help please - who made this mobo ? (so i can replace CPU) 1

[MiklK]

hi all -
i ran out of valium so i had to quit trying to find ANYTHING out on the IBM site, officially the WORST website (Idiots Begot Morons?)
(Actually it's the SITE that's hideous, not the people)

Do i just take the case off this thing and LOOK at the mobo? <gasp> It's an IBM 2158-240, with AMD K6 2 (3D NOW) and the mobo is probably Acer. Probably. And i'm probably gonna be rich and famous someday, but for the time being ...

Will the manufacturer of the mobo be the source to tell me what i can buy to replace the CPU?
and how fast i can choose and safely use?
and whether it takes only PII type cpu or can i install a III?

Are those good Q's? Would the mobo manufacturer be the place to obtain the answers?

thx much, people
mikl
bigpygme@earthlink.net

 

[paparazi]

Yes ! the motherboard website is indeed one source to tap.
In general though if it has a AMD K6 II 3D processor it means the motherboard supports 100 front side bus, which is good!
Most K6 II's are 2.2 core volts but the boards usually go alot higher.
If it's a late Socket 7 board it may go as high as supporting the K6 III's and up to a 550mhz processor.
The way to find out if this is possible is to look for an information diagram printed on the motherboard that say the clock multiplier goes to 5.5x .
5.5x X 100fsb=550mhz processor
5x X 100fsb=500mhz processor
4.5x X 100fsb=450mhz etc,etc,etc
so look out for these 3x,3.5x,4x,4.5x,5x,5.5x symbols
I have two socket 7 boards at the moment, one goes up to 450mhz so it 's max clock multiplier is 4.5x
the other goes to 550mhz, 5.5x
You may need to flash the bios (download from Acer website together with flash utility) in order for this faster CPU to be recognised, only do this if necessary.
Hope I've helped. Martin Vote if you found this post helpful please!!

 

[MiklK]

THANK YOU Martin -
the BIOS has been an ongoing issue - i think it's what got me started in these rooms! I eventually found a quote flash unquote at IBM , but as far as i could tell the Ver is identical to what i already had in there. Poor IBM support for BIOS flash is an ongoing theme in some tech-chat rooms.

I tremble at the thought of trying to find out from IBM what the BIOS will support for a cpu! Or what the motherboard will support for cpu speed/heat/etc. But i have the idea that any plans i might make OUGHT to be informed by what the BIOS and mobo would support - whether the mobo could support a cpu drawing more than 2.3 volts, for ex.

Both are Acer product but all support is supposed to come through IBM and i have not had success at trying to get responses from Acer.

Maybe running on an educated guess will be ok, i don't know. Or, i might learn a LOT by prying off (oops) carefully removing the cover to the case (with the appropriate tools )and examining it and seeing what i learn there.
I can learn which socket it's in, fer sure, and what the DIPs seem to say (and then i'll be back <smile) ....

jeez, i almost bought a cpu on eBay tonight (LOL) It sure would be good to know whether it will support a III-type cpu and how fast it will really support (as opposed to what IBM says) (which seems to be 'send us some money and we'll send you ...well, SOMEthing!) heehe

thx a lot to EVERYONE who has some advice/suggestion about this!
mikl
bigpygme@earhtlink.net