processor upgrade help needed please

Hello all.
i would like to upgrade my processor any suggestions you might have would be helpful.

current set up.
motherboard - Intel D975XBX / chip set i975x / date 09-2007
processor - Intel Pentium 4 551 "prescott" 3.4Ghz LGA Socket 775
hd - 1-tb SATA
graphics - Radeon HD-3650
os - win. 7 pro. 32-bit.

like most people buying a new system is out of the question right now so i figure i would "update" to more modern internals.

win. 7 performance rating is 4.2 for the processor.

i was thinking maybe a Intel Core 2 Duo or maybe Core 2 Quad.
so i can install win. 7 pro. 64-bit.

thanks for the help, Dave

The socket and the wattage have to match your board.

whs said:

The socket and the wattage have to match your board.

yes, i know that thank you.
i was hoping someone might have experiance with a similar setup.
Dave

Here is a list of processors your board will take. The biggest problem is finding one and how much of an upgrade will it be? Those CPU's are difficult to find. I suspect, even if you found one, it would not be much of an upgrade for you. I would suggest you upgrade your board to a more modern chipset, new processor and ram. I know it would make it more expensive, but it would be a real upgrade that you will notice.

Also, here is a list of all LGA775 CPU's at Newegg. I don't think any of them are compatible with your boaed.

i have the Intel list from the intel site, i was searching google to see who still sells the processors.
i realize my board is a "interim" board that was put out while intel switched from single to dual core processors.
i figured i would see what i could still get for it before i look at a new board since getting a new board basicly means building a new system.

thanks for the help folks, Dave

About a month ago, I went through what you are doing. I decided to upgrade. I also had a Pentium 4. I had bought a nice case last year and had my Pentium 4 and MB put in it so buying a whole new PC was not an option as I really liked my case. I got a Intel i3, new MB, Ram and SSD and that was about $500. I could have bought a whole new system cheaper. If you really want a big upgrade at a good price, consider getting just a SSD. It will give you a big boost in performance and can be had for around $100. I got mine on a one day sale for $79. You might consider that.