CPU Upgrade Pentium 4 Northwood

[Chengc1]

Hi all, I've been given the task of upgrading my friend's slow computer. The first thing that I want to start on is the CPU because I would like to keep the motherboard. Right now I hold a Northwood Pentium 4 2.4ghz cpu. It's socket description is 478 mpga. FSB 533mhz L2 cache 512.

If you need any more information you can go check it out here. It has mostly everything on the system.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2293718

Chipset
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Northbridge Intel i845GE rev. B1
Southbridge Intel 82801DB (ICH4) rev. 02
Graphic Interface AGP
AGP Revision 3.0
AGP Transfer Rate 4x
AGP SBA supported, enabled
Memory Type DDR
Memory Size 2048 MBytes
Memory Frequency 166.7 MHz (4:5)
CAS# latency (CL) 2.0
RAS# to CAS# delay (tRCD) 2
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 2
Cycle Time (tRAS) 5
DRAM Idle Timer 16


DMI BIOS
vendor Intel Corp.
version RG84510A.86A.0022.P12.0211151511
date 11/15/2002

DMI System Information
manufacturer unknown
product unknown
version unknown
serial unknown
UUID {5B9A5586-5F55-D711-B125-001083FDAE89}

DMI Baseboard
vendor Intel Corporation
model D845GEBV2
revision AAA97677-105
serial ABBV31133106

DMI System Enclosure
manufacturer unknown
chassis type 2X
chassis serial unknown

DMI Processor
manufacturer Intel
model Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 processor
clock speed 2400.0 MHz
FSB speed 133.0 MHz
multiplier 18.0x

 

[Pyree]

Even if you upgrade the CPU, the computer will still be slow.

Try reinstalling the OS first. If things is still uncomfortably slow, do a new build.

 

[scottiemedic]

Dump it all and start over. Pentium 4 on a 478 socket is sooooo old, that even if you got the fastest 478 on the market it would be enough to run an old version of Office and the Internet. There have been 7/8ish CPU changes over 4 different socket types since then (plus or minus, may not have the exact numbers right).

The GPU won't fit a newer mobo, nor the RAM, maybe the HDD and optical if you find an IDE mobo (which are scarce these days), and most everything else will surely choke if you put them on a newer system.

It would do your friend no good to try and upgrade that thing unless it's for a Unix router or something. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is the truth.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

Like the others have said that the Intel® Pentium® 4 Northwood processors are slow. To matters worst that the board that you are using has the 845 chipset that will only support processors with a 400 FSB or 533 FSB. So the fastest that this board most likely would allow you to run is the Intel Pentium 4 3.06GHz 533FSB. Which really isn't that much of an improvement over what you already have. To really see a big improvement you would need to move to the Intel Core™ 2 Duo or later processors.


Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[chaosgs]

Good sir, I'd like to welcome you to 1saleaday.

http://1saleaday.com/flash/pt-sgm02-002/

You missed the best deal of $280 for a quad core 3.1 GHZ computer, would be about 10x-15x faster than what you got now and tons cheaper than any homemade upgrade.

http://bensoutlet.com/products/dx4850

This one is $450 and is almost just as fast. Dont upgrade, because you need a whole new system.

You not wanting to change mobo's indicates you simply dont know how to, which is fine. But without changing it you have no viable options.

 

[shanky887614]

might be worth replacing it with a laptop

or

you can buy a

socket 1155 motherboard for £50. cpu for £50. 4gb ddr3 for £20 and psu for £30, dvd writer £12, 250gb hdd (suprisingly i can only find a 250gb one for £40 (i bought a 2tb in 2010 or so for £80)

for around £200 (not including os)


the gpu is useless. the onboard graphics with any cpu/motherboard will be more powerfull than a gpu from around the same age as the cpu




or go the amd route but i dont know how much that costs

 

[ebalong]

You're not in the US, are you? If you were, I'd give you my 775 socket P4 machine, for like, free. I am planning to replace it soon (in the role of media server), but I'm not sure if I want it laying around, and I don't want it to go directly to the landfill. I will be removing the hard drive, so you will need that, and you will need to install your own OS (I don't think this particular processor supports 64bit), but, it comes with a shiny, 1-year old GT 430 video card!

The 775 socket Pentium 4 3.0 GHz is a dinosaur also, but it's a little better than that 478 socket chip.

 

[phyco126]

Ebalong, if he doesn't want your desktop, I'll take it. I refurbish them and donate them to those who don't have a computer of their own.

 

[jaguarskx]

Unfortunately, you have a very old computer on your hands. The Northwood P4 2.4GHz was released sometime in Q1 2002 which is basically a decade ago. Assuming you can even drop in an Intel Pentium 4 3.06GHz GPU it will still be a slow computer.

I would leave it as is since there's no sense in throw more money at it. It's time to build / buy a new PC.

 

[cylemmulo]

Reformat it with a clean windows install, if it's still slow, chances are that hardware is giving up on life. I would say its time to save up for a new system, few hundred bucks will land you with something alot better. Besides the fact that finding a new processor for that setup will problably be difficult. Also try cleaning it out, 10 years can build up ALOT of dust!

 

[Chengc1]

Best answer selected by Chengc1.

 

[dailybargainshop]

If there are cookies or temp files in the system then it may also one of the reason for slowing down the PC.