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[Chippychap Profile]

INTEL® Core 2 Duo E4400 (2 X 2.0GHz) 1066MHz FSB/2MB L2 Cache
Memory (RAM) 2048 MB CORSAIR DDR2 667MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x1GB)
Motherboard ASUS® P5VD2-VM: DDR2, S-ATA II, 1 x PCI-E x16, 2 PCI, etc
Graphics Card 512MB GEFORCE 7300GS (256MB SMA) PCI Express + DVI + TV-OUT
Sound Card Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ Xtreme Audio 7.1: £24


Hi Guys, only thing I've done is uprade to 4GB DDR2 which apparently is as far as it will go.
Are there any options to make it a faster, better machine?
Can you just swap the CPU like you'd add RAM or is it not as simple as that?

What do you reckon guys?

Ken

[augie]

Well, if this is your board then you're at the top of motherboard improvement as you can't put a quad in there and putting in a faster dual will not improve things much, besides spending good money that you don't need to spend.

If you game then maybe a better video card can help out but that might be wasting your money too, I can't say as I don't game. That's a pretty good system as it is IMO. What do you use it for on an average day?

Has it been steadily slowing down? Are you running a lot of programs at startup? Things tend to build up after a while with loads of programs that you may rarely use. How long has it been since a reinstall, if ever? Did it slowdown all of a sudden which might indicate malware? Just throwing out a few of the regular culprits.

[Chippychap Profile]

Hi augie, thanks for that.
I do minor games, but I also sometimes watch DVD's, I also have a TV card.
I guess it's my Broadband connection that is letting me down.
Where I am there is no Sky or cable and stuff gets blocky.
Bless you for your interest.

Ken

[augie]

Is your DVD movie watching also blocky or as techy's call it pixelated? This could very well point to a failing video card. Also, if you suspect your provider for internet speeds then run Speedtest and compare that to the advertised speed, if what you're getting is in or around %80 then your internet speed is fine, do check the speed several times per day to see if there are swings in service. I know nothing about TV cards yet so someone else will have to chime in.

[Chippychap Profile]

It's blocky.
YouTube will stop occasionally whilst the download catches-up with the video playing.
I live in an old house where I have to run the broadband connection via 2 floors of hard wiring
which will never be compensated for.
Just hoping that a more powerful PC could "suck" the internet down the line faster...

[yeshuas]

It's blocky.
YouTube will stop occasionally whilst the download catches-up with the video playing.
I live in an old house where I have to run the broadband connection via 2 floors of hard wiring
which will never be compensated for.
Just hoping that a more powerful PC could "suck" the internet down the line faster...

What are you using to run the broadband that far Cat 5 Cat 6 or are you using the cable from the cable company?

[augie]

Nope, you can't force more down, it's like a constricted water pipe, there's only so much that will flow out the tap. A wiring change is the only way. Sorry.

[Chippychap Profile]

Unfortunately it's their cable.
I tried W/L but it's on the 3rd floor and the phone comes in on the ground.
All the B/B company could offer was to move the PC down to ground level which would
be optimum but not where the machine can go.
The cable is the only way up it seems.
I REALLY appreciate your help guys..

[yeshuas]

Unfortunately it's their cable.
I tried W/L but it's on the 3rd floor and the phone comes in on the ground.
All the B/B company could offer was to move the PC down to ground level which would
be optimum but not where the machine can go.
The cable is the only way up it seems.
I REALLY appreciate your help guys..

How many other connections or cables are connected to the splitter and are there any other splitters on the way down or up?

[Chippychap Profile]

Whooooooaaa, that is a jazzy bit o' kit.
The cable that our lot uses is bell wire beefed up a bit.
Even the cable bringing the phone wire into the house is like the above bell wire.
From the phone socket my PC is on the other end of a hard-wired extension.
The phone wire is the only conduit for B/B and the phone company are loathe to
update their systems just so that I can use another supplier so it's a bit of a catch
22 jobby.
I am SO jealous of the cable used where you live.
Where I used to live I had B/B on a cable connection which was brilliant............but
I had a puny PC..................go figure.