CPU upgrades alone are a bad way to increase PC performance
Question:
Hey, thank you soo much for ur review of the “Story of Stuff”, i had tons of disagreements in mind so i wanted to do some research, but u did a lot of that for me haha. One thing im rly curious about, why cant the CPU just be replaced? is it cuz everything else must be reprogrammed to accomodate it?
Answer:
Why can’t you just replace the CPU to upgrade a computer and improve its speed? In “The Story of Stuff”, we hear that a small corner of a PC (presumably the CPU) is all that would really need to be upgraded in order to get a better-performing PC. I wrote that this example is incorrect – you can’t take an old PC, put in a new CPU, and get great (or even good performance). Here are reasons why I say this:
1) The CPU uses a special type of connector. This connector is where the CPU plugs in to the computers “mainboard”. Over time, these connectors have changed as technology has improved. Newer CPUs can not plug in to older computers – the connectors aren’t the same.
2) Even if you could plug a new PC into an old computer, you have the “bottleneck” issue. “The Story of Stuff” simplified a computer into a mysterious box where replacing one component will noticeably increase performance. This illustrates a big lack of understanding of how a computer works. A CPU is just one part of a PC that needs to function properly for good performance. The other primary parts are the hard drive and memory. If you could put a new CPU into an old computer, your system speed will still be slow because the hard drive and memory are slowing it down. You’d really have to upgrade all three of these aspects before getting a properly-speedy system. And if you’re willing to spend the money to do that, you might as well get a brand new PC anyway.
3) The above point just addresses the primary bottleneck points like CPU, hard drive and memory. There are other secondary (but still important) aspects that need to be upgraded if we want a nicely-performing system. These include system cache (a special kind of memory), and memory speeds (how fast your memory works) and bus speeds (how fast information is transferred from CPU to motherboard to memory).
The short version of everything above: A computer’s performance is not derived from just the CPU. There are many parts just as important to performance as the CPU, and these all need to be addressed when upgrading. Upgrading just a CPU will give only minimal performance gains. Newer CPUs will not work in older PCs.
Ken Latta:
Well, to some degree you’re both wrong on this.
Many motherboards use a standard socket such as LGA775 which supports using a wide range of CPUs. As example, $175 MSI P7N Diamond motherboard.
“Supports Socket 775 for Intel Core2 Extreme, Core2 Quad, Core2 Duo, Pentium XE, Pentium D, Pentium 4 processors and Supports FSB 533/800/1066/1333 MHz and up”
So you’ve not only got a wide range of processors, for each processor type you have many speed options. Jumping from a Pentium 4 to a Core2 Quad is quite a leap. And since processors drop in price it is feasible to upgrade by going to a new cpu and faster (and larger) memory.
Even in a very old (7 years) dual processor PIII Pentium machine, 5 years in I upgraded from 800Mhz processors to 1300 MHz processor that were dirt cheap. Of course your mileage may vary and reusing the cpu fan may be more of a challenge for the average user. Few even get as far as replacing their graphics card though that can be done in almost all PCs. And there are many (sometimes stupid) design tradeoffs when putting a $500 WalMart computer together which make it hard to affordably upgrade.
She also missed adaptions to obsolencence like repurposing PCs, using older machines as file servers and routers when they are not longer fast enough to run the state of the art GUI. Post-Vista upgrades should free up a few machines for this!
28 September 2008, 1:55 amEva Galloway:
My brother just emailed me the “Story of Stuff” video. While I agree with the message, the scare tactics caused me to question some of the details. I found your informative articles when probing for further details.
You made a statement that plays into Ms. Leonard’s message:
“And if you’re willing to spend the money to do that, you might as well get a brand new PC anyway.”
Our consumer world continually tells us not to repair…toss it and buy a new one.
Classic example: I should not have to get a new phone when my battery no longer holds a charge. But the phone store will tell you that the replacement battery costs more than a new phone (uh…with a renewal contract).
“If you’re willing to spend the money [to fix something], you might as well get a brand new [one]” is exactly the mindset that contributes to the problem.
1 July 2009, 7:51 amJkjkhardcore:
I agree with Eva Galloway;
2 July 2009, 6:49 pmThe fact is the processor/motherboard/video cards/ram should be built off of pre-existant systems and should incorporate future systems to save on resources. Yet the big corporations are not reigned in and are allowed, no not just allowed, encouraged to go through this spend spend spend consumption disfunction and thus there are many companies who make a new part better than the old but can only connect to “certain” other parts, and the loser of that would be Us the consumers having to upgrade our computers or buying new ones. While I do think it’s vital that our companies continue researching new better things, the cost of those newer items is out of our consumer pockets.
Same with cell phones, (Actually cell phones are 100x’s worse!) over the years you “Have to” buy new phones you have to buy new installations and services to keep uptodate. Rather than promoting Upgrades to your existing phones they always promote newer better models. it’s ridiculous. how many times do you see(i live in ny) little teens with their side kick or touch phone that has internet access and their viewing youtube videos, or their texting away with their friends? I think it buys into exactly what Annie is saying, happiness is going down and so is our natural resources. While it may be “economically” best for us to continue this path more and more countries are following in our foot steps and when the world is at the point we are right now what happens then?
Demosthenes Locke:
It all depends on how far down you’re willing to go. When you say “CPU” to one person, they think “chip”. Say it to someone else, they think “motherboard”. A third person, they think “that box on my desk”. They don’t get that there’s something inside that can be subdivided, and there may be issues with just replacing that subdivided piece.
As for the chip level — YES, some machines use standardized sockets. But many do not. Especially if you want to go from an Intel chip to a cheaper, but more modern, AMD chip. They don’t necessarily fit the same form factor. And the original answer was correct that OTHER pieces may still keep you from realizing the full potential of even a plug-compatible CPU chip. If you put a 440-horse V8 with a Holly 4-barrel in a 3-speed Pinto, it’s still going run like a 3-speed Pinto. A LOUD 3-speed Pinto, but a 3-speed Pinto. You need a new transmission, a high-performance clutch, and probably a new rear end. And better tires and suspension might help, too.
Now we’re talking “motherboard” level. that’s the circuit board inside that the chips all plug into, and your expansion boards stick up from. It’ll support faster memory, and won’t hold your new, faster processor back from doing it’s best. but you may be able to use most or even all of your old expansion cards, the power supply, drives, and case, without modifying anything. But it’ll cost a bit more. Too much more, or if too many expansion boards are obsolete, and you’ll start thinking about replacing that whole box with a new one.
But you’ll still be able to move your hard drives if they’ve got room in them to spare, perhaps your optical drives, and your monitor may still be ok. And chances are your network card will be ok. Ditto the keyboard and mouse. Unless you’ve changed your needs so much that NONE of the computer meets them anymore, you should be able to keep some of it.
Or if you’re just Johnny Whiz-Bang, and need the biggest, baddest, and newest of everything, throw the old one in the dumper, and buy all new gear as soon as it’s on Engadget. But that’s expensive and wasteful.
22 September 2009, 5:19 pm