Please help me figure out my upgrade path.

[Poita]

Hi.
I have an old PC that I had built from selected componants. I want to push it just a tiny bit her in specs before I finally do a total upgrade. Maybe in the long run it's not cost effective and i might be better getting a new motherboard etc but i want to see how far I can push my current set up so please help me with some of the confusing details.

Below is a comrehensive spec list of my set up. I used a program called CPU-Z to get more details as I don't have the packaging and manual of some of my coponants. Please read it for exact info.

Basically I have a:

MAINBOARD: Microstart K7N2 motherboard (I think it was called 'K7N2/L'). I bought all my componants here in Korea when I moved here in 2003.

CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2400+. It says 2400+ but the reality is that it is a 1800+. However, the CUP-Z program lists it as running at 1.49.2 Ghz . . . does that mean it 'is' an 1800Ghz processor but idles at 1.49ghz? Anyway that's my cpu.

RAM: I have 3 sticks of 512megs DDR PC2700. I don't know if they are all the same clock speeds/cycle etc as I got the third stick out of a pc someone threw away in my neighborhood (along with a pristine 150 Gig HD hehe)

GRAPHICS CARD: I recently got a graphics card sent to me from the Uk. It's an AGP Radeon HD 4650 1GB. I insntalled the latest 'Catalys' drive and also the 'hotfix' and all seems to be well but since then my pc chugs a bit with internet explorer and some other desktop programs. Can't say why but although my 3D 06' mark went up from 397 points to 2636 there just seems to be something buggy about the way my PC runs. But anyway I know it's as good a card as I'm going to find for an AGP system apart from the 3850 which I couldn't find.

MY AIM: Ok so the powersupply (350w) and all the smaller details are listed below so I'll say what i hope to achieve even though I don't know if it's possible or advisable.
I don't really understand stuff about FSB or clock cycles etc when it comes to the RAM and CPU. I just want to know how far can I push my system as far as getting a faster CPU and as fast and as much RAM as I can that will be compatible with everything else I have. I live in Seoul, South Korea and there is the huge 'Yongsan' computer city near my home which has new and used/old computer vendors by the hundreds so with that plus an online search I'm sure i can get some old componants pretty cheap.
I 'think' the maximum CPU my system can take is an Athlon XP 3200+ or maybe 3400+ and the maxium RAM I can get is 3 Gigs for Windows XP/My motherboard.
So please tell me what the absolute best CPU I can get is with the exact model/spec info (so i dont mess up and buy a similar sounding one) and also what my best ram option is. With the ram I already have 1.5 gigs in 3 sticks of 512megs. I have 3 slots for RAM so would DDR PC 333 or higher make any difference from the PC2700??? If not then should I keep two 512 meg sticks of PC2700 in two slots then find a 2GB stick and put it in the third slot for the total of 3 GB. Or should I replace it all with a higher grad RAM.
My goal is to squeeze as much power out of my system as I can without going mental on the price. I guess cause all those things are already old then 'if i can find them' they should be pretty cheap.

I'm sorry for the long post but I wanted to be as thorough as possible. I know some my reply that I should just get a new motherboard etc but thats not an option now so please help me as much as possible to understand what componants i can get and what the increase I would get would be.

I have a 30 inch monitor and I don't play games hardcore but do like to play a bit. i want to do video editing with Pinacle but when I go to 'make movie' and try to save it as an MP4 it is taking 10 hours to save a 20 minute edit.

Thank's in advance for any advice.



MOTHER BOARD.
Microstar K7N2 MS-6570 (I think the package used say ‘K7N2/L’
*(bought in Korea as with the rest of my components except the graphics card.)
Bios version 6.00 PG
Rev. A2
CPU.
AMD Athlon XP 2400+ (1800+ . . . listed by CPU-Z as 1491.2HHz)
Socket A (462)
Rated FSB 198.9 MHz

RAM.
Type: DDR
Size: 1536 MBytes ( 3 sticks of 512 DDR PC 2700)
DRAM Frequency: 165.8 MHz

GRAPHICS CARD.
AMD/ATI Radeon HD 4650 1GB
Clocks: Core 600 MHz, Memory 400 MHz
Memory: 1024 MBytes (as listed by CPU-Z program)

POWER SUPLY.
350w / 230 volt.

HARD DISKS.
60 Gig, 150 Gig, 250 Gig. (all 7200rpm)

OPERATING SYSTEM.
Windows XP Professional service pack 3.

[Guest]

If you are into video encoding/editing you ought to buy a new pc from scratch.

Some multicore cpu and new faster ddr2 ram.

The upgrade path is very limited, as video editing depends on the cpu and number of cores. The one you have is like 5-6 generations old. Like using the abarth model of the 90's. Still a great drive but dramatically old.

I suggest you save enough money to switch to more contemporary equipment.

If your motherboard supports 400mhz fsb, you could try to upgrade it to an Athlon 3000+ (3200+ are rare and cost bomb for really an unnoticeable difference). Btw, your actual cpu could have the wrong fsb set, check if you are going @ 100mhz or 133mhz fsb, either for some jumper setting or bios setting.

Sorry for the bad news.

[Guest]

Just noticed it's an AGP slot for video card, if you change your system it'll be not possible to take it up with it. you need a new card Pci express.

[Marcin]

You can buy Sempron 3300+ (barton core 400 MHz FSB) for about 20 USD shipped. Search for SDA3300DKV4E on eBay/other auction service. Your motherboard with leatest BIOS should support that CPU without any problems.

[Guest]

Thank's for the answers. To be honest I'm surprised to read that the 3200 chip runs at 2200. Isn't that only 400mhz faster than the 1800 I already have? It's annoying that you can go from a great sounding 2400 to an actual 1.49 or a 3200 to 2200 'actual'.
Anyway it seems that I can get a Semperon from $37. So I'd like to give it a try anyway.

What about my RAM option. Below is a bit pasted from the pdf of my mainboard. It says I can use 3 GB of pc 3200. Is that better for me than getting 2 gigs of pc2700 to go witht he gig i already have of that?

CPU
�� Supports Socket A (Socket-462) for AMD Athlon/Athlon XP /Duron
processors @ FSB 100/133/166
�� Supports 600MHz up to Athlon XP 2700+ processor or higher

Chipset
�� NVIDIA nForce2 SPP
- Supports DDR200/266/333/400

Main Memory
�� Supports six memory banks using three 184-pin DDR DIMMs
�� Supports up to 3GB PC3200/2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAMs
�� Supports both 64-bit and 128-bit DDR SDRAM

[Guest]

Search for the 3gb limit of 32 bit systems (i.e. cpus).

You have 1bg + maybe 3gb of ram, out of system handling.
Unless you get a vid card with 0 ram you have to go downa a bit on max ram.

Find some articles and read them, maybe find some about your motherboard spcifically.

That happens because like years ago they weren't talking about gigs of ram, but more chiuaua style kilobytes... so they needed to switch to 64 bit cpus to get a few things higher in tuning this is not the true explanation but a humoristic starter.

Cheers!

[Guest]