Should I upgrade to new processor or RAM?

[nisargshah95]

Hello, I have a PC with an Intel motherboard with Pentium 4 @ 3.07GHz, 1GB (DDR) RAM and Samsung 80GB hard drive. But I feel my PC works too slow as I have installed many softwares and applications on it. Should I upgrade my RAM? Also, my processor makes a lot of noise while working.

 

[celldweller1591]

If your processor makes a lot of noise, clean out crap from heat sink and fan of the processor. If it makes it again , get it checked by a hardware guy. 80 gb is too less. Upgrade it to atleast 500gb. you will get a good 500gb hdd in rs3000, choice about specs is yours. If you an external one you will get it around 4k easily. installing many programs make computer boot slow coz at startup your pc have to sart all servies that those programs need to run. So goto run>msconfig and shutdown any unncessary startup program. If you wan to upgrade, tell the Budget plz.

 

[Plasma_Snake]

U won't get DDR DIMM easily in today's market and moreover it would be priced atrociously so better save up a bit more and go for a complete system overhaul.

 

[shadez]

U won't get DDR DIMM easily in today's market and moreover it would be priced atrociously so better save up a bit more and go for a complete system overhaul.

+1...
everything depends when you change proccy - mobo, psu, etc. so that means a complete system upgrade.
till then, you could buy a second hand memory, re-install OS and pull on...

 

[burnout.paradise]

pc working slow doesnt mean your hardware is bad. plus for the noise, i'd suggest you to clean up the processor hestsink and fan and check. if noise is still there then get your motherboard/processor checked (as there could be problems with the processor or even the temperature sensors on the motherboard.

after this. please reformat your computer and install windows XP(in case you dont have it already).

please let me know how it performs

A suggestion: this configuration is too old for any kind of modification. like the others mentioned, its better to go for a full pc overhaul if you want to upgrade

 

[Cool Buddy]

If your windows installation has been done long back, that could be causing a problem coz your PC is good enough for regular operations like watching movies, internet surfing, MS Office etc. It shouldn't feel slow in that. as far as upgrade is concerned:

RAM - DDR is no longer available and if available very expensive, wastage of money
Processors - New generation processors are not supported on old motherboards, new motherboards won't support DDR RAM.
change proccy>change mobo>change RAM & HDD = full system upgrade

 

[cute.bandar]

installing many programs make computer boot slow coz at startup your pc have to sart all servies that those programs need to run. So goto run>msconfig and shutdown any unncessary startup program.

Do this. Control your startup applications / services . I use winpatrol to disable startup programs and services.

Also 1Gb ram is more than enough IMO . you will not feel much difference by adding more ram , if you are using xp , which you probably are (i guess) .

 

[burnout.paradise]

+1
common reason for slow pc is too many apps running in background. please uninstall whatever software that you dont use regularly... hardware is sufficient

 

[nisargshah95]

I have an Intel D915GVWB motherboard, which doesn't seem to be too old, and I cannot afford to go for a full system overhaul because my parents will not allow (I'm just 14 yrs.), so i think I'll try cleaning up my heatsink and fan and check again. I have also disabled the startup programs which I don't want through msconfig. Thanks all for your advice!

 

[Gauravs90]

My case is same like you, I have same processor, same motherboard, and my parents will also not allow me to upgrade. But my RAM is DDR2. Check the type of your ram by installing everest home edition.
What you can do is clean the heat sink and reinstall xp if you know how to do it.
Or use linux like ubuntu which runs seamlessly on P4.

 

[coderunknown]

I have an Intel D915GVWB motherboard, which doesn't seem to be too old, and I cannot afford to go for a full system overhaul because my parents will not allow (I'm just 14 yrs.), so i think I'll try cleaning up my heatsink and fan and check again. I have also disabled the startup programs which I don't want through msconfig. Thanks all for your advice!

i'll simply advice. if ram is DDR2, add 1 Gb more. or if you can't upgrade ram. maybe your motherboard got only 2 slots & both are filled. get a 8400GS card from Sparkle. 256Mb DDR2. search in market, you'll find it. will cost 1.5k. add it. and your system will run flawlessly.

 

[Cool Buddy]

A few tips. after you reinstall XP, install CCleaner or tuneup utilities. clean the temporary folders & registry once a week or so. defragment your hard drive once a month. use tuneup or ccleaner to monitor startup entries and remove unwanted ones. Use total uninstall or revo uninstaller to remove programs you don;t need. Use a good antivirus like ESET or Avira. be careful while browsing the internet. Use Firefox in place of IE. don't click suspicious links, verify the target of the link before clicking. For instance, hover over the following link to see where it takes you www.google.com. Just an exapmle, in case you are not aware of these things.

Also, scan pen drives before using them, disable autorun of all devices.