[SOLVED] Pentium d vs pentium gold

[RenegadeBird01]

I have an optiplex gx620 I’m trying to get going again just for fun and it has a pentium d 940 processor in it and I’m trying to find out what I can upgrade to. The computer shop said I can run a core 2 duo e6700 in it but every forum I see say that you can’t run core processors in that. Would a pentium gold processor be compatible? It’s the foxcon LS-36 motherboard

 

[TerryLaze]

What's the reasoning for upgrading it?!
Play around with it as is, it's not like a core2 is going to give you a usable for today system.

The mobo uses 775 just like the core2 CPUs but yeah I would agree that it won't be able to use them.

 

[RenegadeBird01]

What's the reasoning for upgrading it?!
Play around with it as is, it's not like a core2 is going to give you a usable for today system.

The mobo uses 775 just like the core2 CPUs but yeah I would agree that it won't be able to use them.

It was a computer in a shop, never cleaned and the processor is burned out, I already upgraded the ram, fan and added some small heat sinks in several places. As far as I can tell I also have the copper heat sink on the cpu. As cheap as those old processors are I figured if I can get it as fast as possible and run windows 7 it shouldn’t be horrible. If I can get it to run NFS hot pursuit 2 and comparable stuff to that I would be tickled

 

[SamirD]

The 945D is about as fast as you could get in those. I have an even older gx520 (I believe) that can't even use the D processors. It's a great xp machine.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Yes it is LGA775, no it cannot support all LGA775 CPUs.

According to this, the Pentium D is the best CPU you can use in this machine.
https://www.dell.com/community/Desk...iplex-GX620-upgrade-to-dual-core/td-p/3610571

Intel's Pentium Gold lineup is a newer thing. All far to new for your system.

 

[RenegadeBird01]

Yes it is LGA775, no it cannot support all LGA775 CPUs.

According to this, the Pentium D is the best CPU you can use in this machine.
https://www.dell.com/community/Desk...iplex-GX620-upgrade-to-dual-core/td-p/3610571

Intel's Pentium Gold lineup is a newer thing. All far to new for your system.

Ok, so now I need a definitive answer on the core 2 duo cpu. According to that thread several people have successfully installed the core 2 duo e6300, will it work or not? I have seen people saying two different things on it and I am leery of getting one but I can get them cheaper than a pentium d 945

 

[SamirD]

Ok, so now I need a definitive answer on the core 2 duo cpu. According to that thread several people have successfully installed the core 2 duo e6300, will it work or not? I have seen people saying two different things on it and I am leery of getting one but I can get them cheaper than a pentium d 945

It won't work--that era of systems could not take core based cpus--it was only until the generation optiplex that there was full bios and chipset support.

The specific reason seems to be the vrm as per the thread on biosmods:
https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thr...U-Upgrade-to-Core-2-Duo-Pentium-Conroe?page=4

 

[TerryLaze]

but I can get them cheaper than a pentium d 945

If the optiplex has a normal sized mobo you can probably get a core2 mobo and cpu for cheaper than the pentium.
It's more work but you will get a better system out of it.

 

[SamirD]

If the optiplex has a normal sized mobo you can probably get a core2 mobo and cpu for cheaper than the pentium.
It's more work but you will get a better system out of it.

These are BTX formatted systems that also have proprietary Dell stuff, so a normal motherboard would be next to impossible, but a swap from a newer Dell into the chassis should be fairly easy. One of my systems is such a hybrid with an optiplex 380 motherboard in an optiplex 330 chassis. I have also some 330 motherboards that I plan to swap into my gx520 and 210l which should be a big boost to both those systems, if I need it.

 

[RenegadeBird01]

It won't work--that era of systems could not take core based cpus--it was only until the generation optiplex that there was full bios and chipset support.

The specific reason seems to be the vrm as per the thread on biosmods:
https://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Thr...U-Upgrade-to-Core-2-Duo-Pentium-Conroe?page=4

Ok, that clears stuff up, I’ll order a pentium d 945 and look into maybe getting a cheap external graphics card since I suspect it’s bad from trying to run windows 10. It’s basically a project to keep me occupied and so I can learn basics of how stuff works

 

[mdd1963]

I'd be quite leery of sinking more than $5 into systems that old...

One might find an off-lease business i7-3770 trade-in for sale for $75-$100, complete, that would actually work.

 

[RenegadeBird01]

I'd be quite leery of sinking more than $5 into systems that old...

One might find an off-lease business i7-3770 trade-in for sale for $75-$100, complete, that would actually work.

That may be, I’m not doing it to get an everyday system, I’m doing it because I’m curious to see how they work and because I’m bored. How will we ever learn new things without exploring?

 

[SamirD]

Ok, that clears stuff up, I’ll order a pentium d 945 and look into maybe getting a cheap external graphics card since I suspect it’s bad from trying to run windows 10. It’s basically a project to keep me occupied and so I can learn basics of how stuff works

You won't be able to really use an external graphics adapter with a system of this era--there was just no real way to do it. I have found a gt9500 fits well and provides a solid boost. You can probably even use more modern cards, but I haven't tried it.