The Upgrading of a 5 Year Old PC

[Miker]

I just thought I would make a post to tell you all what I am doing. If you have any ideas please tell me them, your input would be appreciated.

Mobo: Abit AI7
Upgrade: None

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz Prescott 478
Upgrade: -replace- Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.4GHz Gallatin
Time: Soon as I find a good source.
*Edit* Will work with MoBo.

Ram: CORSAIR XMS 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Upgrade: -Add- CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Time: X-Mas

Graphic: EVGA GeForce 6800 128M
Upgrade: -replace- XFX 7950GT 512M AGP
Time: Done

SoundCard: Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS-Gold
Upgrade: None

PSU: Enermax 500W
Upgrade: None

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 (Blue)
Upgrade: Fans
Time: Done

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2435.jpg
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2436.jpg
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2437.jpg

New keyboard and mouse. Love my trusty Altec Lansings, I am a sound freak and love them...
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2434.jpg

My record collection so far at the age of 17.
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2356.jpg

[PP Mguire]

Thats gonna be a really nice computer.Im deffanitely liking the Copper Tower 112. If i was you though, id try and find another Corsair XMS 1gig stick to go 3gig of ram and max out your AGP aperature. I always found that having more ram in AGP systems works really well.

[Miker]

I will have 3g total, 1 matched set of 512m and one matched set of 1g. See how I say -add- not -replace-.

I don't like the Copper tower, it is to heavy and stresses the Mobo alot. Also I had to mod the MoBo for it to fit. A new heatsink mount is on the way so I can put on my Zalman Sunburst.
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=DSCN2445.jpg

Game Pictures
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=hl22.jpg
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=css.png
Settings at 1280x1024, 6x anti on HL2-ep2
http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/?action=view&current=css2.png

[PP Mguire]

Ohh well when it said upgrade i didnt know if you where going to just add the 2gig set or not. In that case awesome!

Are those pics with the 7950 or 6800? I flat out max the game out with my 7950GT. I dont use the in game AF or AA instead i use the CP and use 16xAF and 8xSAA. Game looks really good actualy.

Wanna get rid of that tower? I wouldnt mind putting it to use in my machine :)

[Miker]

7950GT, you have a super version though. I never tried the CP method, looks so good as is, why bother? You also have a better CPU then me. The tower is missing all mounting hardware, I will keep it around for a while.

I try the CP method later, do I turn off in game AA and AF? 150-200FPS as is... High AA will make it like 110FPs prob.

[Sadasius]

Smart move to take out the copper tower. I am sure it is heavy. That Zalman replacement is an excellent choice and will probably serve you better in more ways then one.

[slugbug]

Yeah that Tower 112 weighs over 3lbs :jawdrop:

[PP Mguire]

7950GT, you have a super version though. I never tried the CP method, looks so good as is, why bother? You also have a better CPU then me. The tower is missing all mounting hardware, I will keep it around for a while.

I try the CP method later, do I turn off in game AA and AF? 150-200FPS as is... High AA will make it like 110FPs prob.Lol super version? Yea i suppose so, its really taking the clocks but i did that with my 7800GS as well. HL2 isnt really demanding anymore. But the reason to use the CP is cause HL2 only lets you go up to 6x but you can use 8xS and gama correct/Transparency AA. Trust me, HL2 looks beautiful. Also, when i played this game i was still using the 3000+ which im sure that EE wil lknock the socks off of.

Yea just turn off the in game, go into the CP and turn it on in there. It does work, also with the 7950 you can use AA and HDR in Oblivion as well. Even with my "super" 7950 i get kinda jinky maxed out 144x900.

And im using a Silent Tower so i have all the mounting things but since you dont wanna get rid of it thats cool.

[Miker]

I would only do it if you got my old P4 + the heatsink... I might just save them for a PC for my GF.

[Miker]

I am not going to overclock it at all. All my parts are on the edge as is... 3.4ghz EE P4, 7950GT AGP...

[PP Mguire]

Nah thats fine, i DO have a Silent Tower after all. And you dont have to OC. I played all games maxed when i had this thing barely OCed. You shouldnt have to.

[Miker]

I would hate to blow that processor... so hard to find one.

There are stories of people overclocking it to 6.5-7GHz on chilled cooling with a 3.4GHz EE P4...

[PP Mguire]

Yea its a monster OCer actualy. With todays processors and the protection from overheating i really doubt you could blow it though.

[Sadasius]

I would hate to blow that processor... so hard to find one.

There are stories of people overclocking it to 6.5-7GHz on chilled cooling with a 3.4GHz EE P4...

Yeah 478 pin Pentium 4's are harder to find all the time. I don't think you can get any new anymore but then again I have not really shopped around for any. I have a back up one that is a 3.0 in case I blow this one. I went to one store here and they don't even sell the motherboards for these anymore.

[Miker]

Found a guy with 3 OEM 3.4ghz EEs...

[PP Mguire]

How much does he want for them?

[Miker]

$250 each... That is new OEM, not pulled. Pulled ones go for like $150...

[PP Mguire]

Oh wow, im gonna have to see if i have my 478 board still. Is he selling to everybody?

[Miker]

Just got the last one off of him... :-)

Can't wait!

