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Upgrading CPU, Will I Notice That Much Of A Difference?


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#1
Webslinger64

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Hey folks...I have a Pentium 4 1.8GHz 256k/400MHz right now and I'm about to upgrade to a 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz. Will the difference between the two be that noticeable? I've been playing some Unreal Tournament 2004 and am just wondering how much the upgraded processor will help.
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#2
jrm20

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Hey folks...I have a Pentium 4 1.8GHz 256k/400MHz right now and I'm about to upgrade to a 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz. Will the difference between the two be that noticeable? I've been playing some Unreal Tournament 2004 and am just wondering how much the upgraded processor will help.




You will need to list the WHOLE SPECS of your PC. Just changing the CPU alone will not (generally) help it much at all especially on an older game like that. The Video card would be the #1 thing to do and next would be CPU/memory. It depends on what the issue/problem is now that caused you to even think about upgrading etc..


P4's are quite old now (architecture wise) but the 3.06 ghz vs your old 1.8ghz will be a noticeable difference for sure but if your getting video card LAG then the newer cpu will be a waste UNLESS you get a new CPU+VIDEO CARD for example..

NEED MORE INFO..
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#3
Webslinger64

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Hey folks...I have a Pentium 4 1.8GHz 256k/400MHz right now and I'm about to upgrade to a 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz. Will the difference between the two be that noticeable? I've been playing some Unreal Tournament 2004 and am just wondering how much the upgraded processor will help.




You will need to list the WHOLE SPECS of your PC. Just changing the CPU alone will not (generally) help it much at all especially on an older game like that. The Video card would be the #1 thing to do and next would be CPU/memory. It depends on what the issue/problem is now that caused you to even think about upgrading etc..


P4's are quite old now (architecture wise) but the 3.06 ghz vs your old 1.8ghz will be a noticeable difference for sure but if your getting video card LAG then the newer cpu will be a waste UNLESS you get a new CPU+VIDEO CARD for example..

NEED MORE INFO..



Well, I do plan on upgrading my video card as well. When I bought the computer recently it was P4 1.8GHz/256k/400MHz 40GB hard drive and 512k RAM. I've installed a 160GB hard drive and maxed the RAM out at 2GB. Originally it only had onboard graphics. I installed a ATI Radeon 9600 PRO a couple weeks back, then upgraded that to a ASUS GeForce 6600 256MB. Between that and the RAM, it made a huge difference. I've wanted to max out the CPU as well to optimize everything I can for game play. 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz is the best I can do for this mobo. I'm also looking at purchasing another video card - a GeForce 7600 GS 512MB. I'm not sure what the other specs are you'd be looking for. If I should list more just let me know. Would it be helpful to run Aida32 for you and post results for you?

Thanks.
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#4
jrm20

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Hey folks...I have a Pentium 4 1.8GHz 256k/400MHz right now and I'm about to upgrade to a 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz. Will the difference between the two be that noticeable? I've been playing some Unreal Tournament 2004 and am just wondering how much the upgraded processor will help.




You will need to list the WHOLE SPECS of your PC. Just changing the CPU alone will not (generally) help it much at all especially on an older game like that. The Video card would be the #1 thing to do and next would be CPU/memory. It depends on what the issue/problem is now that caused you to even think about upgrading etc..


P4's are quite old now (architecture wise) but the 3.06 ghz vs your old 1.8ghz will be a noticeable difference for sure but if your getting video card LAG then the newer cpu will be a waste UNLESS you get a new CPU+VIDEO CARD for example..

NEED MORE INFO..



Well, I do plan on upgrading my video card as well. When I bought the computer recently it was P4 1.8GHz/256k/400MHz 40GB hard drive and 512k RAM. I've installed a 160GB hard drive and maxed the RAM out at 2GB. Originally it only had onboard graphics. I installed a ATI Radeon 9600 PRO a couple weeks back, then upgraded that to a ASUS GeForce 6600 256MB. Between that and the RAM, it made a huge difference. I've wanted to max out the CPU as well to optimize everything I can for game play. 3.06GHz HT 512k/533MHz is the best I can do for this mobo. I'm also looking at purchasing another video card - a GeForce 7600 GS 512MB. I'm not sure what the other specs are you'd be looking for. If I should list more just let me know. Would it be helpful to run Aida32 for you and post results for you?

Thanks.



I personally wouldn't spend much more money on that pc but the new processor would help out a little like I said. You can do what you want with your money though. If you keep dishing out money for certain parts on that pc like video card upgrade, cpu upgrade, memory upgrade that adds up and for the price of a 3.06GHZ p4 CPU you can just about get an AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz black edition cpu which run about $79 AS AN EXAMPLE.

