Upgrade RAM/cpu?

[Jonny]

Running XP HE SP2. Recently moved alot of apps from 98SE to XP, biggest is
Office 2000. Have 512 MB RAM PC 2100, will leave it that way until I decide
to remove 98SE entirely.

Crucial says motherboard supports PC 3200. Doesn't say if the bios will
backpedal the RAM to slower speed if installed on this motherboard.
Motherboard is 2003 vintage.
http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtcontent/memorytype.asp?model=&memtype=CHOOSE

PC is running noticably slower. Cpu is 2.4 GHz Celeron. Would moving to a
3.0 GHz P4, which the motherboard supports, noticably improve my PC's
performance? Motherboard doesn't support any dual cpus in any form.

.............
Jonny

 

[Dennis Lazo]

jonny,

you need to consult your mobo's manual or check out its specs at the
manufacturer's site and check if it could accommodate PC3200.

not all mobos could do that especially ones that are three or four years
old.

however, you may also have the option of adding more memory...

as for changing CPUs, you also need to check your mobo's specs if could
handle a 3-GHz P4.

so basically, it's what your mobo could handle that would make you
decide...unless of course, you'd like to swap mobos as well.

hope this helps.

regards!

 

[Phillips]

3.0GHz P4 (I would go P4 Northwood to avoid heat and thus power and noise
issues) supports HyperThreading (check if motherboard supports it), and PC
3200 (or higher) DDR SDRAM - if the mobo supports it, also.
Buy a manufacturer's kit of 2x512 MB sticks of DDR SDRAM PC 3200 (or higher
for overclocking); combined with the P4 itself w/ HT, you'll have a much
faster system.
Since you don't say what chipset your mobo is, it is difficult to tell
exactly what you need - but a decent 2003 mobo would support HT and DDR
SDRAM.
Michael

 

[Malke]

Running XP HE SP2. Recently moved alot of apps from 98SE to XP,
biggest is
Office 2000. Have 512 MB RAM PC 2100, will leave it that way until I
decide to remove 98SE entirely.

Crucial says motherboard supports PC 3200. Doesn't say if the bios
will backpedal the RAM to slower speed if installed on this
motherboard. Motherboard is 2003 vintage.
http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtcontent/memorytype.asp?model=&memtype=CHOOSE

PC is running noticably slower. Cpu is 2.4 GHz Celeron. Would moving
to a 3.0 GHz P4, which the motherboard supports, noticably improve my
PC's
performance? Motherboard doesn't support any dual cpus in any form.

Start by controlling what is running in the background, turning off XP's
extra eye candy.

Sure you can update the hardware, but I'd work with the software first
because it doesn't cost anything. Naturally, a lot depends on what apps
you are using. Office doesn't require more than what you've got, but if
you're trying to do Photoshop, you might want better hardware.

Slow or Sluggish Computer:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
http://aumha.org/a/health.htm - Take Out the Trash (section 4)

Malke

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Jonny

If your mobo supports PC3200 RAM, as long as that is the only type
installed, it will run like PC3200.. if you mix it with slower stuff, then
all memory runs at the slower speed..

Re. the CPU.. programs that are CPU dependant will run noticeably better..
other stuff may not.. obviously, some base functions will improve anyway..

If your computer has slowed recently, it will not be because of memory speed
or processor.. look to spyware and malware being the problem.. you might
save yourself a packet just by cleaning stuff up..

 

[Steve N.]

Running XP HE SP2. Recently moved alot of apps from 98SE to XP, biggest is
Office 2000. Have 512 MB RAM PC 2100, will leave it that way until I decide
to remove 98SE entirely.

Crucial says motherboard supports PC 3200. Doesn't say if the bios will
backpedal the RAM to slower speed if installed on this motherboard.

I don't understand, it seems that you are using PC2100 RAM and the MB
supports PC3200, which is faster RAM. What's the question/concern?

Motherboard is 2003 vintage.
http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtcontent/memorytype.asp?model=&memtype=CHOOSE

PC is running noticably slower. Cpu is 2.4 GHz Celeron. Would moving to a
3.0 GHz P4, which the motherboard supports, noticably improve my PC's
performance?

Yes, definitely. P4s always out-perform Celerons, especially when
they're faster clock speeds.


Motherboard doesn't support any dual cpus in any form.

............
Jonny

You don't specify the MB make/model. That would be helpful in advising
further.

Steve N.

 

[Steve Shattuck]

Crucial says motherboard supports PC 3200. Doesn't say if the bios will

backpedal the RAM to slower speed if installed on this motherboard.
Motherboard is 2003 vintage.
http://www.crucial.com/crucial/pvtcontent/memorytype.asp?model=&memtype=CHOOSE

The rated speed of memory is the fastest rate that the memory will operate.
There is no clock on the memory chip that controls it's speed, that comes
from the CPU/MB clock setting. So the answer is that there's nothing to
"backpedal."