[PP Mguire]

Oh well thats lame!! GL with the CPU though :)

[Miker]

Ok, I want to try to overclock my 2.8ghz before the EE comes in. What should I set things at? I don't want to blow anything, and don't want to have it be unstable. I can use the OC tool or BIOS, your pick.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o81/mikerider123/oc.jpg

*Also, I have a 7950GT AGP so I don't want to overclock that at all*

Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Family: 15
Model: 3
Stepping: 3

-------CPU Cache Info-------
Cache Size Assoc Line Size
L2: 1024 8 64
TC: 12 8 -
ITLB: 64 - -
DTLB: 64 - -

-------CPU Features Available-------
CPUID: Supported
CMOVcc: Supported
RDTSC: Supported
MMX: Supported
SSE: Supported
SSE-2: Supported
DAZ: Supported
Hyper-Threading: Supported

-------Hyper-Threading-------
Status: HT enabled and available
Physical Processors: 1
Logical Processors: 2
Logical per Physical: 2

[werty316]

Before proceeding make sure you have ample cooling.

I prefer overclocking in the BIOS; overclocking is plain and simple, all you need to do is increase the FSB.

[Miker]

My 3 pound cooler of death will do... :help:

So what do I need to do? What changes... To voltages or whatever...

[werty316]

You could adjust the CPU voltage now or wait until your overclock becomes unstable.

[Miker]

Do you have to up everything? or can you up just a little...

[werty316]

If you increase the FSB and you coomputer is unstable, increase the CPU voltage until its stable and don't forget to watch your temperatures to since those Prescott run hot.

[Miker]

Suggested incroments for Voltage, and what to set FSB at?

[Miker]

b1 AGP aperture? How CPU talks to AGP... Is higher better?
b2 Init Display? Boot of PCI or AGP first...
b3, explain to me

Bad time to do this... My PC just started hiccuping like it used to? Every 5-10 seconds it "sticks" for like 1/10th a second, but the frame rate doesn't drop at all. I didn't touch anything in Bios before this happened. It happens in CS:S, Windows and Firefox; all programs.

[Miker]

It kept getting worse and worse, some virus I guess, did a system restore and it went away...

[Miker]

It came back... Going back a restore doesn't fix it. I am going to leave it over night and deal with it tomorrow.

[Miker]

Re-seated and switched around Ram, re-seated SATA, re-seated graphic card... The more this happens I think it is hardware not solfware. It is not just graphics that is messed up it is the whole PC, no matter what I do it jumps.

[PP Mguire]

Idk abut your problem but i cn explain your pictures.

1st is the AGP Aperature. Thats how much RAM you will allow your video card to use of your systems RAM. Think of it like a Windows Pagefile except used for video ram. I really doubt that 512mb on your card will be used so just leave it at 128mb.

2nd is what card do you want to boot up with. If you have a PCI card you can use that option to use a PCI card instead of an AGP. Stick with AGP.

3rd that is your overclocking options basicaly. What you have highlighted is what you need to increase to make your CPU go faster. Like it says, the higher the number the higher that estiamted CPU clock number will be. Im taking a wild gues (becasue of whats under it) THat cpu power supply is your vcore voltage. You adust that in increments of 0.1 (if you can) at a time. I would also put your AGP voltage up to 1.6. I found my AGP cards where always more stable that way.

[Miker]

My PC fixed itself, don't you love that? It is set at PCI atm, I will mess with Bios once I flash it. I am on Bios v1.0.0.

[PP Mguire]

Thats fine, it will just default to AGP but im OCD about that kinda stuff.

[Sadasius]

My PC fixed itself, don't you love that? It is set at PCI atm, I will mess with Bios once I flash it. I am on Bios v1.0.0.

Yeah when I installed the new 7950 GT it set the Bios at PCI as well with the older driver. I noticed it right away. That's cool you computer fixed itself. If your looking to do some OC'ing let us know. Give you step by step instructions if need be. I would not worry about blowing that CPU unless you go crazy with voltages. If I was you I would leave the voltages alone and see how far you can get to stabilize at the regular voltage settings. I have blown a P4 2.0 awhile back by playing with the voltages.

[Miker]

3.4GHZ EE P4 is in the mail, BIOS is updated waiting for it! I can't wait. What is your 3D Mark Score with 3.41GHz? I really want to compare our systems, almost the same but I will have the real 3.4GHz yours will be overclocked.

[Sadasius]

3.4GHZ EE P4 is in the mail, BIOS is updated waiting for it! I can't wait. What is your 3D Mark Score with 3.41GHz? I really want to compare our systems, almost the same but I will have the real 3.4GHz yours will be overclocked.

Never done a 3DMark bench yet. Only the PCMark05 in my signature which is 4178. I had higher playing around with my RAM timings but it was not stable so I dropped it back down.

[Miker]

Kk, if your system is faster then mine... :bawling:

[Sadasius]

Kk, if your system is faster then mine... :bawling:

I highly doubt that very much when you get your new chip in. Yours will be very much faster because of the larger cache size. Here is my PCMark05 link....I took it without the OC actually and just stock 3.2 as you will see in here. http://service.futuremark.com/orb/resultanalyzer.jsp?projectType=13&XLID=0&UID=11639904