Upgrading a Slow CPU to a Faster CPU

[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.

 

[dadiOH]

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
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[thanatoid]

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

 

[philo]

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

 

[Jeff Richards]

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.
>

 

[philo]

"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>

 

[Jeff Richards]

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>
>
>

 

[philo]

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>