Pentium 4 Upgrade

[computerguy22]

Hello,

My current CPU: Prescott Pentium 4: 2.80A-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB
(A means that there's no hyperthreading) socket 478

Would it make sense to upgrade to this cpu?

Prescott Pentium 4: 3.0E-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 800-MHz FSB
(E means there's hyperthreading) socket 478

Intel Hyperthreading: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/hyper-threading/hyper-threading-technology.html

I can get the new cpu, used, for about $9. So my question is, would this "upgrade" be worth it? Will hyperthreading greatly help performance?

Thanks.

 

[rolli59]

Hardly worth it to spend money on that outdated machine! If you are planning an upgrade anyway you will need to know what CPU's the motherboard supports socket 478 is not enough info!

 

[computerguy22]

Processors
Intel Celeron D Processors:
Intel Celeron D 320 Processor (2.40-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron D 325 Processor (2.53-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron D 330 Processor (2.66-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron D 335 Processor (2.80-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron D 340 Processor (2.93-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)
Intel Celeron D 345 Processor (3.06-GHz, 256K L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB)

Intel Pentium 4 Processors:
2.80A-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 533-MHz FSB

Intel Pentium 4 Processors supporting Hyper-Threading Technology:
2.80E-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 800-MHz FSB
3.0E-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 800-MHz FSB
3.20E-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 800-MHz FSB
3.40E-GHz, 1-MB L2 cache, 800-MHz FSB

 

[rolli59]

You will gain about 7% from the CPU speed and maybe 2-3 from the fsb but not much from the HT which did not work very well in those P4's.

 

[4745454b]

When did preshot come to S478? Preshot came out with the S775 chips, never knew they were on S478. Also doesn't seem to make sense to make a preshot without HT.

"Worth it" how? Or when you do what? Both chips are old and dog slow compared to whats out today. $9 isn't much so if you do a lot of CPU intensive tasks it might be worth it. (more programs use multicores today then they did back then so a HT CPU should perform better then they used to.) But what you really need is a new system. Even a $299 dell would be faster then what you have.

 

[rolli59]

The first prescotts were 478! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Pentium_4_microprocessors

 

[computerguy22]

I'm actually going to purchase a pentium 4 prescott 3.2 ghz HT cpu. The HT will be nice to have, and the extra boost from 2.8 ghz to 3.2 ghz will allow me to play a game I want on rec. settings

 

[4745454b]

Interesting Rolli, that's not how I remember things going down.

the extra boost from 2.8 ghz to 3.2 ghz will allow me to play a game I want on rec. settings

How do you figure? If an extra 400MHz mattered that much save your cash and just OC your current chip.

 

[Tamz_msc]

Socket 478 eh? That's a dead end. If you had 945/965 series motherboards (LGA 775), you might have had a chance with the Core 2 Duos.
Its best for you to start saving for a new PC. For 400-500$ you can get a much better PC today than what you currently have.

 

[jessterman21]

I agree - when I went from a 3.0GHz P4 to an Athlon II dual-core, it was like night and day - got my Dell for $279.

 

[we1shcake]

please please upgrade to atleast an athlon x2, the difference will be incredible, if you can spring for a athlon x4, you will need a new mobo and ram for these cpus but it is so worth it, noone should feel the pain of a pentium 4 anymore