Buying a new processor

Eggy Baby!

Hi,

I have an Intel Pentium 4 3.00Ghz as my processor atm. I wanted to update it to a dual core if possible (on a budget of €300-€350). Would updating my processor lead to a noticeable improvement in game performance, along with the video card I have (ATI Radeon 4600 series)? Does a processor actually help the card render the game better? (I've also seen a cheap quad core) Basically I wanted to play system intensive games like ArmA 2. I already have it, and can play it okay, but I'm dissatisfied with the performance of it in general (despite having 3.5GB of RAM also). Its just one of those games where I can't find the perfect graphics-performance equilibrium. When my FPS is satisfactory, the graphics are unsatisfactory, and vice versa. Basically I want to eliminate that, and allow myself to play the game smoothly throughout on medium-high.

What factors would I have to take into account when buying a new processor? Would I have to check the PSU and/or motherboard for potential issues? I'm clueless as to how to go about buying one, and I don't even know a good site/store to get one from. Help would be really appreciated!

Thanks!

EDIT: My motherboard is a Dell model 0KF623 with a BIOS of Dell version A02.

EDIT: Would putting an Intel Core i5-2400 3.10GHz into my PC be like putting a Ferrari engine in a Skoda?

Telchak

An i5-2400 will not fit in the same CPU socket as your Pentium 4, you would need to get a new motherboard. Some Dell computers use proprietary motherboard layouts, so you might not even be able to replace it with a standard one.

DoesNotCompute

Looks like it's a Socket T/LGA775 board, so only processors designed for LGA775 sockets will physically fit in the board. See wikipedia article for a list of compatible processors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_775

Eggy Baby!

DoesNotCompute wrote: »

Looks like it's a Socket T/LGA775 board, so only processors designed for LGA775 sockets will physically fit in the board. See wikipedia article for a list of compatible processors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGA_775

Thanks for the help and would you guys have any recommendations on the processors in the Wikipedia article? I don't have that much experience with processors or how they perform.

An i5-2400 will not fit in the same CPU socket as your Pentium 4, you would need to get a new motherboard. Some Dell computers use proprietary motherboard layouts, so you might not even be able to replace it with a standard one.

Damn -_- that processor seemed to be a good deal. I was checking it on Passmark and it appeared to be both powerful and yet had good value. Shame. It seems to be compatible with the LGA 1156 however (the successor to my current motherboard. The wiki article says it can support Intel Core i5 processors). But heck, the LGA 1156 is expensive..!

Would I also have to upgrade my PSU?

Serephucus

This build:

Item|Price
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€32.00
ASRock H61M-S (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX|€40.79
Intel Core i5-2400 Box, LGA1155|€168.18
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€35.69
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€295.65

Would fit into your budget nicely. i5 2400 would obliterate the Pentium, and it'll fit in that motherboard, and just in case Dell are their usual selves, I've included a case as well. A lot of the early Dell's used proprietary motherboards with weird cases, so nothing else would fit in them. I've also thrown in 8GB of memory, as your DDR/DDR2 won't work (Sandy Bridge requires DDR3).

If you want to add a graphics card in their, you might have to upgrade your PSU (can you get specs/model of this?) but all-told it would probably only be an extra €150 or so for both.

Eggy Baby!

Serephucus wrote: »

This build:

Item|Price
BitFenix Merc Alpha|€32.00
ASRock H61M-S (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX|€40.79
Intel Core i5-2400 Box, LGA1155|€168.18
8GB-Kit G.Skill PC3-10667U CL9|€35.69
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€295.65

Would fit into your budget nicely. i5 2400 would obliterate the Pentium, and it'll fit in that motherboard, and just in case Dell are their usual selves, I've included a case as well. A lot of the early Dell's used proprietary motherboards with weird cases, so nothing else would fit in them. I've also thrown in 8GB of memory, as your DDR/DDR2 won't work (Sandy Bridge requires DDR3).

If you want to add a graphics card in their, you might have to upgrade your PSU (can you get specs/model of this?) but all-told it would probably only be an extra €150 or so for both.

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I'm actually seriously looking at an upgrade now because I got some money!

What PSU should be able to handle all of that? Are there any other things I need to take into consideration when buying a PSU? (Hardwareversand is a good site btw)

I think I'll keep the current graphics card that I have if I'm honest. I'm happy with it for now.

Monotype

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/400+-+500+Watts/30074/Super-Flower+Amazon+80Plus+450W.article

You'll probably need to upgrade the case too since Dell don't follow the ATX standard.

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/Midi/50576/BitFenix+Merc+Beta.article

If you have a bit more money, I'd get a motherboard that would last you a bit longer with features like USB 3 and SATA 6Gbps. For standard use, that one is fine though. Let me know if you need help finding one.

Eggy Baby!

Monotype wrote: »

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/400+-+500+Watts/30074/Super-Flower+Amazon+80Plus+450W.article

You'll probably need to upgrade the case too since Dell don't follow the ATX standard.

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/Midi/50576/BitFenix+Merc+Beta.article

If you have a bit more money, I'd get a motherboard that would last you a bit longer with features like USB 3 and SATA 6Gbps. For standard use, that one is fine though. Let me know if you need help finding one.

would that PSU work with the setup Serephucus provided a while back?

Monotype

Yes.

ED E

Eggy Baby! wrote: »

(despite having 3.5GB of RAM also)

If you're going to be doing anything serious, get win7 64bit. 32bit can only support 3.5GB of ram even though you have 4, and any video ram is wasted here too.