# Compatible CPUs for ASUS P5AD2-E Premium



## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

Hi all!

My wife's PC recently had some malware so I helped to get rid of it. In the process I noticed how slow her PC was. So I decided to get her a CPU upgrade and also a RAM upgrade. Her mobo is Asus P5AD2-E Premium.

But, I am not sure which is the best compatible CPU for this board. I have done some googling and it says that:

CPU

- LGA775 socket for Intel Pentium 4/Celeron CPU

- Compatible with Intel 04B and 04A processors

- Intel Hyper-Threading Technology ready

My wife now have the 90nm 3.4Ghz processor. (and yet it is VERY slow especially when multitasking)

What processor would you advice me to go for? Would this be a good / compatible upgrade?

also considering changing her ram to this.

Any advice if those is compatible and also the best choice available at the moment? I am clueless when it comes to P4...seems so ancient to me

Thanks a lot!

edit: Her RAM is PC2-4300(266Mhz) x3


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## KBD (May 22, 2008)

Her PC could be slow not only because of the CPU but because of crap running in the backround. Make sure that you remove unnessary programs from startup, leave only the stuff that you really need like firewall, AV, AS shield, programs that you need to have running, use common sense. Also disable unneceesary Windows services, there is good guide in the software section that tells you what to do.

Here's the list of CPUs that will work on her mobo:

http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5AD2-E Premium

However, since she already has a 3.4 Pentium 4, she can only upgrade to a 3.8 GHz CPU, that's the highest clocked on the list of supported CPUs.

So if i were you a i would get a new board and a Core 2 Duo CPU and you'll see a big diffrence in performance.


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## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

KBD said:


> Her PC could be slow not only because of the CPU but because of crap running in the backround. Make sure that you remove unnessary programs from startup, leave only the stuff that you really need like firewall, AV, AS shield, programs that you need to have running, use common sense. Also disable unneceesary Windows services, there is good guide in the software section that tells you what to do.
> 
> Here's the list of CPUs that will work on her mobo:
> 
> ...



Hi ,

Thanks for your kind reply KBD. And yeah I have been thinking of getting a new board as well but I have just built a new gaming rig for myself and I also have a lot of "spare parts" lying around so I really want to save as much as I can. She does have some malware in her PC but I have gotten rid of it (I hope) using AVG, kaspersky, Spybot. Funnily enough, I have a legit copy of Norton Internet Security and it didn't pick the malware up even after a full scan.

I did some calculations and I would spend around £80-90 if I were to get the ram + CPU. Is that worth it or should I get a new board? (Which will of course stretch the cost to nearly £200 + VAT)

Also, I would need to "reactivate" my Windows again I guess. But it is an OEM copy (came with the original PC) and I have lost the cd key. :<

Any further suggestions or advice will be much appreciated. 


p/s: the link takes me to post a new reply page :S
/sad panda


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## KBD (May 22, 2008)

I see you listed all the AV software you used. I don't know if you know this but you can't use more than 1 AV & Firewall, you can  have several Anti-Spyware programs though. Norton sucks balls by the way. Stick with either AVG or Kaspersky for anti-virus, i personally recomend the latter. 

Most definately get a new board, the one based on the P35 chipset, that's the top chipset for C2D right now. It is not worth it to invest 90 pounds into that system, instead spend the 200 pounds for new CPU/mobo/RAM. Also, you can sell your old CPU/mobo/RAM and put that money towards the new.

As far as the OS goes, if you have an OEM copy you can't tranfer it a new PC as far as I know. And since you also lost the key you will need a new OS, I'd recomend sticking with XP for now.

P.S. Sorry about the wrong link, this is what i wanted to show you:

http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5AD2-E Premium


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## Mediocre (May 22, 2008)

you can pull you XP cd key from the registry using a program called 'Magic Jellybean'

Most AV programs flag it as a virus (maybe simply b/c it accesses the registry?). I don't know if its actually a virus (thats why I didn't link..google search and it will be @ the top).

I've ONLY used it just before formatting and re-installing so I didn't have to worry about the 'is it a virus' issue.

I've used my OEM key over and over when upgrading without activation issues...


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## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

KBD said:


> I see you listed all the AV software you used. I don't know if you know this but you can't use more than 1 AV & Firewall, you can  have several Anti-Spyware programs though. Norton sucks balls by the way. Stick with either AVG or Kaspersky for anti-virus, i personally recomend the latter.



I actually disabled Norton, installed the free AVG did some scans, then uninstalled AVG and tried the Kaspersky online scanner and all the other "free" AVs I can find. I did just keep 1 AV active at any time of course. My wife's PC is infested with spywares and what nots  Women...



KBD said:


> Most definately get a new board, the one based on the P35 chipset, that's the top chipset for C2D right now. It is not worth it to invest 90 pounds into that system, instead spend the 200 pounds for new CPU/mobo/RAM. Also, you can sell your old CPU/mobo/RAM and put that money towards the new.


