can a 64 bit cpu go into a motherboard currently using a 32 bit processor

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BlakesterGamer

Joined Apr 20, 2016
92
ok I have a mPGA478B motherboard that uses a 32 bit Pentium 4 it is really slow I want to know if I can upgrade to 64 bit without changing the motherboard and it is a desktop not a laptop cuz most laptops use these sockets
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
ok I have a mPGA478B motherboard that uses a 32 bit Pentium 4 it is really slow I want to know if I can upgrade to 64 bit without changing the motherboard
No. Large architectural changes usually increase the number of pins (the successor to the Socket478 P4's uses Socket775) and require a new motherboard.

Depending on the speed of your existing P4 and motherboard, you might be able to install one with a higher frequency or HyperThreading if the current one doesn't already have it. With a faster processor, you may need faster memory to take full advantage of a faster processor.

For $400 you can buy a new desktop computer. But I think P4 is still okay for office apps, browsing, and email. The computer I use most is a 3.2GHz P4 with HT, 4GB memory running WinXP. If I need more compute power, I use an appropriate computer.
 

ISB123

Joined May 21, 2014
1,236
No,that motherboard is severely outdated and nothing in the world can make it perform good. Save at least 200$ and buy used computer components with that money and you should get a decent quad core based PC for that kind of money.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
No,that motherboard is severely outdated and nothing in the world can make it perform good.
I run Ubuntu on a Willamette processor with 768MB of memory and can run Windows photo editing programs.

I do most of my work on a computer with a so called outdated motherboard...
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
I do most of my work on a computer with a so called outdated motherboard...
Runs/works and "performs" are 2 different things..
I can drive around a race track in a Yugo... or I can do it in a Mclaren.. guess which will have the faster lap time :D
 

ISB123

Joined May 21, 2014
1,236
I run Ubuntu on a Willamette processor with 768MB of memory and can run Windows photo editing programs.

I do most of my work on a computer with a so called outdated motherboard...
But can your computer run modern video games which OP wants too?
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
Runs/works and "performs" are 2 different things..
I can drive around a race track in a Yugo... or I can do it in a Mclaren.. guess which will have the faster lap time :D
Speed and performance aren't always required. If I run office apps on a dual core i7 with 8GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD, the system lowers the processor clock frequency and idles most of the time.
 

ISB123

Joined May 21, 2014
1,236
Runs/works and "performs" are 2 different things..
I can drive around a race track in a Yugo... or I can do it in a Mclaren.. guess which will have the faster lap time :D
First time I drove one was my last time too! Almost flew off the road because the steering wheel kickback over a tiny pothole.

 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
Speed and performance aren't always required. If I run office apps on a dual core i7 with 8GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD, the system lowers the processor clock frequency and idles most of the time.
This is true for quite a few computer users..
Thats why MANY people could just use a tablet/phone and don't even need a computer..
Many just use computers for browsing the internet and simple word documents..

Not me.. I MUST have a top of the line computer or my CAD software is just too darn slow..
I'm running an i7 4820k overclocked at 4.2Ghz now with 16G of RAM and a 256GB SSD and it am probably getting a new computer soon as I've had this for a couple years now.. (I typically get a new computer every 2-3 years just to have the latest and greatest).. Time = money
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
Thats why MANY people could just use a tablet/phone and don't even need a computer..
They're okay for casual content consumption, but they suck at content creation.
Many just use computers for browsing the internet and simple word documents..
That's where I was coming from for the OP (not knowing he thought he could use a P4 system for hardcore gaming). There are often ways to incrementally improve performance that people who are not computer literate would know about.

Time = money
When you're retired, saving money often trumps saving time.

BTW, how much fun is it driving that Mclaren in rush hour traffic? My daily driver is a BMW and I rarely have an opportunity to really drive it. In bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, sometimes I wish I had an automatic (my manual transmission actually has a 3rd pedal).
 
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