[SOLVED] What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help!

johncampbell · 06-27-2009, 04:31 PM

Hi,

I have a old custom computer which was once made by me without knowing much about computers. I added my computer configuration so that you can see and help me.

I want to know which is the best for my computer & additional which is max supported products to my motherboard.

I don't want to change my motherboard NOWAY.

Just want to max out the current main board.

Please help me with these one.

1. Processor

a) Does Intel P4 3.4GHZ Extreme Edition have 478Pin?
b) Does Intel 865GBF support this processor?
c) Is it the max or last supported processor for my motherboard? if not then which one?
d) After I max out all parts will it be cool with power unit?

2.RAM

a) I have 2x512MB+1x256MB=1280MB DDR RAM so 1 slot left. My motherboard support dual channel but my two 512MB 400bus twinmos works as single channel in both DIMM0 & DIMM1. I did changed these 2 RAM in slots many ways but not working as dual. Anyway I want to keep those two & throw the 256MB and buy 2x1GB DDR RAM which support dual channel what RAM should it be?
b) After I added same spec RAM do i have to do something to enable Dual-Channel mode?
c) I heard adding extra RAM burn the AGP is it true?
d) So if I have total 3GB RAM is it ok with my ATI Radeon 9550?if not please explain

3.AGP

a) My ATI Radeon 9550's Fan already burned down but card is working so what do I have to do to cool it down ?
b) Does PCI EXPRESS Supported by Intel 865GBF?
c) What is the best supported new AGP card only for my motherboard?

4. Hard Disk

a) Does my motherboard support 1TeraByte HardDisk?
b) My mainboard is SATA 1.5GB/S enabled so what's the best supported hard disk.

Sorry for this long long post & thanks for reading.

I know many question answered in the Intel website. But i have no clue.

Again sorry if i made any mistake to my first post in here. Forgive me as a newbie.

Hope for quick reply.

**wrench97** · 06-27-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johncampbell

Hi,

I have a old custom computer which was once made by me without knowing much about computers. I added my computer configuration so that you can see and help me.

I want to know which is the best for my computer & additional which is max supported products to my motherboard.

I don't want to change my motherboard NOWAY.

Just want to max out the current main board.

Please help me with these one.

1. Processor

a) Does Intel P4 3.4GHZ Extreme Edition have 478Pin?
Yes Spec number SL7CH> http://processorfinder.intel.com/det...px?sSpec=SL7CH
b) Does Intel 865GBF support this processor?
c) Is it the max or last supported processor for my motherboard? if not then which one? CPU support list>
http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../CS-026966.htm
d) After I max out all parts will it be cool with power unit?
Depends on the video card selected
2.RAM

Up to 4Gig of DDR400 Ram> http://www.intel.com/support/motherb.../cs-008984.htm
a) I have 2x512MB+1x256MB=1280MB DDR RAM so 1 slot left. My motherboard support dual channel but my two 512MB 400bus twinmos works as single channel in both DIMM0 & DIMM1. I did changed these 2 RAM in slots many ways but not working as dual. Anyway I want to keep those two & throw the 256MB and buy 2x1GB DDR RAM which support dual channel what RAM should it be?
b) After I added same spec RAM do i have to do something to enable Dual-Channel mode? No but they have matched pairs of sticks.
c) I heard adding extra RAM burn the AGP is it true? No
d) So if I have total 3GB RAM is it ok with my ATI Radeon 9550?if not please explain It's fine

3.AGP

a) My ATI Radeon 9550's Fan already burned down but card is working so what do I have to do to cool it down ? Time for a new card
b) Does PCI EXPRESS Supported by Intel 865GBF? No
c) What is the best supported new AGP card only for my motherboard?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161226
4. Hard Disk

a) Does my motherboard support 1TeraByte HardDisk? Yes
b) My mainboard is SATA 1.5GB/S enabled so what's the best supported hard disk.
Sata 3.0G's drives have a jumper for 1.5G/s support> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136319

Sorry for this long long post & thanks for reading.

I know many question answered in the Intel website. But i have no clue.

Again sorry if i made any mistake to my first post in here. Forgive me as a newbie.

Hope for quick reply.

This platform is getting some age on it newer games will struggle with a P4 EE and a AGP card it may be time to consider updating the motherboard.

