Looking to upgrade processor, need some advice.

I'm currently running CoX on an Emachine, budget gamer here. Looking to upgrade the processor and see if that helps out my frame rates some, I'm assuming my current system's bottleneck is the CPU and not the ram or graphics card. Anyways, here is my pitiful rig.

http://support.gateway.com/emachines...L1200sp2.shtml

The current processor is an AMD Athlon 2650e, 1600 mhz. Judging by this article:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...5012625AAZEnUT

I should be able to use this processor.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-Athlon-X2-48...item3cac7513d8

Am I right in thinking this? Or is there something else I'm overlooking? It's been a long, long time since I've messed around inside a PC, and even longer since I replaced a processor. Any advice to quell second guessing myself would be wonderful.

Thanks in advance!

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Well your GPU is an integrated chip which almost guarantees it's borrowing memory from your system and lowering performance. If I were to upgrade anything, that would be the first thing I changed. Integrated chips are pretty non-optimal for gaming. Unfortunately, that doesn't look to even be an option as you don't have a slot to put an actual video card in. At least according to the specs you cite. Whether a CPU will help you all that much is debatable. It may help some but I doubt you'll see much improvement if any. Given the nature of your machine, I'd save the money and look towards getting a proper replacement system.

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The reason I mention upgrading the processor is that CoX eats almost all of the CPU in my Task Management. I do have a PCI Express x1 slot, and have found a card to fit in it. However, I'm looking at upgrading the card to an ATI 4400 something and still having a 1.6ghz processor. A new machine is out of the question, but slow upgrades over time are doable.

So, back to the original question: Will the CPU I listed fit in my socket/motherboard combo and work if the socket type, wattage and class all match the motherboard? Are there any other specs I need to be looking for?

Ram will be the next thing I add, followed by the GPU at the end. I'm not looking to run Ultra Mode, but to get an FPS above 12 in the Rogue Isles.

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Changing a CPU in a pre-built has a whole list of possible things that can go wrong.

1) Will the BIOS in the system recognize the new CPU? If what you have installed already is truly an AMD Athlon 64 2650e (which you can confirm with a utility like CPU-Z) then it's a good sign (but not a guarantee) that it'll recognize the AMD Athlon X2 4850e because the 4850e came out before the 2650e.

2) Will there be a problem with power requirements or heat dissipation. The 4850E is a 45 watt part where the 2650e is rated at 15 watts. The system specs you linked to does say it could handle up to a 45 watt part so that should probably be OK. Then comes the question about cooling. Since we have no idea if that system can support a standard AMD cooler that would come with 4850E or if you would be forced to reuse the one attached to the 2650e, I can't tell if this would be a problem or not, there is no info on cracking open the system.

3) Going from a single core to a dual core CPU will require a complete reinstall of the OS. There is low level parts of the OS that are different for single core Vs multi core. Otherwise you will just have a faster single core.

And these are the potential problems I can think of off hand. And while kicking the clock speed up 50% and adding a 2nd core could help with your performance not sure by how much.

As for the GPU, the PCIex1 and the slim line case design will greatly limit your choices and performance potential of any add in video card. NewEgg does have two different HD 4350s that fit the requirements but the are very expensive ($110) relative to their performance. GPU wise either would be faster than an integrated 6150SE but the interface is equivalent to a little less than AGP1x could wipe out that advantage.

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Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components

Tempus unum hominem manet

Thanks for the reply, Father Xmas. #3 is a deal breaker for me, too much work for a dual core. I'll keep looking for a moderately faster single core (I had found a 2.5 ghz, but it was out of stock.) and try and find a graphics card update as well. If my car's transmission and drive shaft hadn't just failed this month, I wouldn't even be trying to get this internet machine to limp along. But that auto work pretty much ate all my tax refund and then some...

While I'm here, where would be a decent place to find some machines that give you some great bang for your buck? I've always looked at IBuyPower, but have never really heard if they're trust worthy machines. Whenever I find myself with some money again, I'd really be interested in getting a "decent" machine for CoX.

(Decent for me is textures and draw distance... the bells and whistles of shadows and Ultra mode are just extra frosting on the cake as far as I'm concerned.)

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In all honestly, save your money to buy a better basic box. One that can take full size cards, standard power supplies and have at least a PCIx16 slot.

Yes that doesn't really help when you don't have a lot of cash but CPU overhauls on pre-built store bought computers are just disasters waiting to happen IMO.

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Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components

Tempus unum hominem manet