Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

[Guest Brad]

Hi,

 

I bought an old Packard Bell "Multimedia C115" desktop computer from a

friend of mine for $20.00. While he had it, he did a some upgrades (128M

ram, USB ports, etc.). It has Windows 98SE.

 

The Pentium processor speed is a 120Mhz. I would like to upgrade that to

at least 200Mhz.

 

Besides changing the CPU, what other changes would I have to make?

 

Thanks in advance, Brad

 

Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,

be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

[Guest dadiOH]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

Brad wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I bought an old Packard Bell "Multimedia C115" desktop computer

> from a friend of mine for $20.00. While he had it, he did a some

> upgrades (128M ram, USB ports, etc.). It has Windows 98SE.

>

> The Pentium processor speed is a 120Mhz. I would like to upgrade

> that to at least 200Mhz.

 

Hardly worth the bother. Assuming you could even *find* one that old/slow.

> Besides changing the CPU, what other changes would I have to make?

 

None as long as your motherboard will work with whatever CPU you get.

 

--

 

dadiOH

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[Guest thanatoid]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

bpetria@verizon.net (Brad) wrote in

news:481b01ee.1127487@news.verizon.net:

> Hi,

>

> I bought an old Packard Bell "Multimedia C115" desktop

> computer from a

> friend of mine for $20.00. While he had it, he did a some

> upgrades (128M ram, USB ports, etc.). It has Windows

> 98SE.

>

> The Pentium processor speed is a 120Mhz. I would like

> to upgrade that to

> at least 200Mhz.

>

> Besides changing the CPU, what other changes would I

> have to make?

 

What dadiOH said. See if you can get a manual from some website

(Google with /exact/ model #) to see up to what speed CPU your

MB will accept. You can probably get it free or for $3 from a

computer repair shop - they often have a box of under-1GHz chips

just sitting there gathering dust. I don't /think/ that it would

harm your machine, so if you can't find out /what CPU/ your MB

accepts, you could just take a few chips and keep going up until

it stops working. But damage /could/ be done I suppose, maybe

someone more knowledgeable will comment.

 

That could end up being quite a nice machine.

 

 

--

Of course, it is no easy matter to be polite; in so far, I mean,

as it requires us to show great respect for everybody, whereas

most people deserve none at all; and again in so far as it

demands that we should feign the most lively interest in people,

when we must be very glad that we have nothing to do with them.

 

- Arthur Schopenhauer

[Guest philo]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

dadiOH wrote:

> Brad wrote:

>> Hi,

>>

>> I bought an old Packard Bell "Multimedia C115" desktop computer

>> from a friend of mine for $20.00. While he had it, he did a some

>> upgrades (128M ram, USB ports, etc.). It has Windows 98SE.

>>

>> The Pentium processor speed is a 120Mhz. I would like to upgrade

>> that to at least 200Mhz.

>

> Hardly worth the bother. Assuming you could even *find* one that old/slow.

>

>> Besides changing the CPU, what other changes would I have to make?

>

> None as long as your motherboard will work with whatever CPU you get.

>

 

 

Just check the jumpers.

if the boar can be jumpered for a 200mhz cpu...

it will work.

 

Win98se will work better with a 200mhz cpu

[Guest Jeff Richards]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

The changes required would be quite extensive. The speed of a CPU is the

maximum clock rate that it can run at, not the speed at which it actually

runs - that is determined by the motherboard it's plugged in to. You need

to confirm that the motherboard you are using has the ability to run the CPU

at that rate, and that you can find the necessary documentation to change

the clock speed to whatever the new CPU can handle. On a machine of that

vintage there's probably several jumpers to change. Often, changing the

clock speed also changes the memory access speed, so you will need to ensure

that the memory can also cope.

 

If you really want to upgrade it, it's probably easier to find a faster

motherboard with CPU installed and configured than to replace the CPU in the

existing motherboard. My local computer store has a bin of recycled

motherboards removed from working machines (not guaranteed, but very likely

OK) that sell for a few dollars each.

--

Jeff Richards

MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

"Brad" <bpetria@verizon.net> wrote in message

news:481b01ee.1127487@news.verizon.net...

> Hi,

>

> I bought an old Packard Bell "Multimedia C115" desktop computer from a

> friend of mine for $20.00. While he had it, he did a some upgrades (128M

> ram, USB ports, etc.). It has Windows 98SE.