Phædrus2401 · 06-27-2009, 05:43 PM

If you really don't want to get a new graphics card, get an aftermarket VGA cooler (like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118117) but really it's better just to get a better card. Best AGP card I can find is a Radeon 4650: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125281 There's also a Radeon 4670 but it's by PowerCooler and I'm not familiar with the brand. Make sure your power supply is adequate.

BoT · 06-27-2009, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johncampbell

1. Processor

a) Does Intel P4 3.4GHZ Extreme Edition have 478Pin?
b) Does Intel 865GBF support this processor?
c) Is it the max or last supported processor for my motherboard? if not then which one?
d) After I max out all parts will it be cool with power unit?

yes, this processor will be supported
check the compatability list here at intels site

Quote:

2.RAM

a) I have 2x512MB+1x256MB=1280MB DDR RAM so 1 slot left. My motherboard support dual channel but my two 512MB 400bus twinmos works as single channel in both DIMM0 & DIMM1. I did changed these 2 RAM in slots many ways but not working as dual. Anyway I want to keep those two & throw the 256MB and buy 2x1GB DDR RAM which support dual channel what RAM should it be?
b) After I added same spec RAM do i have to do something to enable Dual-Channel mode?
c) I heard adding extra RAM burn the AGP is it true?
d) So if I have total 3GB RAM is it ok with my ATI Radeon 9550?if not please explain

a+b) your memory is not running in dual channel because you installed an odd number of modules. dual channel memory works in pairs, so 2, 4, 6 or 8. the pair should be of same spec, even better same brand and model.
c) no
d) yes

Quote:

3.AGP

a) My ATI Radeon 9550's Fan already burned down but card is working so what do I have to do to cool it down ?
b) Does PCI EXPRESS Supported by Intel 865GBF?
c) What is the best supported new AGP card only for my motherboard?

a) here is a good cooler for the card .. if that is a good investment for the card
ZALMAN VF900
b) it does not support pci-e
c) this would be the best supported card imo
HIS H385Q512ANP Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X
this one would be good too and a far better deal
HIS H385F512ANP Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X

Quote:

4. Hard Disk

a) Does my motherboard support 1TeraByte HardDisk?
b) My mainboard is SATA 1.5GB/S enabled so what's the best supported hard disk.

the motherboard by itself should not have a problem supporting 1Tb drives.
SATA is backwards compatable, so even if you buy a drive that is spec'd as SATA II, it will work on the SATA I port on your board but of course it will run at SATA I specs, so performance will be capped

all in all thou, as already suggested an upgrade is suggested.
the 865 chipset is more then a couple generations behind and all the other upgrades are questionable at best for such a system.
for example: a simple atom platform paired with an aging 945 chipset would already be a decent upgrade to your system and outperform it as well.
it could be had for under $100.- bucks
Intel BOXD945GCLF2 Atom 330 Intel 945GC
granted video upgrade would not be an option on this board

BoT · 06-27-2009, 06:00 PM

oh wow, that 4650 is a nice find

johncampbell · 06-27-2009, 06:05 PM

Thanks for your quick reply but I am still wandering about something
from my current 1280MB to 3GB RAM will it be faster than before? or it will go unused?
in case necessary my pf usage under task manager/performance is around 600MB
(No Virtual Memory as i personally disabled it)

Phædrus2401 · 06-27-2009, 06:14 PM

The Gigabyte Radeon HD4650 I mentioned in my earlier post is about the best card you can get with an AGP interface, as far as I know (there is that 4670, but I don't trust PowerCooler).

From 1GB to 3GB you may notice a performance boost since your computer doesn't have to do as much paging.

What is your power supply? Brand/Model/Wattage/amps on +12V rail

**Tyree** · 06-28-2009, 07:59 AM

If you are referring to PowerColor, they sells very reliable ATI cards and there support is very good.

johncampbell · 06-28-2009, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

The Gigabyte Radeon HD4650 I mentioned in my earlier post is about the best card you can get with an AGP interface, as far as I know (there is that 4670, but I don't trust PowerCooler).

From 1GB to 3GB you may notice a performance boost since your computer doesn't have to do as much paging.

What is your power supply? Brand/Model/Wattage/amps on +12V rail

Thanks for agp all of you found it's all good.

Hmm... Which NVIDIA is also good for me can you tell?

