NewbieHelp

hey i got a 733mhz pentium 3 processor and was wondering if its possible to upgrade to a 1.5ghz? if so then how? thankyou for any help :good:

 

I think so. You'll need a new HSF.

 

you'll have to explain what that is becuae im kinda new to all this but i know some things so im not a complete begginner, cheers

 

The fastest Pentium 3 you can get is a 1.4GHz. However, depending on your motherboard, you may be limited to only 1GHz, due to a newer core for all PIII's above 1GHz (1.2GHz, 1.4GHz, IIRC)

You can go to a 1.5GHz chip, but you're either going to have to get a new motherboard as all CPU's that run 1.5GHz and above have a different socket than the Socket 370 or even Slot 1 that your PIII has.

Additionally, you'll be looking at new memory (unless you want to castrate the performance of the CPU) and likely a new power supply.
Also, while 98 is fine for what you have, you're going to find that support for it in drivers is waning, so with XP available, you should really consider switching over. There is also an issue with the speed of the faster CPU's (around 1GHz and up) that can screw things up. There is a patch for it, but, unless you have some sentimental attachment to 98, you're going to find that going to XP is going to be a better move, especially since it'll take better advantage of that much RAM.

 

yeah im gonna install xp....and with the processor i dont mind if its not 1.5ghz but i just want it at least 1ghz could i do that?

 

I have upgraded my PC from a p3 500Mhz to a 1Ghz and haven't come across any problems yet. The only real problem I faced was regarding the head sink and fan. My HP is not that spacious from the inside, which forbade me from installing the newer, larger headsink and fan which came with the processor. So, I am still using the old 500Mhz sink and fan.
Moreover, moving from a 500 to a 1GHz, I am sorry to say, didn't produce quite the results I was expecting. The main culprit seems to the PC-100 Ram.
As for XP, if you are normal user I believe it might seriously slow down your PC. My LAW professor, just yesterday was complaining that his PC takes about 5 minutes to boot up and he has a P3 800Mhz. The only thing that might prove me wrong here might be your RAM.
Personally I use Win2k but still my PC takes about 2 min. to boot up.
So, all in all while upgrading keep in mind the Cost Vs Performance issue. How much are you going to spend and how much performance boost will you get.

 

Another thing you should do before buying the CPU is check with your motherboard or PC manufacturer. Some motherboards cannot accept a CPU above a certain speed. Now, in all likelyhood you should be able to go to a 1GHz chip, but check your mobo in case you need a BIOS update to do so, or if it's a prebuilt system, check the company that made it.