Pentium 4 3.2 Northwood

[Dizz]

This is the CPU in my old computer. Currently I have either fried the motherboard, or over-taxed the PSU. (350W and I tried to hook-up a new ATI X1950 Pro...yes, mobo was/is AGP) The motherboard is an ASUS P4C800 Deluxe.

If I have to buy a new motherboard, the only socket type 478 I could find is biostar:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138079

Is it even worth it to try and save the CPU? This computer ran like a champ for all my computer games for three years. I would love to salvage it. (Back when I bought it and incorporated it into my first build...it cost 288$ !!!)

Thanks!

[The Wise Monkey]

Hmm, with your new graphics card your CPU is going to be a major bottleneck for your system.

My advice would be to get one of the cheaper Core 2s out now e.g. the E2140 or the E4400, and get a cheap motherboard as well.

[Dizz]

Durn, that is what I was worried about.

I have just bought parts for a new computer. So I am trying to get some use out of this CPU. It played QW/ET wonderfully, suspected my 1 gig of DDR ram as the culprit for long load times.

[The Wise Monkey]

Hmm, you won't be able to upgrade the RAM if you only have a socket 478 motherboard, as that only supports DDR RAM, and DDR2 is the standard now.

There's no real point to sticking with the older CPU, no matter how good it might be, as the support for it just isn't there any more. You could probably run it for another year or so, but then you would find something that you wanted to play but couldn't.

[Dizz]

Arg!

I just bout a PSU to see if this will fix the computer. If it will not, then I will more than likely go ahead and buy another mobo and cpu to hook up all my old parts. (CPU is water cooled with an old Zalmans reserator)

Now is there a mobo out there that can support AGP and PCIE? If so, could I SLI or Crossfire?

Thanks for the info Monkey!

[The Wise Monkey]

No worries mate, glad to help. :)

You cannot use both AGP and PCI-E at the same time, unfortunately, because they use completely different technology.

I personally see no benefit in using SLI/Crossfire, as it is always slower than having one, single, better card, and is about half as reliable.

Jamie Nixx did a very good review of SLI and posted it in the Video Cards section of these forums - check it out. :)

[Dizz]

No worries mate, glad to help. :)

You cannot use both AGP and PCI-E at the same time, unfortunately, because they use completely different technology.

I personally see no benefit in using SLI/Crossfire, as it is always slower than having one, single, better card, and is about half as reliable.

Jamie Nixx did a very good review of SLI and posted it in the Video Cards section of these forums - check it out. :)

Yessir! Read all up on it. :)

I am trying to use this brand spanking new AGP card, I can't return it! With what I have read, AGP is going down the tubes?

[The Wise Monkey]

Its still a strong force, but the vast majority of cards now are PCI-E.

[Dizz]

Thanks again Monkey! :)