My friend has a current system, specs unknown. I know it is made by AT&T, has 4 megs of SIMM, but it runs ICQ, IE4, and AIM. I'm guessing a double digit Pentium system.
He wants to upgrade but not spend much on it. I'm working a deal with Jedipheonix where I will be getting an AMD K6-2 450 and motherboard. I also put in an order for 32 megs of PC100.
My main concern is this: what bus speed do old systems such as his run on? For example, is his hard drive going to be able to take 100mhz bus? I don't want to lose data, but he doesn't want to upgrade the hard drive for cost reasons. My solution was this: if his old computer ran at 33mhz bus, I could run the k6 at 33*13.5. Of course, the performance would be impacted, but he only uses it for chat and internet, not games.
Any ideas, please throw into the mix
Thanks.
let me add one more question: Should the pc100 work at 33mhz? It theoretically is reverse compatible and all, but lots of times people find quirks that don't work though they should.
[This message has been edited by warhorse (edited 06-13-2000).]
It said "requires Windows 95 or better," so I installed Linux.
You shouldn't have any problems under 33Mhz PCI no matter what he was running before. All the specs should be just fine with the hard drive outa that AT&T system, keep in mind though that when you put the drive onto a new MOBO that its going to need to load a bunch of new drivers etc...
Like S_Klass pointed out I doubt you'll be able to set a 13.5x multiplier
However, standards are standards, and the PCI bus has been with us since the 486's - and the PCI specifications call for <33MHz speed.
If your friend has a Pentium 90 it's running at 60MHz bus (with 1.5x multiplier) and has a 1/2 PCI divider, making the PCI speed 30MHz, below spec yes, but within the boundaries.
If your friend is going to get that K6 - set it to 100x4.5 , the PCI will be running at the standrad 33MHz thanks to the 1/3 divider. Not even the people featured on http://www.h-oda.com have managed to reach 100MHz PCI (70MHz PCI is not that far away though)
Oh and...4mb ram and he's running IE4 ??? MY GOD that's gotta be slower than a freeze-dried snail nailed down with industrial sized metal. Get him that new system right away !!
The main reason for keeping the old hard drive is because Win95 is already installed on it. Hassles of drivers and such, you know.
My friend works as a telemarketer (hehe. don't call me!) and gets paid a good bit, so after a taste of the new speed, I'm sure he will want more and more
He hasn't been spoiled and claims not to like mp3s or games, but I'm throwing in a 56k winmodem just to corrupt him I'm sure he will like it better than his 14.4
It said "requires Windows 95 or better," so I installed Linux.
LoL 56k corrupts, broadband corrupts absolutely! Btw, warhorse do not underestimate the power of new drivers. I always try to keep current because in this day and age where manufacturers rush products to market in order to be first, often the drivers are immature/under-developed until several months after the product has hit the market. Often new drivers improve on overall stabilty and offers more features that improve performance.
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-=S_Klass=- I tweak... therefore I am.
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