Update P3 computer

[texaspsdx]

My son's computer is a p3 intel mb 933, 133 bus, 256 cache w/ 3 256k mem chips.
Mb doc's say it will support a 1.2 133bus 256 chip. He has a friend trying to sell him a chip for $45. My question, will he notice a big change going from 933 to l.2?
Thanks

 

[NokiaDude]

How old is your son? Complete specs of his computer?

 

[DaveSimmons]

For games? upgrading the video card would help more if it has a slow video card like a geforce 2 or geforce4 mx (= really a geforce 2) instead of a geforce 3 or geforce 4 ti. You can get a used gf3 for $30-40 and used gf4 ti for $50-60 in the FS/FT forum here.

My old computer was a 933 MHz with geforce 3 and it was decent for older games.

For newer games like Half-Life 2, Doom3, Far Cry it's probably best to just start saving up for a whole new system, a P3 1.2 GHz is still below the minimum specs for Doom3.

 

[Rike]

Not much. If your son plays games, he will see the greatest benefit from upgrading his video card.

 

[texaspsdx]

No games (X-box), just surfing, email and school work. He like me, he hears more speed and want to go for it. I'll try to talk into staying with what he has.

His is a P3 370 socket, 933/133bus/256K
768 ram
on board video/audio
80 gig HD

Just a

 

[DaveSimmons]

He won't see much difference outside of games, so it's not worth the money or the chance of damaging a working system.

 

[Sforsyth]

yeah he won't notice much of a difference if any.

I had a Celron 900 Mhz and an Athlon 1.1 Ghz and there not much between them and the Athlon seemed abit faster I think because of the Ram was running at 133 Mhz instead of the 100 Mhz the Celeron was running at.

Even going from these 2 machines and getting a new Xp3200 Barton and a Sempron 2800+ 2.2 Ghz and 2 Ghz there wasn't much difference for what you want to do with it.

 

[Gerbil333]

He won't notice a difference with that small of an upgrade. I can't feel the difference between an Athlon XP 1700+ and a 2500+ outside of games, and that's a much larger difference. I can feel a difference between a Duron 800MHz CPU and a 1700+ though. If he really wants to see a difference, throw in an A64 2800+, or if you really don't want to spend more than $45, you could probably pick an ECS K7S5A and an Athlon XP for about that price in the For Sale forums (maybe $10-$15 more). That might make a noticeable improvement in general performance.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Yeah you're options are kinda limited if you don't want to do a platform upgrade. An athlon xp with a decent MB would make a world of difference in what your doing. Of course you'd need DDR ram as well...

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Be like me and my Athlon 1100. Find a friend who just fried his motherboard and jack his Athlon 1400 =P.

$45 is a ripoff for a chip like that. Upgrade other components = better spent money

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Be like me and my Athlon 1100. Find a friend who just fried his motherboard and jack his Athlon 1400 =P.

$45 is a ripoff for a chip like that. Upgrade other components = better spent money

$45 isn't cheap, but it's not a ripoff either... not for a 1.2GHz 256kb Tualatin.

BTW, Your son should leave the 933 CPU alone and go for a $45 video card.

 

[texaspsdx]

Thanks for all the input. Now to talk him out of doing that and waiting for better things to come.