My current Power Supply: Switching Power Supply
P4-400W
AC Input: Voltage Cuprent Frequency
115V 8A 50-60Hz
230V 4A

DC Input: O Y B R W P B G B
+3.3V +12V -12V +5V -5V +5V sb COM PSON POK
-12A 12A 0.3A 22A 0.5A 1.5A GND

**wrench97** · 06-28-2009, 10:21 AM

Nvidia dropped AGP support with the 7000 series, so there are not any newer Nvidia cards.

06-27-2009, 04:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
johncampbell Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Build 2600 SP2 My System	[SOLVED] What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! Hi, I have a old custom computer which was once made by me without knowing much about computers. I added my computer configuration so that you can see and help me. I want to know which is the best for my computer & additional which is max supported products to my motherboard. I don't want to change my motherboard NOWAY. Just want to max out the current main board. Please help me with these one. 1. Processor a) Does Intel P4 3.4GHZ Extreme Edition have 478Pin? b) Does Intel 865GBF support this processor? c) Is it the max or last supported processor for my motherboard? if not then which one? d) After I max out all parts will it be cool with power unit? 2.RAM a) I have 2x512MB+1x256MB=1280MB DDR RAM so 1 slot left. My motherboard support dual channel but my two 512MB 400bus twinmos works as single channel in both DIMM0 & DIMM1. I did changed these 2 RAM in slots many ways but not working as dual. Anyway I want to keep those two & throw the 256MB and buy 2x1GB DDR RAM which support dual channel what RAM should it be? b) After I added same spec RAM do i have to do something to enable Dual-Channel mode? c) I heard adding extra RAM burn the AGP is it true? d) So if I have total 3GB RAM is it ok with my ATI Radeon 9550?if not please explain 3.AGP a) My ATI Radeon 9550's Fan already burned down but card is working so what do I have to do to cool it down ? b) Does PCI EXPRESS Supported by Intel 865GBF? c) What is the best supported new AGP card only for my motherboard? 4. Hard Disk a) Does my motherboard support 1TeraByte HardDisk? b) My mainboard is SATA 1.5GB/S enabled so what's the best supported hard disk. Sorry for this long long post & thanks for reading. I know many question answered in the Intel website. But i have no clue. Again sorry if i made any mistake to my first post in here. Forgive me as a newbie. Hope for quick reply.

06-27-2009, 05:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,387 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! If you really don't want to get a new graphics card, get an aftermarket VGA cooler (like this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118117) but really it's better just to get a better card. Best AGP card I can find is a Radeon 4650: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125281 There's also a Radeon 4670 but it's by PowerCooler and I'm not familiar with the brand. Make sure your power supply is adequate. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for. Last edited by Phædrus2401; 06-27-2009 at 06:12 PM.

06-27-2009, 06:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
BoT Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: earth Posts: 447 OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate x64 My System	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! oh wow, that 4650 is a nice find __________________ MainStation: Q9450@3.6 \| ASUS P5Q-E \| OCZ Platinum 4x2Gb PC8500 \| eVGA GTX260 \| WD VRaptor

06-27-2009, 06:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
johncampbell Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3 OS: Windows XP Build 2600 SP2 My System	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! Thanks for your quick reply but I am still wandering about something from my current 1280MB to 3GB RAM will it be faster than before? or it will go unused? in case necessary my pf usage under task manager/performance is around 600MB (No Virtual Memory as i personally disabled it) Last edited by johncampbell; 06-27-2009 at 06:11 PM. Reason: already covered

06-27-2009, 06:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,387 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! The Gigabyte Radeon HD4650 I mentioned in my earlier post is about the best card you can get with an AGP interface, as far as I know (there is that 4670, but I don't trust PowerCooler). From 1GB to 3GB you may notice a performance boost since your computer doesn't have to do as much paging. What is your power supply? Brand/Model/Wattage/amps on +12V rail __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

06-28-2009, 07:59 AM	#8 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,793 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! If you are referring to PowerColor, they sells very reliable ATI cards and there support is very good. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

06-28-2009, 10:21 AM	#10 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 17,919 OS: Win7	Re: What Should I get to Update my Computer? Help! Nvidia dropped AGP support with the 7000 series, so there are not any newer Nvidia cards. __________________ Power Supply and Selection