Upgrading your Processor

DIY-Computer-Repair can help!

You will find more information on computer upgrading in the Self Computer Repair Unleashed! Manual.

Processor upgrades.

The main reason for upgrading your processor only is for speed. Make your computer process data faster, this is a top down upgrade. Every day processing will go faster, but mainly it is a new program that causes you to realize your system isn't as fast as it used to be. It has not changed, the program is demanding more of the processor than it was designed for.

Considerations - You need to know what processor you have in your system, what speed it is, and what type of socket is on the main board.

If your computer didn't come with a guide that gives you specifications on your system you will have to do some research. You can find out a lot of this information with a tool built into the Microsoft OS, by using Computer Management, under Devices click on the Processors to see what processor is installed. Your can also use the System Info Tool in the Accessories but you will have to decode Microsoft's description.

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Now you know the processor version and speed you have to find out what type of socket the processor is in on the main board. Your processor will only fit one type of socket, if you have a Pentium III processor, Intel came out with what they thought would be a solution to the main board socket problem. Every new processor has more "pins" because each generation has more functionality than the last. This functionality has to have a way to get to the main board with more "pins". Intel introduce a way to keep the amount of pin changes to a minimum with what is know as a "Slot A" socket. This was a good idea until some major manufactures abused the idea by demanding Intel make different types of Slot A cartridges. This increased Intel's manufacturing costs so Intel discontinued the process and went back to the old ZIF socket. These sockets are numbered, each revision of processors have a different socket number.

Intel makes different speeds of the same processor, by having the information of your current processor you may be able to upgrade your system by a large margin.

One thing you have to take into consideration that you can not move from a Pentium III to a Pentium IV or from a Pentium IV to a Dual Core with out changing the mother board.

Today's processors are the most stable processors produced. These newer processors lend themselves to overclocking very easily. Sign up for my Free E-Course in Overclocking to find out how to overclock with out the SMOKE!

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