CPU & Motherboard query

Hi everyone.

I have my PC for nearly 5 years now, it is running XP Pro and is getting rather slow, even after I run through my services and startup, but unfortunately for me, I've got to try and make ends meet for a while and can't afford to buy a new computer, I have a HP Pavillion 741.uk

I would like to upgrade my CPU to something faster, the current one is an Intel Pentium 4 2.00 Ghz Socket 478 with 8 kilobyte primary memory cache and 512 kilobyte secondary memory cache. Now, I realise that CPU's will only work with certain Motherboards, but I'm having trouble with this part. I find all this information about my motherboard, and then when I check google, it says something else!

The information links I have are:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=nph07836#nph07836_7x1
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=bph07531

and I have this from my belarc advisor report:

Board: Hewlett-Packard HP System Board HP P/N
Serial Number: (I'm not publishing that )
Bus Clock: 400 megahertz
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD VI31312 04/30/2002

Can somebody please either:

A.) Tell me for certain what motherboard I have so that I can find compatability lists.

B.) Give me the specs of what sort of CPU I require.

C.) Guide me on how I find out this sort of information properly for myself so that I know how for the future.

I'm sorry if I seem such a n00b, but I only recently became intrested in hardware, I love PC's. I'm 13 you see, so I'm trying to work as hard as I can, learn as much as possible.

Thank you for your time.

 

From the HP link you provided, the 741.uk has an FIC VI31 Motherboard, running the SIS650 chipset. This limits you to a 400mhz FSB.

Unfortunately, I cant see any CPU purchase being worthwhile in your case. Anything you can get will be overpriced, and not increase your performance in a noticeable amount. Since the max supported is a 2.4ghz p4 with the same FSB as you currently have, its nearly pointless to upgrade.

Save some money towards a new system, you can get something loads better then you have now for relatively cheap.

 

Thank you. Unfortunately, I only have a £100 budget to upgrade my PC, so I can either:

A.) Kepp saving up to get a new PC (Aprox another 1 & 1/2 years)

B.) Save to get a new motherboard AND CPU (Aprox 6 months)

C.) Get a new CPU anyway and see how overclocking goes. (Aprox a few days for delivery)

 

either A or B in your choice could be feasible. I fear that with C you will be disappointed, since trying to overclock a 400FSB P4 with pc2100 RAM is not only difficult due to motehrboard and RAM limitations, it also means buying more sufficient cooling, and on the chance you fry your CPU or motherboard, you're out of a computer until you can afford a new one.

I think you'll want a complete upgrade, so start saving up. Putting a new motherboard into your HP case likely wont fit, you'll need a new power supply, and new RAM, all in addition to the new CPU and Motherboard.

Start savin up, keep the money aside if you can. And dont buy anything until you have enough for everything-- if you buy components when you can afford them, you'll be annoyed as you watch them drop in price before you have a complete system.

 

OK, thank you. I'll stick with sppeding my system up with software solutions. And by the way, I upgraded my ram, I'm using PC2700 - DDR 333

 

Actually, I've gotten that Wrong, I mixed it up, and am infact using PC2100 RAM