the least. if money is tight then you could get away with upgrading to socket 939 which will (on certain motherboards) allow you to keep your AGP video card and DDR memory. socket 939 is also discontinued but there are alot more processors to choose from and they are much faster then what's available for socket 754. don't go Intel unless you've got the money to get a Core-2 system (which will also require a new video card and memory)

good luck :wave:

 

[link590o]

at this stage, there's really no choice BUT to get a new system. it's just too old. it's not worth putting your money into that old hunk of junk. a new system is in order. if i were you, i would scrap whatever parts you can. IDE cables, hard drive, memory if possible, video card, and maybe a fan or two if it has any. also, the peripherals a.k.a. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers. that'll save you a massive amount of money. and the rest of the question is just the following parts:

case
fans
power supply
processor
motherboard
thermal compound
memory if necessary

and that will cost you maximum 500 dollars if you want some top of the line parts.

i'm building an amd system. if you're interested to see what i'm putting in it:
AMD athlon 64 x2 6000+ 3.0ghz
GSkill 2x 1 gig memory cards
Antec Earthwatts 500 watt psu
Gigabyte GA-MA69G-S3H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
Zalman green LED fan 120mm 39cfm, Scythe S-Flex 120mm 63.7cfm
Enermax Chakra Case

grand total with shipping == $524.55
and that's a very nice system as is.

i might suggest doing the same.

 

[Micael]

Can't i just replace the motherboard and get a completely new one and just plug in my graphics card, fan, hard drive and whatever else came with the computer? is it possible to just replace the motherboard altogether? because if i was to take this computer apart id go for higher end computer parts ( REALLY go all out)

 

[link590o]

it's impossible to find a new motherboard of that type. there is no existing board that can have a better processor socket and still keep that kind of memory on board.

as Cody already said. there is only one model that will support processors with 754 pins, and that memory type. anything else has a different memory type. or a different socket.

and think about it...lets for arguments sake say you found a motherboard that let you put an AM2 processor in and let you keep the memory. yes you'll be upgrading it a little bit now. but how long do you really think that will last? a year? two at the most?

face the music. you'll have to just do as i suggested within that time frame, even if you COULD find a new motherboard that would fit an AM2 processor. because you'll soon want better memory on top of that, and new memory type means new motherboard. it's not just...oh i'll fix it a little bit now and keep it forever. that just doesn't happen. you have to plan for the future a bit more.

it's really a better bet to find a cheap setup that has better memory types, an AM2 socket, and a pci-e 16x slot. buy a cheap new board, some new memory, a cheap processor, and keep the video card and everything else if you like. heck. you might be able to fit it inside of the same case if you wanted. and that saves a lot more.

for 2 gigs of 240 pin ddr2 800 RAM, you have to shell out 50 bucks.
for a new decent am2 processor, 120.
and for a new, decent mobo that supports it all, 95.
245 bucks == nice new computer.

you already have the power supply to power it. i don't think you need much more than that.

just be careful of the cooling. new technology, unless it's 65 nanometer technology, will run kinda hot. and a case like that probably has at most only one fan.

so if you want to play it safe, get a cheap case too. 70 bucks for that Enermax Chakra case i showed you. comes with a huge 250mm fan on the side. and you can probably fit the old fan from your old case in there too as an exhaust fan.

 

[KingCody]

Can't i just replace the motherboard and get a completely new one and just plug in my graphics card, fan, hard drive and whatever else came with the computer?

yes... as I mentioned earlier you could upgrade to socket-939. all s-939 motherboards use DDR (same as your s-754 board uses), most have PCI-express video card slots but some have AGP slots (and a few models have both ). s-939 was replaced by s-AM2 but s-939 still opens up some good upgrade options for you.

anytime you change your motherboard from an OEM to an aftermarket you will have to get a new operating system as well. your recovery CD that came with that computer will consider it a new computer and it will not install. so you'll either have to pay for a new windows license or use a free Linux OS (I would choose th latter if I were you )

if you can afford to, then I would certainly recommend you upgrade everything. the best would be an Intel Core2 system, second best would be an AMD s-AM2 system. I would only recommend s-939 as a cheap alternative (as it would allow you to keep your existing memory and video card).

:wave:

 

[link590o]

(in regards to the new microshat licence)
hey cody...are you sure that's what must be done?

the End User Licence Agreement says you can transfer internally your copy of XP to another workstation. it just can't be used by 2 processors at any given time. so by that agreement, you should be able to just install your copy on the new machine, and just make sure you have it completely erased from your other one.