Unfortunately, mixing memory doesn't always work because there are
differences in the timing. This can be true of memory chips of the same
speed but from different manufacturers let alone different rated speeds.
You should be fine if you replace your current memory, but mixing them might
or might not work.

 

[Steve Shattuck]

If your mobo supports PC3200 RAM, as long as that is the only type

installed, it will run like PC3200.. if you mix it with slower stuff, then
all memory runs at the slower speed..

Re. the CPU.. programs that are CPU dependant will run noticeably better..
other stuff may not.. obviously, some base functions will improve anyway..

You could put PC6000000000 memory on the board and it would still run at the
CPU/MB clock speed and be no faster than the original chips. You might be
able to over-clock the CPU to get faster performance, but more likely
overheat the cpu and burn that up.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Steve

Should you not be answering the OP?..

 

[Jonny]

A Open AXGEN or may be spelled AX4GE-N. Some site spell as AOpen.

The few sites I've investigated show that both are the cpu and RAM are
supported. Hyperthreading, no results on inquiry.
.............
Jonny

 

[Jonny]

Mike,
Don't use the Office apps appreciably except Outlook. I removed NAV 2004,
and installed some off the wall app called Fix-It Utilities from Vcom
website. Has the Trend Micro AV built-in. Also added AdSubtract Pro.
Other than that, nothing has changed. All else remains on the 98SE boot
partition as don't need internet access for that.

Am a old school PC builder, but some of this new stuff has me baffled.
Don't normally mix PC brands or rated speeds, includes now too. Intend to
pull the PC 2100 before installing the PC 3200, if it works at the rated
speed on my motherboard. 2nd question on my OP. Motherboard was available
before PC 3200 RAM was available.
.............
Jonny

 

[Jonny]

Yipper. Knew that about mixing RAM. Didn't intend to.

AOpen AX4GE-N is the motherboard. The material on the motherboard is dated
at the A Open website for updating to current RAM and cpus now available.
So, don't quote it.

 

[Phillips]

Yeah, I saw its specs on AOPEN site - 845 chipset, 533MHz, ICH4...; if you
want to upgrade RAM and CPU, better make the extra effort and get a better
mobo as well - either 800MHz with Intel 865 or 875 chipset and minimum ICH5R
(for RAID); of course, you might want to reconsider buying a Socket 478 mobo
altogether and switch to the newer ones or to AMD. Depends how much money
you want to invest and what you can save from your present system. Consider
also that Win Vista and DirectX10.0 are due towards the end of this year and
your present hardware will be, if not obsolete, a bare minmum. Check this
site for ideas: http://www.extremetech.com/category2/0,1695,644478,00.asp

You might get some extra speed from upgrading the RAM, but the Celeron will
hold you back; upgrading the CPU for cheap would be a solution - if you can
do both for under $100 Otherwise, you'd be better off buying a cheap Dell or
Emachine for $400 or so - personally, I would not recommend buying any of
the above, but building on your own would be more expensive ... and worth it

Michael

 

[Jonny]

Going with 2 512MB 3200s.

Powerleap says the Prescott core will work on this platform. Current is
Williamette core Celeron. Going with the Prescott core version in a Pentium
package. Besides the fact its a Pentium, has the HT technology, and 1MB
second level cache vs. 128 on the current Celeron. Oddly, the older
Northwoods are harder to find and a bit more expensive than the Prescotts.

............
Jonny

 

[Phillips]

Intel says its 845GE chipset supports DDR 333/266 RAM - that would be
PC2700.
See here 845GE specs:
http://indigo.intel.com/compare_cpu/showchart.aspx?mmID=1831&familyID=11&culture=en-US

Prescott use +100W power or so whereas Northwood uses some 20% less; besides
Prescott does "better" with a faster RAM (and hardware, generally).
I would be thinking a better motherboard....
Michael

 

[Jonny]

Crucial says otherwise regarding PC3200 and the A Open AX4GE-N motherboard.
Am going to attempt to use the RAM their website recommends.

Not sure about your comments on the Prescott. My power supply is more than
adequate.

It ain't time here to swap out motherboards, or buy a new PC. A year or so
after Vista is out retail, Vista critical updates a billion or more later,
whichever comes first. Someone else can be the guinea pig this time.
.............
Jonny

 

[Jonny]

Installed the crucial brand PC3200 RAM listed for this motherboard at listed
at crucial's website. Its running 266 MHz. There's no allowance in the
bios for changing the memory bus speed as the only choice other than auto is
DDR 266, only the cpu bus speed can be altered manually. Initially removed
the former RAM, and installed one stick of this memory. Two sticks of same
makes no difference.
Looked on the old stick of RAM, its crucial PC2700. And was running same
speed, 266 MHz which is PC2100 speed. Now realize this motherboard is very
limited. Going to add this to the 3rd RAM slot since they all run at the
same speed, and all 2-2-2-6 timing.
Prescott version Pentium 4 is not recognized, PC's bios or video won't start
with it installed.
Latest bios version installed from AOpen website.

.............
Jonny