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well i was recently handed a computer about 5 yrs old to replace my HP Pavilion a450y. my old HP crashed frequently, but never figured it out.
the new used computer's specs:
Motherboard: ASUS P4PE
CPU: Intel Celeron, 801 MHz
Memory: 1GB of DDR RAM
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9700, 128 Mb
HP Pavilion a450y specs:
Motherboard: ASUS P4SD-LA PES
CPU: Intel Pentium 4, 3Ghz
Memory: 1GB of DDR SDRAM
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800 PRO, 512MBwill it be an upgrade to swap out the CPU's and video cards?
I want to make my system better in every possible way for gaming and streaming videos online.
and is it just as easy to just swap them?
please help!i'd greatly appreciate the input.
thanks,
-le0

According to this, looks like you could go to a 3.4GHz P4 & 2 GB of RAM. You'd have to disable the onboard graphics to add a better card (and need to be wary of the low-wattage power supplies that most OEMs install in their machines):

thank you for the responses!
3.4GHz P4 & 2 GB of RAM.
I actually want to keep the ASUS P4PE motherboard. I plan to upgrade to Intel Pentium4 Socket 478 3.0GHz 800FSB Processor.
what type of RAM will i need? I currently run on 2x 512MB PC2700 333MHz= 1GB of RAM. do i upgrade RAM to PC3200 400MHz? or should i save my money?
I currently run a 400W power supply, which is probably plenty?i greatly appreciate everything!

If the FSB is 800MHz (as mentioned in the specs), then you'd need PC3200 memory. May want to download the manual for the MoBo here:
http://www.elhvb.com/mboards/OEM/HP...
Again, OEM's have a tendency to overstate their P/S rating, so caveat emptor on that one...

i've made a decision! i want to upgrade to P4 3.2GHz and 2gb of RAM.
will it matter what brand of PC3200 memory is used? or will any brand that is PC3200 400Mhz (2x 1GB) work?
i found this site:
http://support.asus.com/technicaldo...
are these the only brands i can use on my P4PE motherboard?"Qualified DDR400/PC3200 Memory Module for the P4PE Series
Vender Model Size
SS A DATA K4H560838D-TCC4 DDR400 256MB
SS SAMSUNG K4H560838E-TCCC DDR400 256MB
SS Infineon HYB25D256160BT-5B DDR400 128MB
SS Infineon HYB25D256800BT-5B DDR400 256MB
SS A DATA W942508BH-5 DDR400 256MB
SS KINGSTON W942508BH-5 DDR400 256MB
DS MICRON MT46V16M8-5TESB DDR400 256MB
SS hynix HY5DU56822BT-D43 DDR400 256MB
SS TwinMos TMD7608F8E50D DDR400 256MB
DS MICRON MT46V16M8-5ESB DDR400 256MB
SS Apacer K4H560838D-TCC4 DDR400 256MB
DS Apacer K4H560838D-TCC4 DDR400 512MB
SS Transcend V58C2256804SAT5 DDR400 256MB
DS Transcend V58C2256804SAT5 DDR400 256MB
*SS:-Single-sided DIMM
*DS-Double-sided DIMM "i want to be very accurate the parts i purchase will work to save me trouble. i want to MAX out my upgrade, but never upgraded before.
oh yea, i'll be running on WinXP Pro, if that matters.

"are these the only brands i can use on my P4PE motherboard?
"Qualified DDR400/PC3200 Memory Module for the P4PE Series
Vender Model Size
SS A DATA K4H560838D-TCC4 DDR400 256MB ....."Probably not, but I'd buy from a reputable dealer that guarantees their memory to work. Had trouble with finding compatible memory for an old Dell machine (using now) until I found a site that guaranteed compatibility. Only slightly more expensive than the other (non-compatible) sticks that I had tried (3 times)...

Before spending the money to upgrade the system total all the prices for the upgrade.
Consider
CPU - P4, 3.2Ghz - $80 - 100
RAM - 2GB DDR400 kit - $80 - 100
VIdeo - if the 9800 512mb is good it is a better choice. The boards are both AGP (old school)
Hard drive - is the drive large enough?Current gaming requirements keep increasing, now the goal is to have a decent Core 2 CPU, 512-1GB video card and 4GB of RAM. Look at the games you wish to run and see what they recommend for use (look beyond minimums, most users get frustrated in game performance if all they get is minimum hardware).
Spending $200 - 300 on upgrade is questionable when $500 - 800 can get the start of a gaming box.
Richard

i've been searchin for a good price on the CPU. is OEM CPUs quality equivalent to Intel's P4?

The difference between an OEM and boxed is the OEM usually does not come with a fan. Specs are the same.
Richard

Here's the difference between OEM and "boxed" CPUs:
http://forums.windrivers.com/archiv...
...but you may want to take rich1949's advice---you may be (financially) better off saving up for a new system. When you get past one or two component upgrades, then you could actually spend more on upgrading than buying new...

is a new heatsink n fan necessary? or is that for overclockers (which i'm reading on)?
i need somethin fast quick, n im on a tight budget. but here's what i'm gettin.
CPU= P4 3.06Ghz ($54.00)
http://www.starmicro.net/detail.asp...
RAM= Kingston 2x 1GB PC2700 ($24.99 ea)

if i had to save up for a new system, it would take me over a year. lots on my plate. n i needa good system fast.
i appreciate the advice though.

"is a new heatsink n fan necessary? or is that for overclockers (which i'm reading on)?"
Without a HS/Fan your CPU will last about one minute or less (so yes, it's an absolute necessity). Your current one may suffice, but robbing the current one isn't something I'd chance on a new CPU...

i guess i asked the question incorrectly.
:]should i get a brand new heatsink n fan, even if i have one already from my current CPU?
or should i get a new one if i want to OC?
will my stock heatsink n fan be enough for a P4 3.06Ghz?

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