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Can I upgrade this OEM computer?

TurtleCrusher

TurtleCrusher

Lifer
My brother helped my parents buy a new computer, and game them the worst option possible. A socket AM2/3 single core Athlon 2 computer. Here's the link to the site.

Can I drop in a CPU upgrade, like a dual core or a tri-core AM2+/AM3 processor? What are some good options? I'd hate to have them take this back. This computer needs to last.

Current Processor

The motherboard is a NAARA5 variety.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: The site says the 170u is a dual core, when it is NOT a dual core. CPUID/CPUz says 1 core, as well as task manager. WTH. These ******s are false advertising.
 
With a 250w power supply, would a 95w Athlon X3 be too much of a power hog?

Also, the CPU is running at 1.68V, at 800mhz. Realtemp doesn't support this cpu.

1.68V is absurdly high I would suppose. This is a low power CPU I think. WTH is going on here?
 
That's an AM2+ board so you can use even the Phenom II x4's being that they have both DDR3 and DDR2 memory controllers.

Phenom II x3 740 @ 3ghz is a good deal right now but that PSU is not going to cut it, I'd stick with a low power x2 to be safe.
 
http://www.costcentral.com/proddetai...13GM/11217001/

This claims the 170u is a dual-core.

Edit: CPU-World claims it's a single core, I trust CPU-World.

OP, bring the computer back to best buy, and show them that it's a single-core, and tell them that you paid for a dual-core, and they had better make it right. Could get them to offer you a discount if it is a single-core. Probably enough of a discount to buy a cheap dual-core CPU online or at MC.
 
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VirtualLarry said:
http://www.costcentral.com/proddetai...13GM/11217001/

This claims the 170u is a dual-core.
http://forums.anandtech.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=30808877
Edit: CPU-World claims it's a single core, I trust CPU-World.

OP, bring the computer back to best buy, and show them that it's a single-core, and tell them that you paid for a dual-core, and they had better make it right. Could get them to offer you a discount if it is a single-core. Probably enough of a discount to buy a cheap dual-core CPU online or at MC.
Click to expand...


That's weird... according to AMD's site, the 160u is a Dual core...

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desk...ocessor-model-numbers-feature-comparison.aspx

It doesn't seem to have the 170u 🙁

I would fire up the BIOS and check the options are all set correctly.
 
How long has it been? The 170u, from what I can find, is a single core. If thats the case take it back to bestbuy and get a refund.
 
VirtualLarry said:
No, look carefully. The 160u has only 1MB L2 cache, while all others in that section have 2MB. Since the L2 cache is per-core, that indicates to me that it's a single-core CPU.
Click to expand...


That and also the cpu number.

1xx = single core
2xx = dual core
4xx = triple core
6xx = quad core
 
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bi...Document.jsp?objectID=c01701270&printver=true claims it'll support any AM2+ CPU with 95W tdp or less.

With that said, I'd say best option is to get a cheap celeron/pentium + mb combo from your local Fry's, since you are lucky enough to have one nearby, and replace it. It'd be more power efficient than getting a tri or quad core and your parents probably won't need a quad. If you are lazy, get another 2gb of ram and a x3 or x4.
 
ther00kie16 said:
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bi...Document.jsp?objectID=c01701270&printver=true claims it'll support any AM2+ CPU with 95W tdp or less.

With that said, I'd say best option is to get a cheap celeron/pentium + mb combo from your local Fry's, since you are lucky enough to have one nearby, and replace it. It'd be more power efficient than getting a tri or quad core and your parents probably won't need a quad. If you are lazy, get another 2gb of ram and a x3 or x4.
Click to expand...
I don't see the point in an entire mobo swap, if they can get away with just upgrading the CPU. Unless that's some Intel bias showing through.

Edit: Especially since they would have to repurchase an OS to go with the mobo swap, since the OS license is tied to the existing mobo.
 
VirtualLarry said:
I don't see the point in an entire mobo swap, if they can get away with just upgrading the CPU. Unless that's some Intel bias showing through.

Edit: Especially since they would have to repurchase an OS to go with the mobo swap, since the OS license is tied to the existing mobo.
Click to expand...

Some bias because of the better performance and efficiency. It could be cheaper too, as I've seen Fry's $30 e3200+mb combo deal before, not to mention that board has a 6150se for graphics. I didn't think about the OS but there has to be a way to turn off hardware detection right?
 
ther00kie16 said:
Some bias because of the better performance and efficiency. It could be cheaper too, as I've seen Fry's $30 e3200+mb combo deal before, not to mention that board has a 6150se for graphics. I didn't think about the OS but there has to be a way to turn off hardware detection right?
Click to expand...


False.

Take your biased fanyboy mess else where.
 
Marlin1975 said:
False.

Take your biased fanyboy mess else where.
Click to expand...

Not a fanboy. Only Intel CPU I own is in my laptop. I wonder why all the best laptop CPUs, where efficiency matters most, are made by Intel.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
Check it out for yourself. At 65w, 2.5ghz e3300 outperforms 2.9ghz x2 245. And it's also true that they are cheap when Fry's has the combo deals. I said some bias because of the performance and efficiency (not fanboy bias with no reason) whereas considering regular online prices, it's a tough call which is a better buy. So stop making false assumptions.
 
ther00kie16 said:
Not a fanboy. Only Intel CPU I own is in my laptop. I wonder why all the best laptop CPUs, where efficiency matters most, are made by Intel.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_list.php
Check it out for yourself. At 65w, 2.5ghz e3300 outperforms 2.9ghz x2 245. And it's also true that they are cheap when Fry's has the combo deals. I said some bias because of the performance and efficiency (not fanboy bias with no reason) whereas considering regular online prices, it's a tough call which is a better buy. So stop making false assumptions.
Click to expand...


This is a thread about someone asking about a desktop CPU for a pre-built system that uses AMD cpus.
Yet you came in an trolled about intel and now somehow are talking about intel laptop cpus in a thread about amd desktop cpus.

Only fanyboy troll here is you. Just stop posting.
 
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Thread is about upgrading. I mentioned Athlon x3 and x4 as possibilities for the mb. I also mentioned that it may be cheaper to get a combo from Fry's since cost seems to be a factor considering that the original desktop was cheap. As from my experience, Fry's cheapest combos are with Celerons, which perform better than Athlons anyway, I chose to mention that.

Providing as many options as possible is all in the interest of helping the OP, hence the extra note about an additional 2gb stick as only 1 slot is used in that system.
 
VirtualLarry said:
No, look carefully. The 160u has only 1MB L2 cache, while all others in that section have 2MB. Since the L2 cache is per-core, that indicates to me that it's a single-core CPU.
Click to expand...

Not really when the site says -
X2 - 2MB
X4 - 2MB

Could be a dual core with partially defective cache.

Anyway the problem is likely with AMDs documents, rather than HP.

I would certainly return the desktop as it is not as advertised... that "not as advertised" should cover you for significantly longer than the standard bring back clauses, as you are taking steps as soon as you found out it was "not as advertised"...

Although I am not a lawyer...
 
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