Help with Processor upgrade

Chronic Diarrhea · **Help with Processor upgrade -** 05-27-2003, 09:57 AM

In a few months I want to upgrade my processor. Right now I have a 1.1GHZ AMD Athlon. I am upgrading so I can play Call of Duty, and maybe a few others. I want something that will be affordable, but I have no clue how much processors cost. I don't even know if you can buy processors in your average computer store. I don't wanna spend over 200, but maybe in a few months I could spend as much as 500 total for an upgrade. Any suggestions? I feel like getting a 1.5 will be useless, as I will have to upgrade in another year. I'm looking somewhere around the 2.2 range. Other specs:

256 MB SDRAM
64MB GeForce Ti4200
20 GB HD

My mom has about $15,000 in her bank account, but I doubt she would be willing to give me $1500 to buy a new computer with all the latest tech. Also is now the time to upgrade, or should I wait until this fall to upgrade?

Bazooka_Joe · 05-27-2003, 10:13 AM

If you upgrade your processor, most of the time, you need to upgrade your mobo, too. Don't make the mistake my friend made; he saw that his mobo needed it's BIOS flashed so he can support the 3000+ processor, but what he didn't know was that the board was version 1, when you could only do this on version 2, and this information wasn't on the ASUS website either.

Since you also have SDRAM, and not DDR, you should upgrade your board.

I would highly recommend an ASUS mobo with at least 3 RAM slots, and at least an Athlon 2600+. In the few months when you have the $500, you could get a good ASUS board, 512MB of DDR RAM, and the processor. I'll look up some stuff now for you on Pricewatch.

Cool Fool · 05-27-2003, 10:19 AM

Get a Athlon 2600+ like Joe said, and replace the crappy RAM!

Bazooka_Joe · 05-27-2003, 10:22 AM

Athlon XP 2600+, 333FSB, 2.13Ghz processor, OEM (Just CPU, no Heatsink/Fan, box, etc. . .) - $104

ASUS A7S333 Mobo, 333FSB support, AGP4X, 3 DIMM PC2700 RDRAM slots, USB1.1 - $60

Samsung 3 x 256MB (768MB) PC2700 RDRAM - $27 per stick - $81

TOTAL - $245

So, it's even cheaper than I thought. You could get a better board (AGP8X, more RAM slots, USB2.0, ATA-133) and a faster processor and still sit under $500.

Chronic Diarrhea · 05-27-2003, 10:52 AM

Thanks Joe, I appreciate it. Do you recommend I buy this online?

Bazooka_Joe · 05-27-2003, 10:57 AM

[quote="Chronic Diarrhea":eba5e]Thanks Joe, I appreciate it. Do you recommend I buy this online?[/quote:eba5e]

Yeah, sure. like I said, [url="http://www.pricewatch.com"]http://www.pricewatch.com[/url]

Just consider saving for the better upgrade, like getting a retail CPU rather than OEM, a better mobo, etc. . .

pest · 05-27-2003, 10:59 AM

[quote="Chronic Diarrhea":a78df]Thanks Joe, I appreciate it. Do you recommend I buy this online?[/quote:a78df]

Newegg.com

But I would not recommend buying three sticks of 256 ram. I would get 512 sticks. Otherwise you have will have to throw sticks away if you ever want to increae your ram again, which most likely, you will. I would consider an nforce 2 mobo as well, but that is gonna cost a bit more, and you might as well get the 8x agp while you are at it. I know it sounds like more an more money and it is, but it is future proofing. Your next vid card will most likey be 8x agp. You might as well be able to use it to its full potential. If you get the nforce2, you will be set for the next gen of xp processors as well as a very nice one now. just my 2 cents.

Chronic Diarrhea · 05-27-2003, 11:00 AM

Yeah. So do you think I should get all that instead of a top of the line computer? The reason I ask this is I'm not that good with putting a computer together; all I know how to do is install RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. I wouldn't wanna screw up my computer.

pest · 05-27-2003, 11:09 AM

[quote="Chronic Diarrhea":451c1]Yeah. So do you think I should get all that instead of a top of the line computer? The reason I ask this is I'm not that good with putting a computer together; all I know how to do is install RAM, hard drives, and graphics cards. I wouldn't wanna screw up my computer.[/quote:451c1]

Let me let you in on a little secret......there isnt much more to it than that. The mobo is like 10 screws, the processor just uses a little lever and the fan clips on top. The hardest part is getting all your sensors and case lights plugged in right on the mobo, but if you follow the owners manual its easy enough. Just read any instructions you have and take your time. Dont force anything.

Look at this to see it you think you can handle it - [url="http://www17.tomshardware.com/howto/20020904/index.html"]http://www17.tomshardware.com/howto/20020904/index.html[/url]

You will be able to build a better pc than you can buy for the money.

Chronic Diarrhea · 05-27-2003, 11:24 AM

Hell that does sound easy enough...aside from me using the f-word about 50 times. Thanks guys for your input.

Bazooka_Joe · 05-27-2003, 12:08 PM

[quote="Chronic Diarrhea":48485]Hell that does sound easy enough...aside from me using the f-word about 50 times. Thanks guys for your input.[/quote:48485]

Keep in mind that you will have to reinstal your OS for your upgrade. This should be done whenever replacing the motherboard in a PC, due to the new mobo specs. For just the CPU or RAM you don't have to, but for a mobo, I defineatly recommend rebuilding the OS.

Chronic Diarrhea · 05-27-2003, 01:05 PM

Yeah, I'll get XP Home Ed.

Bazooka_Joe · 05-27-2003, 02:15 PM

[quote="Chronic Diarrhea":e0f63]Yeah, I'll get XP Home Ed.[/quote:e0f63]

hake:

Spend the extra and go Pro. It's worth it.

Chronic Diarrhea · 05-27-2003, 02:18 PM

Ok. Danke.