How to Upgrade Your Processor

One of the simpler upgrades to perform on your computer is the CPU upgrade. Upgrading the CPU involves determining the effectiveness of the upgrade, selecting the right CPU for your system, uninstalling the existing CPU, and installing the new CPU. In this article, we will discuss the reasons for upgrading the CPU and then demonstrate how to do so.

First, is a CPU upgrade necessary? To answer this question, you have to consider the tasks that you regularly perform on your computer. If your computer is at most a few years old and all you do is surf the web, check email, and write papers, then you probably do not need a new CPU. On the other hand, if you play the latest games, edit photos, or encode video, then a CPU upgrade may be appropriate. If your computer is feeling sluggish and you are thinking about a CPU upgrade, first check to see if the CPU is responsible. To do that, check to see if the programs you run are CPU intensive.

A good way to check your CPU usage in Windows XP and 2000 is to utilize the Task Manager. To access the Task Manager, hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and click on "Task Manager," and then select the Performance tab. Then, proceed with using your computer regularly, and check the "CPU Usage History" graph when you are done to see if your computing tasks are CPU intensive. You will know that they are if the majority of the graph is at or near 100%. If your computing tasks are CPU intensive, then a CPU upgrade will most likely improve the performance of your computer.