Need Computer Help -- Trying to Decide if I Want to Upgrade CPU

[NYC GOP Chick]

OK, I have a computer that's about 3 years old and I'm very attached to it. I've done lots of upgrades and improvements over the past year or so and instead of getting a new one, I'd like to do one more upgrade.

Having put in a Network Interface Card, doubled the RAM to 256K, installed a CD-RW drive and replaced the hard drive in my IBM Aptiva, I'm giving serious thought to updating the processor from a Pentium III 600 MHz to something like a P4 2G or something, and I have a few questions:

1) Do I need a new motherboard to do this?

2) How difficult is this to do? Will it become one of those "more trouble than its worth" things?

3) What issues and potential problems should I consider?

Here are some of the specs:

Pentium III 600
system board: V66M
system board chipset: Intel 82443ZX
system board form factor: micro-ATX
front-side bus speed: 100 MHz

[goldstategop]

One word: Linux. For some reason, Windows still uses an easily corrupted registry to store operating system instructions and settings. One day you wake up and its gone and you can't get back to your desktop. Arrrrghhh!!! Linux is based on a stable kernel and very rarely crashes. Today its made in user friendly desktop distros like Lycoris, Lindows, Xandros, and Elx Linux. There's really no reason to stick with Bill Gates unless you need the tons of software written for the Windows market.

[goldstategop]

Really? And just where would one get it from. :)

[hunter112]

Will it run as fast as my TI-994A?

Ha! Thanks for the blast from the past! I used one of those dinosaurs for many years, from 1983 to 1997, until I finally broke down and bought a modern computer. Funny thing is, about a year later, I sold all my TI stuff for about $400 bucks (in about 20 lots) on eBay, so I had the last laugh there, too!

[John Lenin]

From a computer class ?

[XBob]

57- "I use Windows 98SE, but would definitely consider 2K -- although I had that at work and it didn't seem all that more stable."

go to microsft windows update, and run their analysis and update programs for both 98 and 2000 - both improve dramatically.

[goldstategop]

If you have an old computer and must have DOS stick with Windows 98. If its speed and stability you're looking for, go to Linux.

[Revel]

If your drive is WD then they have a free program that you can download from there site.(Data lifeguard or some such thing) It will pretty much take you by the hand and ask you how many partitions you want and such. It is good to have one for your system. One for applications. One for games. At least that many. You can only have 4 real partitions. But this program really only divides one partition into several volumes. That is all you need do unless you are a real geek who is doing multibooting into multiple operating systems.

If you do buy a video card then make sure that it is and AGP card since your PC has a superior AGP slot. This AGP slot is still in use in the most modern boards. The older style was made for a PCI slot. Don't buy that.(Be careful)

I don't use XP. I here it is also more stable. My biggest problem is that I don't want to get permission from Microsoft everytime I change a few things in my computer. Without that permission then windows won't work I guess. I don't like being spyed on and XP does that. Someone who sells computer stuff to the public told me recently that XP stands for X-tra Problems. I am not sure just what he meant. Maybe others could tell you better than I could about that. I also seem to remember that it won't accept device drivers that are not licensed(for a fee) by Microsoft. That it deliberately distorts MP3 audio from non licensed players. A bunch of wierd stuff that I have no personal experience with. I don't even know how much of that stuff was implemented in the release. Just reading about it bugged me though.

[philetus]

If your not a gamer, you will just be wasting your money. Your P3 600 will do anything you want.

You will hardly notice any difference.

[XBob]

i'm pleased with win 2k, fast and stable (now) on my amd 2.1 athalon, with 512.

never tried Linux, but very happy it came out, it forced MS to fix it's crap.

[nutmeg]

bump

[Revel]

I have always heard that 2K is stable. But I have also heard that is not the way to go for gaming. Especially if you like to run some old dos bassed stuff for fun. What is your experience with that?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I don't see much difference in capability, although they seem to rate SOYO higher for overclocking!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Got to hit the sack!

Work to do tomorrow!

[John Lenin]

Maybe others could tell you better than I could about that. I also seem to remember that it won't accept device drivers that are not licensed(for a fee) by Microsoft. That it deliberately distorts MP3 audio from non licensed players.

Not true, if your drivers are not authorized for XP it will tell you and install them if you say yes, if your hardware is name brand and not older than 3-4 ears old there is probably an XP driver out for it. The MP3 story is a myth.

[tomkat]

(oops, meant to post this, not FReepmail it ...)   

[TheJollyRoger]

Check out barebones systems at pcinfinity.net. They have the LOWEST prices I have ever seen. You can get a barebones system...plug your drives, etc. into it, and you're done.
All just for a few hundred bucks. A MOBO and CPU will cost $200, or so, and you still need a hefty power supply, more fans, etc., etc.

Good luck and good FREEPING!

[mdmathis6]

i think she meant 256meg..lol lol

[mdmathis6]

maxtors max blast sotware for formatting drives will also partition the drive for you as well in any flavor you choose. Besure to format to ntfs if you are installing winxp

[HAL9000]

I use Photoshop. Flash, Illustrator, etc., often and am looking to boost performance.

In general, most computer users would be better off using a Mac.

For the applications you're using, a Mac is especially recommended.

[George from New England]

"i think she meant 256meg..lol lol"

FYI. I still have a running computer that only has 64K. It runs the house...at 2 MHz.