Upgrade CPU or overclock advice please

I recently read here @ A/D that running the processor at 100% is not a good idea. OK, makes sense, mine's been running that high every time I Shrink a backup (10 per week for 2 yrs), which can take up to 2 hours each. No probs yet, BUT...
Maybe I should upgrade, because: 1)There must be a faster way without making the kids eat egg-salad for a month. 2)I suspect the CPU won't take that forever. 3)Man's primordal need for speed. SO...
I was thinking of overclocking my system (except I don't know how to do that), OR getting a better processor which the MOBO specs say it will take and I think I can do that job-I've replaced drives and cards. I think I can do a processor.
Gee guys and gals, what should I do?

 

I have 2 HD's 80Gb and 160Gb. and 2x256 RAM cards, which the task manager never shows maxed-out.

 

I decided otherwise. I apologized for my rudeness and now know why it takes time. Won't happen again. Enough said.

 

and with an attitiude like that your highly unlikely to ever get any help. Your question can only be answered by your self. Overclock it, if it doesnt improve cpu load, buy a new cpu. Its entirely up to you. And you still havent answered ddp's question regarding hd space (how much have you got free) as things like this, fragmented hd etc will slow you down considerably

 

and with an attitiude like that your highly unlikely to ever get any help. Your question can only be answered by your self. Overclock it, if it doesnt improve cpu load, buy a new cpu. Its entirely up to you. And you still havent answered ddp's question regarding hd space (how much have you got free) as things like this, fragmented hd etc will slow you down considerably.

Also, we all do this for free, if it takes more than a day to answer your all important question then get over it, dont have a winge. And youll find that most ppl on here are more than happy to help, just not where its unappreciated

 

Based on what you asked I would say neither. Go to at least a 2.4 Northwood if you are going to make a move and get an Asus MB which is extremely easy to O/C with such as a P4P800 Deluxe. At 10% O/C you'd be at 2.64.

 

Allow me a moment, please. If at any time I appeared to be unappreciative, then that is most surely not my intent. I respectfully reciprocate my gratitude in abundance at even the vaugest opportunity. Please accept my apology for withered patience, perhaps prematurely, turned to frustration. Seriously Deadcat...3 days, would you not, like me, believe you had been forgotten. Also, I was not aware that ddp needed more info, I thought I had provided what was asked. If my responses were insufficient, I thought I would be asked. Again, forgive me.

@Scubabud, thank you most kindly for your suggestions. I had spent several days researching this and had become so stymied by the myriad of choices that I became unable to make any choice at all! Hence, my query to the only experts that I know and trust. I shall indeed research your idea to see if it is feasable for me...I hadn't thougth of that. Also, If my last post appeared harsh to you as well please accept my sincerest apologies. Thanks again!

 

Goodness! Quite right! Sorry again. HD's are 73% and 90% free respecitvely and I clean and defragment almost meticulously. Is it really possible that the RAM is playing a part in the bottleneck? I thought it was abundant. With the CPU showing 100% in task manager I thought that was surely the problem.
So much to learn!
A/D means too much to me to let this go on. It has become an important part of my life and I don't intend to give it up. I'm moving past this and will redouble my efforts to contribute meaningfully.

 

I didn't realize that. To watch you, the many of you, answer questions, you appear, from a distance to be human Big Blues or something. Thanks for the temperance. Won't happen again.

 

before you choose overclock, restart your computer, and before windows starts up there should be a screen that will say like press del or f12 or something to go to bios, and go to bios, and check if you can change any FSB or front bus speed thing

 

Based on what your original post suggested, I believe you were looking to speed up your encoding/burning process.

With my current setup using a 3.4 Northwood O/Clocked to 3.74 and 1 gig of ram, I use less then 33% of either at any given time. Using Recode2 and AnyDVD, encoding with "Advanced analysis checked," and burning with Nero at 8x it takes, for the most part, 35-40 minutes start to finish.

Changing your Processor speed and increasing your ram will oviously decrease some of your encoding. How much is going to be based on procedure and software used as well as the changes to processor speed, etc.

 

Thank you, Liez4Love, access to my PhoenixBios is F1 for me and I had read that there might me a setting there...pity, mine is fixed. I just found an obsucre electronics article on how to overclock a TriGem MOBO and it said there is no BIOS software change for clock speed, but rather gave directions for the snipping and soldering of tiny wires around the base of the socket. OOOooohhhhh...I think I won't. I'm no solderer (solderist?).

 

You all are great! Thanks! I've have decided what is best for me. I can only afford to upgrade in stages so, ddp's idea for memory (I hope I can mix stick sizes? 1@256 & 1@1Gig } is the cheapest, easiest, and can always be transferred to the new Mboard that Scubabud suggested, which I'll save up for. I saw a couple on pricewatch in the $200 range. Uh-oh, I hope I can put a 2100 DDR into a 3200 slot. I'd better look into that.

 

This is going to be a stab in the dark.

Considering that your CPU is maxed out, have you run any anti-spyware programs lately?

TC

 

DON'T buy DDR2100... yes it will work but it will slow down all your memory to that speed. I can get 2 gigabytes (2x1gb) sticks of high quality PC3200 OCZ platinum memory for $260... I think you can do better than $200 for a single cheap PC2100 stick...

Go with this...

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=3996848/search=OCZ+1gb

 

PC3200 seems to be cheaper than 2100 anyway... all the slower stuff I found is over $140 and this stick is $110.

I assumed he had a PC3200 computer because he said he hoped he can put pc2100 into 3200 slot

by the way you can put any ddr ram into any ddr slot- it will either downclock if it's too fast, or your computer will downclock because it's too slow. (to threadstarter)

EDIT: Except for this pc2100 which is $15 cheaper

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=939441/search=PC2100%201gb

EDIT 2: Just get the PC3200, it's only $15 more and you said your getting new motherboard soon anyway that will run 3200