processor vs memory

flex22 · 02-23-2008, 08:20 AM

hi guy's
I have this processor 2.8 Prescott HT my question since these are no longer been made.
the 478 my only option to up grade is my memory which with this board will take 4Gb will
maxing out my ram be just as good as in replacing the processor

rjs735 · 02-23-2008, 10:29 AM

If your workload is CPU intensive then not. If your workload is memory intensive then yes. The only sure way is to determine your load by some bench marking.

All pratical purposes adding ram is the less expensive solution. There are some 478 chips floating around they may not be brand new but they work and are cheap.

flex22 · 02-23-2008, 10:41 AM

so it sounds like a combination of both?

if speed becomes an issue or if i need to open a lot of things or have them running in the back ground.
oh boy

rjs735 · 02-23-2008, 10:59 AM

You got it. Memory is pretty cheap and you know what your demands are.
Up the memory and see if it improves your particular workload.

jaketerminate · 02-25-2008, 10:58 AM

Itll help a lot but your processor processes the information your ram can hold so youll still be processing the information at the same speed but youll have more room to work with. But itll still increase the performance of your system.

flex22 · 02-25-2008, 05:58 PM

same speed? but i will be able to open more things at a time?so will it aloud me to have more thing and get to them faster.

ctal · 02-25-2008, 06:32 PM

XP is pretty good at managing available memory in an intelligent manner. I don't think that going from 1 gB to 2 gB will make much of a difference, unless you are the type of user that has a zillion things open at once.

If I were you I would look into buying a faster 478 cpu on eBay. A while back I bought a P4 3.2C there for not a lot of money, which worked out very nicely for me. The "C" series (800 Mhz fsb) Northwoods will probably overclock better than the Prescott's, also, because they run cooler at stock speeds.

I think that as a general rule, everything else being equal, cpu speed should be considered to be much more important than memory size or memory speed.

Regards,
-- Al

jaketerminate · 02-26-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flex22

same speed? but i will be able to open more things at a time?so will it aloud me to have more thing and get to them faster.

It will give your apps more breathing room to work with and yes this will increase overall system performance and allow you to run programs a little faster. As for multitasking a good processor will help but i still recommend upgrading the ram.

02-23-2008, 08:20 AM	#1
flex22 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,139	processor vs memory hi guy's I have this processor 2.8 Prescott HT my question since these are no longer been made. the 478 my only option to up grade is my memory which with this board will take 4Gb will maxing out my ram be just as good as in replacing the processor __________________ Motherboard ASUS P4P800 Deluxe 1016 Bios Processor 2.8 E Prescott Memory 2x512 xms corsair PC3200 samsung 80GB wd120JB l o/s XP PRO l X-Dreamer-case PC2 P4 1.8 o/s Win2K l 2x512 PC2700 l
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02-23-2008, 10:29 AM	#2
rjs735 Virus? What I am not sick Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,825	Re: processor vs memory If your workload is CPU intensive then not. If your workload is memory intensive then yes. The only sure way is to determine your load by some bench marking. All pratical purposes adding ram is the less expensive solution. There are some 478 chips floating around they may not be brand new but they work and are cheap. __________________ Asus P4S8x 2.0 Ghz Celeron Ram 512MB WDC 80GB HD SATA WDC 80GB SATA Memorex DUAL DVD/RW Win98SE/XP pro Asus P2b-F Cel 450 Ram 256MB W98 SE Optorite CDRW WD 40GB Asrock P4combo P4 346 Xp Pro Sp 3 SATA HD SATA DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 XP Media SP2 Sata HD Sata DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 Xp SP2 Asrock 775Dual 550 Xp pro SP2 IBM T23 1.3hz RAM 512MB XP pro SP2 All systems are networked Konica Minolta Color Laser Samsung clp-315 Color laser Dlink 655 Dlink G650 Wireless
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02-23-2008, 10:41 AM	#3
flex22 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,139	Re: processor vs memory so it sounds like a combination of both? if speed becomes an issue or if i need to open a lot of things or have them running in the back ground. oh boy __________________ Motherboard ASUS P4P800 Deluxe 1016 Bios Processor 2.8 E Prescott Memory 2x512 xms corsair PC3200 samsung 80GB wd120JB l o/s XP PRO l X-Dreamer-case PC2 P4 1.8 o/s Win2K l 2x512 PC2700 l
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02-23-2008, 10:59 AM	#4
rjs735 Virus? What I am not sick Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,825	Re: processor vs memory You got it. Memory is pretty cheap and you know what your demands are. Up the memory and see if it improves your particular workload. __________________ Asus P4S8x 2.0 Ghz Celeron Ram 512MB WDC 80GB HD SATA WDC 80GB SATA Memorex DUAL DVD/RW Win98SE/XP pro Asus P2b-F Cel 450 Ram 256MB W98 SE Optorite CDRW WD 40GB Asrock P4combo P4 346 Xp Pro Sp 3 SATA HD SATA DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 XP Media SP2 Sata HD Sata DVD/RW Foxconn 925EX 550 Xp SP2 Asrock 775Dual 550 Xp pro SP2 IBM T23 1.3hz RAM 512MB XP pro SP2 All systems are networked Konica Minolta Color Laser Samsung clp-315 Color laser Dlink 655 Dlink G650 Wireless
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02-25-2008, 10:58 AM	#5
jaketerminate Maximum Post Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: CT Posts: 788	Re: processor vs memory Itll help a lot but your processor processes the information your ram can hold so youll still be processing the information at the same speed but youll have more room to work with. But itll still increase the performance of your system.
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02-25-2008, 05:58 PM	#6
flex22 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,139	Re: processor vs memory same speed? but i will be able to open more things at a time?so will it aloud me to have more thing and get to them faster. __________________ Motherboard ASUS P4P800 Deluxe 1016 Bios Processor 2.8 E Prescott Memory 2x512 xms corsair PC3200 samsung 80GB wd120JB l o/s XP PRO l X-Dreamer-case PC2 P4 1.8 o/s Win2K l 2x512 PC2700 l
(Offline)

02-25-2008, 06:32 PM	#7
ctal Eschews Obfuscation Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 1,317	Re: processor vs memory XP is pretty good at managing available memory in an intelligent manner. I don't think that going from 1 gB to 2 gB will make much of a difference, unless you are the type of user that has a zillion things open at once. If I were you I would look into buying a faster 478 cpu on eBay. A while back I bought a P4 3.2C there for not a lot of money, which worked out very nicely for me. The "C" series (800 Mhz fsb) Northwoods will probably overclock better than the Prescott's, also, because they run cooler at stock speeds. I think that as a general rule, everything else being equal, cpu speed should be considered to be much more important than memory size or memory speed. Regards, -- Al
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