CPU upgrade.. compatible?

[Ogloo]

Hey, i have a pretty bad computer.. but for some reason its holding up 4 accounts even in BG"s and arenas.
But i need a little more.. unpff.. i want to be able to have full control with no small hickups in the lag..
i know my computer is crap.. but im looking for what upgrades i can make.. with a buget
So atm.. i have 4GB of DRR2 ram..

CPU- I want to upgrade this.. but im not sure what upgrade will be compatible.. how do i know?

I am looking at
http://intel.links.channelintelligence.com/images/blank.gifIntel® Core™ I7-920 Processor (2.66 GHz)
Intel Q6600 @ 2.4GHz
Core™ 2 Quad processor Q9550

the price on these are about the same.. but what one is better? for running 4 accounts.. in pvp.. thanks!

Also, 4gb is all my computer can handle..

Questions-
What preformance upgrade do u get with a new videocard? is there less lag? or does it make it look nicer (and does making it look nicer slow down ur computer more) Which one of the CPU's is compatible with DRR2, and the rest of my computer... does upgrading to 64bit help! thanks!

[Sajuuk]

For CPU compatibility, first look at the slot your current motherboard/cpu uses.

What do you have right now?

And to answer your compatibility question, the i7 uses DDR3 RAM, while the QXXXX will use DDR2. And yes, going to a 64 bit OS can improve performance by allowing you to take full advantage of your 4Gigs of ram.

[Ogloo]

what do u mean by slot? thanks!

[Freddie]

Printed somewhere on the motherboard you'll find the manufacturer's name, model number, and maybe a revision number. Go to the manufacturer's website and look up that exact model. You'll find a list of "supported" CPUs.

[Ogloo]

well i have a intel pentium 4 cpu 3.40ghz... if that helps

[aboron]

"well i have a intel pentium 4 cpu 3.40ghz... if that helps"

Then in that case, none of the cpu's you listed will work. Pentium 4 is a different socket than the Core series, which is different than the i7 also.

[Sajuuk]

Pentium 4 would indicate a socket 478 motherboard, which means with any of the processors you have listed you'll need a new motherboard.

Your RAM may be an issue. (Depending on if it's 184 pin or 240 pin, among other things. I'm inclined to think 184 pin)

[Ogloo]

ok thanks alot! ima upgrade to a i7 board, buy 17, buy DRR3 RAM, and will be set..


or is there something else i need.. if i upgrade my board, ram, and CPU.. does something get affected.. i read something about a chipset (sorry im noob with this)

[Sajuuk]

You'll most likely need to reinstall your OS.

[slo0py]

Questions-

1. What preformance upgrade do u get with a new videocard? is there less lag? or does it make it look nicer (and does making it look nicer slow down ur computer more)
2. Which one of the CPU's is compatible with DRR2, and the rest of my computer...
3. does upgrading to 64bit help! thanks!

1. By new, i assume you mean better. A better video card will allow you to run your games at a higher resolution and better quality settings while maintaining a decent framerate.
2. The i7 as stated earlier, is a different socket than any pentium 4 so that will require you to upgrade your motherboard. It also requires triple-channel ddr3 memory. Unlike what was said earlier, Pentium 4's were not only made in a socket-478 configuration. They were continued in the LGA775 socket with the 500 and 600 series processors. Since you have ddr2(240-pin) memory, you most likely are running an LGA775 P4. Both the Q6600 and the Q9550 are LGA775 but it is very unlikely that they will be supported by your current motherboard's chipset. Depending on the frequency of your ram, you might be able to reuse it on a new motherboard with the Q6600 or Q9550.
3. Moving to a 64-bit OS will let you run more than 4gb of ram. That is probably the only major benefit that you would notice.

If the i7, along with the parts needed to get it in your system is within your budget, go for it. The benchmarks have been amazing from what I have seen.

Some things you might have to upgrade as well:

Power supply - Make sure it can support the new parts' power requirements as well as have the correct connections for the newer motherboards
Video card - Check the interface of your current card. Your current system was made right around the time AGP switched to PCI-e. All new motherboards will be PCI-e.
Hard drives/optical drives - Check to see if the new motherboard has enough connections for your drives. Most new motherboards have only 1 IDE connection if any at all.

[Sajuuk]

Now we're being confusing. =P

Here, download and run CPUZ. http://www.cpuid.com/index.php

That'll give you some detailed information about your computer without having to open it up. Tell us what kind of motherboard it indicates. (It'll be in the mainboard tab)

[zanthor]

what do u mean by slot? thanks!I would highly suggest seeking a consultant or technician for your upgrade needs.

If you are changing from a P4 mainboard to an i7 mainboard you likely have to replace your PSU (most of the P4s took 20 pin ATX and i7's take 24 pin ATX) as well as video (again, likely need a new PSU for the video card)...

[yoshiee]

You need to look at what you have and what you want. I was faced with the same problem as you, i had an old crap computer and wanted to upgrade it for great performance. When you look at all the upgrading you will be doing, the only thing you will be left with is your case and hard drive. To me, id rather spend a couple more hundred bucks and get another computer. That-a-way if you want to use your "crap" computer for something else... or sell it? you would have that choice.

If you do decide to go the upgrading route, I can tell you right off the bat, The core i7 burns hot. The heatsink that comes with the i7 will NOT cool sufficiently. If you look at getting a new heatsink make sure it fits in your case ;). Make sure you also have enough fans / airflow in your case to cool your new vidcard, ram, and processor (which will be generating more heat that your old components)

most core i7 boards only come with one IDE connector. so if your hard drive and DVD drive both use IDE, you will have to either upgrade one or purchase an IDE expansion card that fits into your PCI slot.

Also, you can't just change your system to a 32 or 64 bit system. This is dependent on your CPU, luckily all core i7's (to my knowledge) are 64 bit processors. this means that you must purchase a 64 bit operating system.

As Zanthor said, you will also need to upgrade your power supply unit especially if you are getting a better video card (they require 1 sometimes 2, 6 pin connectors for xtra power)

So if you upgrade your motherboard, ram, and CPU, you will also need to purchase a new operating system, power supply, and heatsink, possibly an IDE expansion card.

Dont forget about all of your old parts, are you just going to throw them away? sell them on ebay? its much easier to sell a whole working computer imo.

[Sajuuk]

most core i7 boards only come with one IDE connector. so if your hard drive and DVD drive both use IDE, you will have to either upgrade one or purchase an IDE expansion card that fits into your PCI slot.
You can have two devices connected to one IDE connector/controller. You just need to have a cable with three connectors.

[Kissell13]

Also depending on how old the mobo that you are using is you may also need a new graphics card. Im pretty sure that the P4 cpus were compatible with older AGP videocard mobo's and also Pci-e Mobo's. Though I could be wrong.

[Ogloo]

yep thanks!.. im going the upgrade route.. get like 2 bucks off ebay for my old stuff but w/e lol.. cant wait to be smoooth runnin!