Upgrading your Mass-Market System, Part 1 - What's the Use?
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The first thing you have to do is decide what you’re going to use your computer for. If you're even considering an upgrade it probably means that you want to do more than just surf the web. You’ve either been trying to edit some pictures or been playing a game, and noticed that you computer tends to lag a bit (or a bunch). In some cases, such as with this Pavilion, the computer lags during pretty much all operations. It took about fifteen seconds for the “Control Panel” to load up. Though with the components listed above and the fact that it’s running Windows XP (which demands a bit more processing power than older versions) this slow down is to be expected.
I am upgrading this computer for a guy I know; it's his kids that use it most, however. He just wants it to be zippier, and be able to play games decently. Taking a look at his setup at that time I decided that he needed a faster processor, faster memory, a better mother board, and a better graphics card. All product links provided in this article will lead you to NewEgg.com, a very trustworthy online dealer that has great prices on pretty much all computer hardware. It is where I bought everything for this upgrade.
Getting What We Need
So I started with the main component of the system, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) also known simply as the processor. You first have to decide between AMD or Intel. Certainly, you've heard of Intel’s widely popular Pentium series of CPUs. But just because they are more popular doesn’t mean they are a better choice for you--especially if you're trying to save some cash. I went with an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ “Barton” (that XP has nothing to do with Windows, by the way). Right now as I write this, it’s selling for about $80-85 where as the Intel Pentium equivalent is going for about $135.
Once you’ve decided on a processor you can pick out a motherboard. Since I’ve picked an AMD processor I will have to get an AMD motherboard. Likewise, if you choose Intel you will want to check out the corresponding Intel mother boards. I went with Chaintech’s 7NIF2 or “Summit.” I chose this board for many reasons and after much debate.
Things to look for when choosing your motherboard include the onboard sound capabilities, the onboard LAN (Local Area Network) connection which you would want for high-speed internet, and onboard graphics. I picked the board that I did because of it’s size and because it’s an AMD board, so it supports the CPU I want.
NOTE When purchasing a new motherboard, make sure it's compatible with the processor you want to use. A motherboard built for an Intel Pentium 4 will not work with a processor from AMD, for example.
Second, the motherboard uses the nForce2 chipset, which is known to be fairly reliable. Lastly, because I wanted a board w/ onboard LAN in case the guy I’m building it for decides to start using high-speed Internet in the future. This board also has an AGP slot for a video card (I’ll talk more about AGP later), which not all motherboards have. It’s something to look for if you want to play games on your new computer.
As for which board you should choose, it’s entirely up to you and how much you’re willing to spend. This board set me back about $80 and I would suggest you don’t go too much over or under that for your first attempt. The company you choose will determine not only the quality of the board and it’s components but also the quality of the manual and technical support. Abit, Asus, MSI, Epox, and Chaintech are all pretty reliable companies but if you do your research, such as reading our motherboard reviews or the motherboard section of our forums, you should be able to determine what company is right for you. Also make absolutely sure the motherboard that you pick will fit in the case you have. Most of these store bought computers require a micro-ATX form factor. To learn more about motherboard form factors go here.
Next: Memory, Before I Forget >>
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