Hmm, you reckon I can shift the old parts through eBay? My wife doesn't game much just likes to chat on all the various chat networks, webcam, web browsing and minor (family) photo editing. I have been looking around and all costs nearly £200 :< This is considering I will need mobo, CPU + RAM. Is it safe buying "used" parts from eBay though?



KBD said:


> As far as the OS goes, if you have an OEM copy you can't tranfer it a new PC as far as I know. And since you lost the key you will need a new OS, I'd recomend sticking with XP for now.


Hmm yeah I will sort that out I guess  Thanks for the tips anyway



KBD said:


> P.S. Sorry about the wrong link, this is what i wanted to show you:
> http://support.asus.com/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5AD2-E Premium


Thanks I will have a look, and then sit down and have a looooong think to as what I should do. She is just nagging me to fix her PC so it doesn't take 10+ minutes just to boot up to running state.


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## KBD (May 22, 2008)

I recomend uninstalling Norton completely and removing any stray files with Norton Removal Tool:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html

You can probably sell your old parts on ebay or a forum like this one. You won't get much for them but anything helps.

Try the Windows key recovery method suggested by Mediocre. He is also saying that you can use OEM XP when upgrading, i heard otherwise, but why not give it a shot. Don't forget that you must do a fresh install of Windows when swapping motherboards.


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## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

KBD said:


> I recomend uninstalling Norton completely and removing any stray files with Norton Removal Tool:
> 
> http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html
> 
> ...



Alright mate, will hunt around for a nice bargain 
I still have around 5 months of license so I wondering if I should just ditch that for a better AV. Really regretted paying for Norton. Was just following the mainstream I guess


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## KBD (May 22, 2008)

Yeah, i know it sucks that you had to pay for it and its not a very good program. Just you use AVG or Avast, both are free. If you want to pay Kaspersky anti-virus and Nod32 are supposed to be the best.

Good luck with your bargain hunt. Come back if you need more help.


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## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

Ok, did some searching and this is the cheapest combo (from trusted sites) that I can find :

Intel Core 2 Duo E2200 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.20GHz (800FSB) - Retail *£52.86 inc VAT*
Gigabyte GA-P35-S3G, iP35 Express, S 775, PCI-E (x16), DDR2 1066/667/800 MHz, SATA II, ATX *£51.69 Inc VAT*

2GB (2x1GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-12 *£28.95 Inc VAT*

Hopefully someone could advice if this is a good choice . Thanks



edit: Having some beer IRL too not a wise choice when online shopping lol


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## KBD (May 22, 2008)

Good choice of CPU for your wife's needs, alternatively you can go with a e2180 2.0 GHz, its about $10 cheaper than e2200 in the US.

As far as the motherboard, i'm not familiar with that model. Take a look at these:

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059

it is currently being replaced by the energy-saving model 
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L, its cheaper in the US:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128086

ASUS P5K-E 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131225

Intel BOXDP35DPM 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121314

Intel BOXDG33FBC

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121100

That last one has onboard graphics.

I recomend do so some reading on any board you are considering so you know what to expect. Store customer reviews like the ones from newegg may be helpful, at least they were to me when i was choosing a mobo. Also read some online publication articles for the board of your choice.

Also, if the board you get supports DDR2-1066 get that instead, DDR2 is soo cheap these days.


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## shamus88 (May 22, 2008)

Thanks for the advice. I can be really hard making a good decision when it comes to purchasing parts for your PC nowadays.

After reading through reviews and comparing prices (some nasty reviews on the original board I chose) , I have decided on:

Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.00GHz (800FSB) - Retail

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L

2GB (2x1GB) Corsair TwinX DDR2 XMS2 Dominator, PC2-8500 (1066)

Which brings the total to around £162.16 (USD$321.011) ouch  I could have gone a few bucks cheaper but I read some nasty reviews concerning the mobo, and having bad experiences with cheap mobos in the past I rather steer clear off it.

By the way, is a 480W PSU enough for the above?



edit: I also could have shaved off more if I went for the PC2-6400s but I guess I want it to last as long as possible without the need of another upgrade. I think her system will beat my E6600 work rig


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## KBD (May 23, 2008)

Your welcome. 


That is some nice RAM, though if you want to save a bit more you can get the non-Dominator version of Corsair TWIN2X2048-8500C5, Kingston HyperX or OCZ Reaper, those are cheaper in the US than the Dominator.

A 480W PSU is enough, though it depends on the kind of video card she has, how many hard drives, fans etc. Also, some crappier brands overstate their wattage so i can't really say for certain until i know the complete specs and the PSU model and brand. 

BTW, your e6600 is better than her e2180, you have a larger cache and higher clock speeds.


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