>

> The Pentium processor speed is a 120Mhz. I would like to upgrade that

> to

> at least 200Mhz.

>

> Besides changing the CPU, what other changes would I have to make?

>

> Thanks in advance, Brad

>

> Before you type your password, credit card number, etc.,

> be sure there is no active keystroke logger (spyware) in your PC.

>

[Guest philo]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

 

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message

news:OycqlVKrIHA.3680@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> The changes required would be quite extensive. The speed of a CPU is the

> maximum clock rate that it can run at, not the speed at which it actually

> runs - that is determined by the motherboard it's plugged in to. You need

> to confirm that the motherboard you are using has the ability to run the

CPU

> at that rate, and that you can find the necessary documentation to change

> the clock speed to whatever the new CPU can handle. On a machine of that

> vintage there's probably several jumpers to change. Often, changing the

> clock speed also changes the memory access speed, so you will need to

ensure

> that the memory can also cope.

>

> If you really want to upgrade it, it's probably easier to find a faster

> motherboard with CPU installed and configured than to replace the CPU in

the

> existing motherboard. My local computer store has a bin of recycled

> motherboards removed from working machines (not guaranteed, but very

likely

> OK) that sell for a few dollars each.

 

 

Hello:

 

I work on a lot of vintage Packard Bells and the boards are proprietary

so replacing the mobo with an AT or ATX type would not be possible. Most PB

P1's

are easily jumpered to 200mhz and no RAM changes are required...

A good flashlight and reading glasses may be needed...but...

It's an easy ten minute job...and for win98...going from 120 to 200 mhz

makes sense to me>

 

 

OTOH: If you walk out into the street, chances are there's a pitched out

P-III sitting

there that was tossed because the owner left a floppy in the drive ! <G>

[Guest Jeff Richards]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

Huh? Who mentioned AT or ATX?

--

Jeff Richards

MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message

news:%23bU1bcKrIHA.2520@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>

> "Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message

> news:OycqlVKrIHA.3680@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> The changes required would be quite extensive. The speed of a CPU is the

>> maximum clock rate that it can run at, not the speed at which it actually

>> runs - that is determined by the motherboard it's plugged in to. You

>> need

>> to confirm that the motherboard you are using has the ability to run the

> CPU

>> at that rate, and that you can find the necessary documentation to change

>> the clock speed to whatever the new CPU can handle. On a machine of that

>> vintage there's probably several jumpers to change. Often, changing the

>> clock speed also changes the memory access speed, so you will need to

> ensure

>> that the memory can also cope.

>>

>> If you really want to upgrade it, it's probably easier to find a faster

>> motherboard with CPU installed and configured than to replace the CPU in

> the

>> existing motherboard. My local computer store has a bin of recycled

>> motherboards removed from working machines (not guaranteed, but very

> likely

>> OK) that sell for a few dollars each.

>

>

> Hello:

>

> I work on a lot of vintage Packard Bells and the boards are proprietary

> so replacing the mobo with an AT or ATX type would not be possible. Most

> PB

> P1's

> are easily jumpered to 200mhz and no RAM changes are required...

> A good flashlight and reading glasses may be needed...but...

> It's an easy ten minute job...and for win98...going from 120 to 200 mhz

> makes sense to me>

>

>

> OTOH: If you walk out into the street, chances are there's a pitched out

> P-III sitting

> there that was tossed because the owner left a floppy in the drive ! <G>

>

>

[Guest philo]

Re: Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

 

Jeff Richards wrote:

> Huh? Who mentioned AT or ATX?

 

 

You specifically stated that your local computer store has a bin of used

boards.

 

The so called "surplus bins" present in computer stores generally consist

of boards from machines that have been upgraded, or perhaps new , old

stock inventory etc.

 

It is very unlikely a used motherboard bin would have a proprietary

PB motherboard...but if they did have one that would in-fact fit the

OP's machine...it would simply be a very similar board to what he

already has.

 

 

Though most any AT or ATX machine can be a possible candidate for a mobo

upgrade...the PB's do not fit into that category due to the proprietary

nature of the board.

 

 

Of course...I have occasionally done a few major modifications...

and recently did take a nibbling tool to an old AT style cabinet

and get a proprietary board to fit in there...

No rational person would go through all the trouble that I will

often go through just to save some old equipment <G>