CPU Upgrade Support List for Pavilion Media Center PC M8000

[NXS]

Hello.  I have this desktop and it's getting pretty sluggish so I would like to upgrade the CPU.  My variant is the (AsusTek Leonite Socket 775) Intel variant and currently has the Core 2 E6420.  Is this computer capable of being upgraded to a Core 2 Quad?  I've tried to find information about this from the HP support pages but it says the system is retired or what have you so I can't even find the service manual for the computer (although I can still find drivers spanning from XP 64 to Windows 7 64). 

It's been a good computer and I'd like to keep it going... but watching videos on YouTube above 360p causes significant frame loss and the system gets bogged down with one or two tabs open and becomes unresponsive. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Edit*** -  I found one HP page that says the computer's processor compatibility is the Core 2 Duo E4x00 and the Core 2 Duo E6x00.  I already have the E6420, but I am hopeful that I can upgrade to something beyond a 2.1GHz dual core.  Is there any hope?  

[REO51ST]

Welcome to the HP Support Community  @NXS 

Core 2 Duo E6700

It has the same TDP and Stepping with a 99% success rate.

http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/Intel/Core_2_Duo/E6420.html

REO

[NXS]

REO,

Thanks for the welcome.  That's not much of a bump up in performance in the grand scheme, though, is it?  Are there any "unofficial" CPUS like Xeons that could be utilized?  I'm just curious because the computer has been a good one and I'd like to keep using it, but I know it needs some serious performance enhancements.  

I've upgraded the RAM in it and I will be getting a 128GB SSD to use as my primary (I'll use a Caviar Blue for my nonessentials).  I think that will help performance a little.  I just wish HP had made these PCs quad-core capable; especially being "Media Center" TV computers. 

Thanks much for your reply!

[REO51ST]

@NXS

Because of HP's choice of motherboards you are limited to those CPU's.

A 20% increase will be noticeable.

REO

[NXS]

REO,

Thanks so much for your followup reply.  I suppose a 20% increase would be noticeable but it's sad to know that my system has essentially reached the end of its lifecycle.  Oh, I wanted to point out that I noticed that in the BIOS, the model number says it is the M8020n (RX883AA-ABA).  Does this make a difference in terms of CPU support or am I still limited to the ones you referred me to? 

[REO51ST]

Sorry @NXS  but it has the same specs.

Something you could try know.

 First thing would be to do a Disk Cleanup.

 

Check everything except Delivery Optimization Files

Then do a Disk Defrag. “OPTIMIZE”

 

Then go to Advanced System Settings.

 

In the Performance box click on SETTINGS.

 

Click on Adjust for Best Performance.

 

Click on APPLY.   

Then reboot.

REO

[NXS]

REO,

I've done all of the steps provided above and the computer just keeps getting slower and slower.  I even did an old school disk optimization defrag through Windows.... took around 7 hours for a 320gb hard drive... and I downloaded Crystal Disk Info.  The results of the hard drive came back with a "Caution" with the elements of concern being the "Current Pending Sector Count" and the " Uncorrectable Sector Count (both of which have a current value of 100 and the worst for each being the same) in addition to having "Reported Uncorrectable Errors" being 100; again, with the value for "worst" also being 100.  I'm of the opinion that the hard drive is failing... says it has a "Power On Count" of 2220 and a "Power On Hours" being at 51,039 hours.  When looking at the Task Manager, the hard drive almost continuously stays at 100% usage, so I'm really starting to think that the hard drive is the culprit.   CPU usage rarely goes above 80 (although sometimes it too jumps to 100%, Memory usage stays around 47%, so I'm guessing the greatest problem the computer is facing right now isn't the CPU after all... it's probably a failing hard drive.