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i want to upgrade my pc....i have pentium-4,160 gb hard disk,256 mb RAM.. which 1 is better dual core? core 2 duo ? or core 2 quad... i want to speed up d apps ..as requiremnts r incrsng,,need for more softwares has led my pc to go slowand hang up in d mid ......

plzzz help...

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Two practical options that will actually make the machine feel noticeably faster: either (A) a low-cost, targeted refresh — fast system drive + a sensible amount of RAM and a checked PSU/case — or (B) move to a modern motherboard/CPU platform (newer sockets and DDR3/DDR4/DDR5 depending on budget). Replacing Pentium‑4–era parts with a current entry-level CPU (modern 4-core) and an SSD gives far more real-world responsiveness than chasing older socket upgrades.

Before buying anything, get exact hardware details so choices match the case, PSU and memory type. On Windows run msinfo32. On a Linux live USB run these to list basics:

lscpu
lsblk
sudo dmidecode -t baseboard

Measure the case and note PSU connectors and wattage. If the current board uses DDR2 or an old socket, plan to replace motherboard + CPU and buy matching RAM. Consider reusing the 160GB HDD as a data drive and put OSes on a small (240–500GB) SSD for the snappiest feel.

For dual-boot vs virtual machines: try the Linux distro from a live USB first to confirm driver support (GPU, wireless). If switching disks, image the old drive first (Clonezilla works well) and run a memory test (memtest86) on new sticks. Typical practical sequence: backup → clone → install Windows (if used) → install Linux and create separate root/data partitions, or run Linux in VirtualBox/QEMU to avoid dual-boot complexity. Ubuntu’s desktop installer is a good reference for modern installs (see Ubuntu tutorials) and Clonezilla/memtest86 are reliable tools for imaging and RAM checks.

Notes tied to earlier points: ’ hardware-compatibility questions are important — check driver support for the GPU and peripherals before committing. For : prioritize a fast SSD + a modern board/CPU if budget allows; that gives the most noticeable improvement for running many applications and two OSes.

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Member Avatar for high heels

ok This is not a timely response but...

First I have a few questions I need to ask so i can provide you the best answer.

1. Your asking about the processor. this means your also upgrading the main board and mem. What board are you looking at and how much ram?
2. Right now your only running 256meg ram. Unless your running windows 2k I would up this to 1gig at least.
3. core 2 duo = two processors where as core 2 quad= four processors. To be honest depend on your OS and main board and the apps your using if the quad would be better.
4. What video card you getting/have? running a low end video card could bottleneck your system.
5. how much cache does each processor have?

i want to upgrade my pc....i have pentium-4,160 gb hard disk,256 mb RAM.. which 1 is better dual core? core 2 duo ? or core 2 quad... i want to speed up d apps ..as requiremnts r incrsng,,need for more softwares has led my pc to go slowand hang up in d mid ......

plzzz help...

Member Avatar for solitude_spark

actually i dont knw ki which mothr borad or ram wud be suitable.. i just wanna speed up my pc.. wanna run linux and windows both on my pc..and i need to hv a numbr of softwares ..so need sufficiently large memory..

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