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Thread ID: 3872	2000-03-24 18:33:00	Motherboard upgrade questions	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
4329	2000-03-24 18:33:00	Over the last couple of years I have made a number of upgrades to my computer (Pent.133, 16MB RAM, 1.2GB H/D, S3 video, 12spd CD ROM). By selling off the old parts and carefuly buying new and secondhand parts I have upgraded the machine at an all up cost of about $300 to an IDT WinChip 2 233 with 3D Now, 64MB RAM, 4.3GB H/D,Diamond TNT video card, 40speed CD ROM, 56k modem. After seeing the recent article in PC World magazine, I wouldn't mind fitting in a new or secondhand motherboard but have a few questions about the feasibility. My plan was to do the upgrade in stages (to spread the costs), starting first with simply changing the motherboard and using the existing plug-in parts from the old motherboard. Stage 2 would be to upgrade the chip and the final stage would be to upgrade the memory. I was looking at an AMD motherboard/chip combo - perhaps around the 400MHZ range. I have the following questions: - The IDT Winchip I have (it is actually the Winchip 2 -266 variant) can support a 75 MHZ bus speed, whereas the old motherboard (Microstar - maximum of Pentium 200 supported) I have is at 66MHZ. If I get a motherboard that supports the 75MHZ bus speed, how does that effect the running of the PCI components I currently have (such as the Diamond TNT card)? - I haven't looked too much into the options of the actual motherboard make and model but if I pick a model that supports a higher bus speed again (100 MHZ?), how will that effect the same components? I'd rather keep the existing video card and other PCI components (sound card and modem) if I can. - Will I see any performance increase at all in the motherboard change only, until I get the new chip and memory, if I don't change the existing bus speed? - I understand that this WInchip will perform at approximately a Pentium 266 level (if there was one) with the higher bus speed - will this supposed 33MHZ increase be a noticeable increase? - Finally, does anyone have any experience of a similar upgrade and the performance increases versus costs? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. Thanks Darryl Lennane	Guest (0)
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