How would you upgrade this?
 

Assuming your main interest is factoring, how would you upgrade the following? I'm thinking the best thing to do is bump it up to 2Gig of RAM, but the ones I already have don't seem to match up, so I'm thing 3 512MB modules of one or the other:

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CPU-Z version 1.29
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CPUID Output
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of CPUs 1
Name AMD Athlon MP
Code name Thoroughbred
Specification AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2200+(Actually, Sempron 2500+)
Family/Model/Stepping 681
Extended Family/Model 7/8
Package Socket A
Core Stepping B0
Technology 0.13µ
Instructions Sets MMX, Extended MMX, 3DNow!, Extended 3DNow!, SSE
Clock Speed 1747.8 MHz
Clock multiplier x10.5
Front Side Bus Frequency 166.5 MHz
Bus Speed 332.9 MHz
Stock frequency 1400 MHz
P-Rating 2200+
L1 Data Cache 64 KBytes, 2-way set associative, 64 Bytes line size
L1 Instruction Cache 64 KBytes, 2-way set associative, 64 Bytes line size
L2 Cache 256 KBytes, 16-way set associative, 64 Bytes line size
L2 Speed 1747.8 MHz (Full)
L2 Location On Chip
L2 Data Prefetch Logic yes
L2 Bus Width 64 bits
Chipset
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Northbridge VIA KM400 rev. 00
Southbridge VIA VT8235 rev. 00
Graphic Interface AGP
AGP Revision 3.5
AGP Transfert Rate 4x
AGP SBA supported, enabled
AGP Aperture 64 MBytes
Memory Type DDR
Memory Size 512 MBytes
Memory Frequency 166.5 MHz (1:1)
DRAM Interleave 2-way
CAS# 2.5
RAS# to CAS# 3
RAS# Precharge 2
Cycle Time (tRAS) 7


Memory SPD
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIMM #2

General
Memory type DDR-SDRAM
Manufacturer (ID) Nanya Technology (7F7F7F0B00000000)
Size 512 MBytes
Max bandwidth PC2700 (166 MHz)
Part number M2U51264DS8HC1G-6K
Manufacturing date Week 30/Year 04

Attributes
Number of banks 2
Data width 64 bits
Correction None
Registered no
Buffered no

Timings table
Frequency (MHz) 133 166
CAS# 2.0 2.5
RAS# to CAS# delay 3 3
RAS# Precharge 3 3
TRAS# 6 7
Software
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Windows Version Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
DirectX Version 9.0c

AFAIK, more than 1 GB RAM is only needed for ECM curves aiming at the 55+ digit levels and for "bigger" (I can't give exact numbers, but e.g. a 140 digit SNFS factorization is not big enough) NFS factorizations.

As an alternative, you could put in a faster CPU, which provides performances increases for basically every factoring method and target composite. Of course, you have to figure out what to do with the old CPU...

A more expensive approach would be to exchange CPU & motherboard for an Athlon64. But you'd probably also need Windows64 to take full advantage.

You could do a software upgrade. How about writing us an ECM implementation that runs on the video card!

[QUOTE=sean]You could do a software upgrade. How about writing us an ECM implementation that runs on the video card![/QUOTE]
Off-topic:I keep hearing about a Folding@Home client that's supposed to run on the video card. The idea of running ANYTHING other than graphics on the video card is definitely an interesting concept. Personally, I'm thinking of a physics DC project that might benefit. Not that I know anything about the inner workings of a video card.

On-topic: Since I hate to follow the crowd, my actual factoring interest is the Odd Perfect Number search. About 5 minutes ago I wrote the dude(It IS a dude, right? Darn Internet anonymity) asking his advice. Obviously, still waiting on a reply.

[QUOTE=jasong]interest is the Odd Perfect Number search. About 5 minutes ago I wrote the dude[/QUOTE]

I'm the dude.

I told Jason that one of things I really like about the odd perfect number search is that there will be opportunities for all kinds of machines to make contributions. There will always be a some task that need big memory machines - some large SNFS and some very large ECM to qualify candidates for SNFS. But there will also be important opportunities for smaller machines.

Some small memory machines will seach very deep for odd perfect numbers that do not need large factorizations. These people might find an odd perfect number with hundreds of prime factors, none to very high powers.

Some users with large memory machines will be eager to team up with small memory machines because every large factorization will unleash a flood of small factorizations needed to effectively use the large factors. These will be task force teams that clear land with a lumberjack to fell the big trees and some bush hogs to clear out the undergrowth.

What I really need is some more time away from work so I can get the necessary tools written.

William

On the original topic, I'd check if you motherboard supports 200fsb. If so you can purchase mobile barton processors 2500XP+. If you overclock these within design specifications 1.7V you should easily be able to get away with a 2300 mhz barton (XP3200+ or something like that).

I was running my mobile Barton XP2600 at 12x200fsb at 1.625V without issues.

The bonus is these processors can be picked up on e-bay for a <100 bucks I purchased mine for 70 dollars.