Just how easy..?

[Zeppelin]

At the mo i've got a P11 266, but have seen in PC World an upgrade to P4 1.7 for just over £100. .So question is -

a) is it worth it?. .b) is it really simply a case of pulling old one out and slotting in the new one?. .c) would this upgrade fry all my old remaining bits?

Thanks in advance for any advice/tips

[Tinstaafl]

You will need a new motherboard as well as the P4 CPU. Also new memory & probably new power supply with a higher capacity.

Cooling might be a problem so also think about fans.

[ORAC]

If you know what you are doing and want to mix and match components and know how to sort out any conflicts, it's worth it. But, to get the most out the new CPU, you would undoubtedly need a new AGP video card, a DVD drive, 40Gb+ HDD etc - as well as the new PC2100 memory.

If not, you are better off buying a new machine off the shelf from someone like Dell. It will all work together and have a full warranty and will be cheaper than you buying all the parts and putting them together (they get a lot better price on the parts than you do!!).

Any remaining components in your 266 are probably reaching the end of their life anyway. Give it a ceremonial funeral in the nearest skip.

[ 23 February 2002: Message edited by: ORAC ]</p>

[allthatglitters]

I think you may have got it slightly wrong, from what I understand it's not possible to upgrade your PII 266 to a P4 1.7 just by changing the cpu. Your current machine is something like 4 years old, and with the technology and components to match.. .If you are now contemplating a replacement machine don't skip your old machine, as many members here may testify, there are times when the trusty beast comes into its own when the latest technology crashes for no apparent reason, and you wish to post here and there for help.

[ 24 February 2002: Message edited by: All That Glitters ]</p>