[tothemax6]

Hi all,
Just looking for some advice regarding upgrading my cpu. At the moment my PC has an AMD Athlon 64 3400+ cpu. Is it possible to simply 'drop in' a new CPU? If so, what CPU would you recommend (I think id prefer an intel, not something exorbitant like an i7 extreme, but not cheap either). The reason I seek to upgrade is merely out of desire for everything to happen quicker (browser loading, booting, loading apps etc), not so much out of desire to play the new games available (although that would be nice). Will a CPU upgrade speed these things up? RAM isn't a problem because I have 1.5GB and peak mem usage never goes above 400mb. I am running XP.

Thanks everyone, RM

[oldskool]

CPU upgrade will help, and you will have to get an AMD proc because mobos these days are either Intel-specific or AMD-specific. You can look up on Google what procs are compatible with your mobo. What are your system specs ?

[Hefemeister]

What motherboard do you have? With the current proc you are running you either have a 939 (most likely) or AM2 socket. If you have a 939 you are pretty much going to need a new mb, proc and ram. If you have a am2 there may be options for you. You can run CPU-Z if you do not know your motherboard.

[oldskool]

That's right. As hefemeister points out, your CPU socket (and more broadly, your mobo ) is AMD-specific, as I pointed out. If you want an Intel proc you will need a motherboard that is designed for an Intel.

[tothemax6]

OK I used dmidecode (im in ubuntu a.t.m.), and it says its using a 939 socket. I take it this means . Are there any new AMD cpus which would fit this and give good performance? Is Intel much better than AMD?

Thanks, RM

Edit: I spotted something interesting in the dmidecode log. It says:
Version: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3400+
Voltage: 1.4 V
External Clock: 200 MHz
Max Speed: 3000 MHz
Current Speed: 2200 MHz
How might I set the processor to its max speed? Thanks

[Hefemeister]

You need to overclock it in bios. Do you have a stock or after market cooler? If you have never overclocked I would recommend you start by reading here

[tothemax6]

OK well the bios doesn't provide any control of the CPU parameters. So no overclocking 4 me. Anyone know about new AMD Cpus for the 939 socket? Or do I have to make a new computer with an Intel motherboard.

Cheers, RM

[oldskool]

You can still get Socket 939 CPU's, here are a few :

Shop AMD United States: Processor-In-a-Box

AMD is excellent, and has been sparring with Intel for years. Most recently (year or two) Intel has started to command the market again, but AMD is still aggressive, and makes excellent products still. There is not a huge difference in performance. It is more about what you personally think of AMD -vs - Intel, because out of 100 people here at this forum, +/- 50 would pick AMD over Intel and vice versa. Up to you what you want.

[tothemax6]

It looks like the best is a AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core 4800+ then. I take it that if its dual core 2.4GHz, its twice as fast as a single core 2.4GHz? Will XP automatically use both the cores?

Thanks, RM

[oldskool]

Originally Posted by tothemax6

It looks like the best is a AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core 4800+ then. I take it that if its dual core 2.4GHz, its twice as fast as a single core 2.4GHz?

No, I don't believe that is true.

Originally Posted by tothemax6

Will XP automatically use both the cores?

XP will take care of you.