I'll try to make a long story short here... I was using my Mom's computer over the holidays it seemed a little slow, she said it was a custom build by the computer tech instructor about 2 years ago at the school she coordinated adult education. I ran Belarc advisor and it told me her mobo was Intel Corporation D945GCCR Belarc also said there is a Celeron 2.8 in it. Everything is stable, just as slow as that CPU is expected with lots of processes (no viruses) and I wanted to upgrade it. It was built for a 800mhz CPU but with a BIOS flash it is capable of running 6000 series core 2 duo and quad but the board was never really meant for it I expect. (Finally takes a breath and asks my original question.)Ya think I should go low level C2D or high level Pentium 4 and the obvious price difference. Any good ideas or arguements for one way vs. the other is appreciated.
Well I guess the upgrade is purely down to what you believe is the better option. If you can justify spending more money on a faster system that will last you longer, rather than a system that will give you a medeocre increase for little £'s then go with the C2D option. Before you do anything, follow Intels advice and.... "Refer to the Compatibility Tool for the latest processor compatibility information for the following processors" You can find out how to find the M/B's revision number here Then use their compatability tool here to ensure you can get the best CPU you want.
Thanks for the reply and the links. I had seen those links while researching before I posted, and thought I had things narrowed down to a 775 chip with 800mhz FSB but I could swear I seen where there was a recent update to the higher FSB's. Now I cant find the proof and I'm going crazy trying.
I think you can run Core 2s on the 945 chipset, but whether you can or not comes down to the hardware on the board. Some boards don't have the right voltage regulation to run Core 2 CPUs. Intel ones aren't known for their features, so I wouldn't be too hopeful.
I hear that, when I seen exactly what was inside that machine built by a "professional" it made me wonder why I'm not making money doing his job!!! I guess it boils down to wondering if I should go for a E4500 Allendale C2D or an older Pentium D dual core. Being its my Mom's machine and built with an older board I'm thinking of the Pentiums.
Believe me if it can cope with the C2D, go with it. Sure it may cost more £'s but at the end of the day you won't hear a peep from your mum for years. And believe me money can't buy that kind of silence ;o)
I was also looking into those, being the E2180 (2.0GHz)and E2200(2.2) in my price range. I've been Googling different keywords to find comparisons between the chips. If there are good references, readings, and graphs I'd like to see them (If any kind souls out there have links?) Try saying that 5x quickly...fast as a furry fox fast as a furry fox fast as a furry fox fast as a furry fox fast as a furry fox Phil2000---I know what you mean about keeping Moms happy, theres a game within the game. Making things seem smooth without looking like a rear-end kisser.
The E2160 performs almost identicaly to the E4300. The E2180 compares to the E4400, and the E2200 the E4500. They are all fast CPUs and can be overclocked by insane amounts.
Next time I am there, I will look closer at the mobo and get an exact revision number. This isnt a project I will tackle right away, I just wanted to see what my best options were. Thanks all.