I just listed that amd cpu as an example of the money you are dishing out on older hardware, while you could be saving up that money for a newer pc all together.. Although that amd x2 cpu I listed is not brand new it is still 1 or 2 generations ahead of the latest P4 ERA cpu's and has 2 cores.(All of the pentium 4 chips have really bad architectures) so just because it may be 3ghz for example it does not mean it will be super fast. I had pentium 4's before they were fine back in the day.

If all your gonna play is older games like UT 2004 and such then you are fine on the P4 platform. Do not look for huge results between the 3.06 ghz p4 cpu + the new 7600gs you are thinking about buying. All of this hardware you are wanting is (older and outdated) hardware.

This is just to help you, I just don't prefer people buying old and outdated hardware (AGAIN) and expect major results because maybe someone misinformed you and what not. I am trying to help you as I don't want you to lose all that money and not be happy with the results.

That new 3.06 ghz cpu will seem faster for sure in your eyes no doubt but what I am trying to say is don't think that cpu and the new video card will max out any of these new games coming out because it wont. If that is what you were planning then I just saved you some money + headaches and my job here is done.

Hopefully I did not offend you on the OLD HARDWARE TALK but I have seen instances just like this many many times and all that money went to waste because the person was Misinformed by someone else trying to help them. :)

Edited by jrm20, 17 January 2009 - 10:25 AM.

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#5
Troy

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I have to agree with jrm20, it may be that you're getting a good deal on the hardware (in this case, processor), even after all the money you may have spent on this old computer already.

If, in the end, it works fine for your needs, then there's no problems, of course. But, after all is said and done, and you still think it's not quite there yet... There's a line (sometimes it's hard to draw) between what constitutes an acceptable upgrade, and what needs to be saved for a completely new and better system.

Cheers, and always consider the end result, with your personal finances and end-result-goals in mind. We're here to help as much as we can. :)

Troy
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#6
Webslinger64

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I have to agree with jrm20, it may be that you're getting a good deal on the hardware (in this case, processor), even after all the money you may have spent on this old computer already.

If, in the end, it works fine for your needs, then there's no problems, of course. But, after all is said and done, and you still think it's not quite there yet... There's a line (sometimes it's hard to draw) between what constitutes an acceptable upgrade, and what needs to be saved for a completely new and better system.

Cheers, and always consider the end result, with your personal finances and end-result-goals in mind. We're here to help as much as we can. :)

Troy



You both make good points and I see the reasoning behind it. Just to give you a little background here so you understand what I'm doing. Less than two months ago the computer I had been using for the last 11 years (that's no joke) was a Pentium III 486. It was something I had gotten from a previous employer before moving out of state. For what I do on a computer, it worked fine for a long time until the hard drive crashed. So the purchase of a Pentium 4 (used computer) from a surplus sale at a local university was actually an upgrade for me.

I considered buying a new computer at the time, but just felt that buying a name brand, i.e., Compaq, HP, Dell, would limit me in my ability to upgrade as time when on. I have a neighbor who over the Christmas holidays bought himself a brand new computer from Circuit City. You know, the latest and greatest you can get from a store like that. He spent $1,900 on it. As I've done some research on the matter, I realize I can build a kick (_/_) computer for about half that and I can upgrade to my heart's content as time goes on. That just seems to be the way to go. Also, why pay to have somebody else build it for me? That's not teaching me anything. Building my own computer will be a very satisfying accomplishment, not only will I have it, but I will have learned so much.

As I've visited GTG, and I must say this forum is one of the best resources I've ever come across for anything, I began reading other threads having to do with upgrading hardware. I especially liked the one that gives detailed instructions and pictures for building your own computer from the ground up. That is something I plan to do by summer.

In the meantime, this P4 computer has become my Frankenstein. I'm dickering around with it learning all I can. I know I'm throwing money to the wind by upgrading this unit as much as I can, but that's ok because the education to me is worth it. My old Pentium III is sitting on a work table pulled apart. I've disassembled everything and just, well studied it. This P4 for me is a Godsend. It is so much faster than that Pentium III. It's tweaked out nicely and has some good upgrades. Everything I've bought for hardware upgrades has been used. I've been very selective in what I've purchased and it all works very well, and it wasn't much money. The only new hardware I've purchased for it is RAM (2GB) and a 160GB hard drive to replace the puny 40GB hard drive that was already installed - and dated 2/2003.

I'm not a big time gamer, but what I'm getting from this computer so far has been great. At some point I hope to get into some video and picture editing, even flight simulation as I am interested in flying RC planes as a hobby over the summer and hear that it's a good idea to use a flight simulation program so I don't smash my purchase to smitherings.

You know what they say guys, "One man's trash is another man's treasure", and right now - compared to what I had two months ago - I feel like I've stumbled across a treasure.

If the money were that much of an issue, I would be saving for a later date, but right now it's been a blast just learning.

Thanks for all your feedback. It is very helpful.

Greg :)
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