I have thousands of dollars of pro audio applications that run on Pentium 4 1.7ghz, but need more juice. If I upgraded to a Core 2 Duo (6400 I'm thinking), should I worry about compatability issues or is this simply a jump in speed and nothing more to stress about?
Plus, all my old games... I'll still want to play Diablo 2 until the cows come home if possible. :)
2006-12-11 06:27:24 · 8 answers · asked by camshiva 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Sorry, should have clarified....
By upgrade I meant a whole new system, not just swapping out the cpu. I know Vista is coming up soon and THAT would be a reason to worry about app compatability, but I wasnt sure about a new cpu architechture(sp?) with the same OS posing a problem.
2006-12-11 06:45:17 · update #1
Yes that would increase the ability of your computer to handle a heavier information load.
But I wouldn't recommend an Intel Core 2 Duo. You are going to have to change the mother board anyhow, so why not go with a nice 64bit AMD dual core, they are a bit more stable and despite the lower clock speed, the bus speed is greater. Meaning your programs can communicate faster and they are comparable in cost to the Intel equivalent.
I would also recommend a ram upgrade with either processor, because editing audio can use up allot of system resources.
2006-12-11 06:37:13 · answer #1 · answered by Peter K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The short answer is yes there will be a boost in speed. Everything you have now will run just fine. You will need a new motherboard for the core 2 duo though. So all you'll need to do after that is just install the drivers that come with the new motherboard on the cd.
Heres a CPU chart so you can see how much of a performance boost you will see when you get the core 2 duo. There is a good range of programs that have tested with the cpus.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html
If you need help designing a whole new system talk to me and I'll try to help you in my spare time.
2006-12-11 06:30:33 · answer #2 · answered by ApplePie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No there is nothing to worry about as far as compatibility, they have they both use x86 architecture, so anything that runs on a Pentium 4 will run on a Core 2 Duo, and of course will run much better since its such a faster processor. I would recommend the E6600 though, has more cache. Lastly, that guy talking about AMD, it is very sad that the AMD people cannot admit that Intel has overtaken them, but its true.
2006-12-11 12:08:00 · answer #3 · answered by mysticman44 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Core 2 Duo uses socket 775, whereas Pentium 4 uses either 775 or 478. You can use Intel's Processor Identification Utility at http://support.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/
From the CPUID Data tab you can see if you have LGA775 packaging, or something else. LGA775 means you are compatible with Core 2 Duo.
2006-12-11 06:43:00 · answer #4 · answered by flobber238 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy a Mobo that supports Twin Dual Core, and is upgradable to 10 gigs of RAM. Then you are looking at some difference.
2006-12-11 06:37:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man Core Duo, you shouldn't have compatibilities issues. if you do updates will be up soon
2006-12-11 06:50:54 · answer #6 · answered by Alex A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would need a new motherboard for the new chip. As for the software, unless you change your OS, your old software should be fine.
2006-12-11 06:36:08 · answer #7 · answered by M 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there is a chance you may need a new motherboard because of the processor socket
2006-12-11 06:33:04 · answer #8 · answered by Ggem 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