Hello everyone,

                  Need some advice on processor upgrade choices for a Dimension 4700 with a Pentium 4. I use this machine primarily to run Cubase 4.5, and an Emu Proteus system and I'm running to the limit of my tracks and sampling. I can't go any further than 12 tracks and that includes three tracks of 48k samples simultaneously. It sounds incredible but it's not quite good enough to accomplish my recording goals. It seems that what I really need is a Quad-Core or even an I7. On my budget that's not going to happen. My budget is $400.00 and that's pushing it. I realize that these specs maybe don't support upgrading to even a Dual-Core, and even if I could how much of a difference would I hear and actually experience in Cubase and Proteus ?

What I would really like to get out of this system is a 24 track machine with as many 48k samples as I need for serious recording, I'd settle for 8 simultaneous samples per song along with the 24 tracks.  Basically it would be 16 normal tracks from Cubase's VST's plus 8 sampled tracks from Proteus.  That would rock !

If a serious processor upgrade is plausible, do I need to upgrade my CPU cooling fan and XP Home to Pro ? Is my only option a faster Pentium 4 ?

Here's the specs:

Number of cores    1 per processor
Number of threads    2 per processor
Name    Intel Pentium 4 530
Code Name    Prescott
Specification    Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz
Package    Socket 775 LGA
Family/Model/Stepping    F.4.1
Extended Family/Model    F.4
Core Stepping    E0
Technology    90 nm
Core Speed    2992.6 MHz
Multiplier x Bus speed    15.0 x 199.5 MHz
Rated Bus speed    798.0 MHz
Stock frequency    3000 MHz
Instruction sets    MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
L1 Data cache (per processor)    16 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size
Trace cache (per processor)    12 Kuops, 8-way set associative
L2 cache (per processor)    1024 KBytes, 8-way set associative, 64-byte line size

Northbridge    Intel i915P/i915G rev. B1
Southbridge    Intel 82801FB (ICH6) rev. 03
Memory Type    DDR2
Memory Size    4096 MBytes
Memory Frequency    266.0 MHz (3:4)
CAS# Latency (tCL)    4.0 clocks
RAS# to CAS# (tRCD)    4 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP)    4 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS)    12 clocks

Mainboard Vendor    Dell Inc.
Mainboard Model    0M3918

BIOS Vendor    Dell Inc.
BIOS Version    A10
BIOS Date    01/04/2006
Memory SPD    
Module 1    DDR2, PC2-5300 (333 MHz), 1024 MBytes, Nanya Technology
Module 2    DDR2, PC2-5300 (333 MHz), 1024 MBytes, unknown brand
Module 3    DDR2, PC2-5300 (333 MHz), 1024 MBytes, Nanya Technology
Module 4    DDR2, PC2-5300 (333 MHz), 1024 MBytes, unknown brand
Software    
Windows Version    Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 3 (Build 2600)
DirectX Version    9.0c