Is it worth it?

davehallows · 26 Nov 2010 at 11:04

Hi all

Please excuse my limited knowledge but I am attempting to upgrade my processor and needed some expert advice. I have an old pc that is getting somewhat bogged down with new software and anti virus etc. It is a Intel(R) Celeron(R) D CPU 3.33GHz processor with 3072MB running XP Home 32-Bit.

Due to the age of the motherboard-ECS P4M890T-M I think the only available possible upgrade is a Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 (B2) (65W) 2.13 GHZ. Would I be recommended to upgrade to this new cpu and could I overclock it to a similar level?

I'd be extremely grateful for any advice.

Thanks
David

DragonQ · 26 Nov 2010 at 11:19

Are you thinking of buying used? If not, I'd say that definitely wasn't worth it. You could get a new AM2+ board and Athlon II X4/Phenom II X2 for not much more (assuming your existing RAM is DDR2 and thus compatible).

cmndr_andi · 26 Nov 2010 at 12:28

As you say, the E6420 (B2) (65W) is the best CPU that will work in that motherboard. It will not overclock to the same clockspeed as your Celeron D - but as this is a newer generation architecture even at 2.13GHz it will be significantly faster than a 3.33GHz Celeron D. The E6400 is also worth a look.

You will only be able to find these CPUs second-hand these day - but that should be fine so long as the seller is well respected, since these CPUs are pretty hardy. I would expect to pay less than £50 for one of these.

PhoenixUK · 26 Nov 2010 at 12:33

50quid for e6420 I wouldn't bother, better just sell it and get AM2+ or AM3 2nd hand for the price.

davehallows · 26 Nov 2010 at 20:01

They seem to be pretty cheap on the auctions and as I'm not looking to start any major overhaul this answer suits me great. Thanks to everyone who replied, much appreciated.

Dave