new motherboard needed?

[lagerter]

I'm new at this so please be kind. I know just enough (or little) to be dangerous
My son has an old Gateway G6-450. These specs came off of their website:

Intel (Tabor 2) BX Motherboard w/ Integrated Audio R2
Intel 450-MHz Pentium II Slot 1 processor
200-Watt 3.3-Volt LP Power Supply with 700ma Revision 6

Can I upgrade the processor or does it need a new motherboard as well? Any recommendations? The power supply would need to be upgraded also, right? Is this all something I can do by myself? I've replaced HDD's, CD drives etc... so I guess I'm slightly above boarderline comp. illiterate.

My other idea was to get a barebones and tranfers HD and other drives from the Gateway.

He does basic gaming and websurfing so it doesn't have to be blazing fast. I would like to try to keep it under a $100 if at all possible (got one going off to college and $$ is tight). So I'm open for comments, suggestions and, yes, criticisms.

Thanks in advance for any help!!

[elroy]

Look here at the board/cpu combos. Several in the $70-100 range.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...c.asp?CatId=14
Only thing is that most of these use DDR memory so you would need new memory.

After giving it a little thought maybe you should go this direction. How about a socket A board that uses PC100 sdram. The board would run about $40. This way you could use your current ram. Then buy a Duron 1.3 for about $38. You would also need a heatsink/fan combo for about $10. Use all your old drives and case. This would be a great iimprovement over your current system and you're still under $100.

[ragtop]

Welcome to TechIMO!!

With a P2 processor, you probably won't be able to upgrade far enough to make it worthwhile. You'll need a new MB, CPU, RAM, and power supply. You'll also probably need a new video card (or a MB with on-board video). The new MB may or may not fit in the old case.

Unfortunately, you're not going to be able to get all that stuff for under $100. (Probably closer to $200)

One other option is to check out the TechIMO traders forum & see if you can find some decent used parts that fit your budget.

[lagerter]

Thanks! That sounds like a great possibilty. Is there anything special I need to know about installing the new board? The only thing I've ever done with CPU's is pulling out an old 386 and popping a new 486. (Shows my computer savviness)

[Sixpac_XP]

Well there are 2 things I always have when installing a new motherboard.

1. Flashlight - good to see inside the case and looking at the little pins and such when you are connecting the case pins and USB connectors.

2. Screwdriver with magnetic tip - a must have.. those screws used to put in a motherboard are small and its a tight fit in there.. so I lose screws down in the case.. the magnetic tip of the screw driver keeps the screw on the end of the tip and if you happen to lose one its easier to fish it out with it.

Oh and make sure you have a nice wide clean open area to do your work.. something just above waste hight is good.. saves the back.

[elroy]

You might look here for a board:
http://www.7bytes.com/productm.cgi?MB+A
They have several socket A boards that use sdram. Looks like the sdram boards are starting to get scarce.

[lagerter]

I have all of those things but I was always told magnets and computers were no-no's.
So, is it basically unscrewing the old motherboard and putting in the new? Nothing else?

[lagerter]

Thanks for the links elroy. I'll have to try to sort it all out. *Stupid question alert*... Would you recommend try to go for the motherboard that would use DDR or the duron 1.3 and my sdram. How far in the future do you predict the duron would take a 14 yr.old without having to upgrade again anytime soon? I'm trying to save $$ but if we would need to upgrade before too long, maybe it would be better in the long run to spend a little more now.
I'm soooo confused!

[Sixpac_XP]

Originally posted by lagerter
I have all of those things but I was always told magnets and computers were no-no's.
So, is it basically unscrewing the old motherboard and putting in the new? Nothing else?

Only magnets that are strong.. and next to a hard drive... the ones on screw drivers pose no problem.

[ragtop]

Mechanically, its not too difficult to put in a new MB. You unplug everything, unscrew the old MB, install the CPU & heat sink on the new MB, screw it in & plug everything back in.

Doing it for the first time can be a little challenging. Take your time, read the MB manual carefully, & post here with any problems you run into.

Don't forget, once the MB is installed you need to either reinstall Windows & all the drivers for your new hardware - or go through the process of letting the old Windows installation detect all the new hardware & install the drivers. Its usually recommended that you reformat & reinstall Windows when doing a major upgrade like that, but if you're using Windows 98 (I'm just guessing based on the age of the computer) - you can usually get by without a full reinstall.

Also, as far as getting a new board with DDR RAM vs using your old SDRAM - I would go for the DDR. Unless you've upgraded the memory, your old computer probably uses PC66 (and probably only something like 64MB). Chances are, that memory won't run with a newer processor using a higher bus speed.

If you live near a Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, etc. - you can usually find PC2100 DDR really cheap if you don't mind sending in mail-in rebate forms.