Need Help Buying New CPU

I've decided to upgrade my home desktop's CPU, as I only recently discovered that a Celeron D doesn't cut it, even if the listed speed is 3.33GHz. The trouble is, I don't know what my mobo is or what chips it supports. I also don't seem to be able to locate any non-dual core processors (I don't think my mobo can use multi-core CPUs). I'm just looking for a Pentium 4 that my system can use. If you can help me out, it'd be great.

Here's my current CPU (I couldn't find any information on what mobo I have):

Intel® Celeron® D Processor 356
(3.33GHz, 533MHz FSB, 512KB L2 cache)

This is a eMachines desktop, but I've been adding on to it for awhile now. Let me know if you need more specs.

 

You could try SIW to find out which motherboard/chipset you have. That would help..

 

Thanks for recommending SIW, it's really useful!

As far as my PC is concerned:

It is an eMachines T3508

Here's what SIW gave me when I checked the mobo:

And here's the CPU:

 

Well, it looks like your MB came way after the CPU list was last updated since your revision number is D54032-300 and there's no mention of a Celeron 3.33.

You can find a Pentium D 940 or 950(3.4Ghz) for around $100.

What kind of problems are you having that brought you to want to replace the CPU?

 

I'm interested in upgrading because my PC has some trouble running some games, and buying a new rig just isn't an option. I know it's the processor, as a few of the games have said on install that the processor will give "Poor" performance.

What exactly is the difference between Pentium D and Pentium 4? Is one "better" than the other, or is it more of a brand name thing?

Also, I've never updated the BIOS before; is there anything important I should know about or should I just download the update from the eMachines site and run it?

 

Intel doesn't list the revision numbers for manufacturer proprietary boards. You will have to get all the information on your board from eMachines.