FCPGA - QUESTIONs FROM THE PAST

[Brangwen]

Fellow Members:

Quandry:

I want to upgrade my wife's Intel computer and am having difficulty determing my options.

Go back a couple of years when the Coppermine 600E was a popular PIII ... Well, that CPU is running great still in her computer: a Win98se system on an Abit VA6 (Via/Apollo Chipset) 133 Bus for Coppermine CPUs - Slot-1" board. This Coppermine CPU is a FCPGA on a Slot One adapter. ("Memories!")

The 600E has 100Mhz bus which (IMO) slows the system down. The mobo can handle a 1Ghz PIII 256k CPU with a BIOS upgrade. I found a Pentium III-1GHz / 256K (FCPGA , Socket 370) 133 MHz BUS SPEED (1000EB)CPU on Pricewatch for about $84.00.

I would likely have to purchase 256MB PC133 SDRAM ... boy has SDRAM memory gotten expensive at Crucial! Generic I can get 512MB for about $55.00 ...

So: Upgrade from 600E 100Bus to 1Ghz 133Bus for $140-$150.

Is this worth it? The computer is used for (casual/hobby) editing digital photos, surfing Net and playing online java games ala Yahoo. I've heard my wife say the computer runs slow ... will my upgrade idea help?

I'd appreciate alternative solutions as well.

Oh ... Last question: Would FCPGA to Slot 1 converter presently plugging Coppermine into board work with 1Ghz FCPGA? I think both CPUs are 370s ...

Thx for your ideas and suggestions.

Brangwen

[Omardeth]

search ebay for the cpu , i bet you can get it much cheaper . and depending on where you are in the world you can almost upgrade to a amd with a mobo and ram for about the same price as you have listed

[PresterJohn]

i agree w/Omardeth...once you start going over the $130 expense range, you would get more out of your dollars going with an amd cpu/mobo replacement. not only would you be getting a significantly faster machine it would also extend the 'life' of the machine re:future software.

a 600mhz cpu can handle most of the general stuff and the 1ghz cpu will make it a little faster butediting digital photos will still take a fair chunk of cpu power on some operations.

average price for a xp 1700+ for $50...another $50 for a decent board. prolly get it for less if you shop around or maybe in the b/s/t forum here.

[Brangwen]

Omardeth & PresterJohn:

I hear what you are "saying..."

Once I go AMD (from my experience with my last five builds: 1.2GHz, 1.3GHz, 1.4GHz, XP 1900+ and XP 3200+ Barton), the PSU is affected and more importantly heat is usually a factor.

Though I've heard the same about 1 GHz Intels ...

The case housing the Coppermine is a true Desktop "non tower" case, with the monitor sitting on it. I was attempting to avoid a tower. The beauty of the Coppermine (and many Intel CPUs) is the lower heat factor, e.g., her present computer only requires a CPU HS/Fan assemby, no case fans.

I suppose my point, in a nutshell, is my wife requires a (almost) zero maintenance system. and the case design is ideal for her computer desk (armoir) ...

I built a 1.1 GHz Duron and it could not compete with the PIII for running real applications.

Thx.

Brangwen

[jmebonner]

Originally posted by Brangwen

Oh ... Last question: Would FCPGA to Slot 1 converter presently plugging Coppermine into board work with 1Ghz FCPGA? I think both CPUs are 370s ...

If you have a slocket and then get the convertor to go to fcpga2, yes. I successfully did it on a 440 bx board. The bios has to be 2MB and not the older 1 mb bios. I put in a 1.1 tualatin, which as you may know, has the same cache as the pIII even though it is a celeron.

[Brangwen]

Originally posted by jmebonner if you get a slocket and then the convertor, yes. I successfully did it on a 440 bx board. The bios has to be 2MB and not the older 1 mb bios. I put in a 1.1 tualatin, which as you may know, has the same cache as the pIII even though it is a celeron.

Hmm ... I meant "slocket!" Boy, memories fade. I have a slocket with the 370 plugged into it's side and it plants into a Slot 1 on the mobo. Interesting about the BIOS size ... no idea. I'd have to re-check Abit's upgrade page. I am harboring some serious reservations about upgrading with this board. May not be worth the trouble in the long run. Besides, likely time to switch her (The Boss) over to a DDR mobo. Make acquiring my next upgrade easier

Thx.

Brangwen

If you put a decent HSF on that PIII600E, you could EASILY OC it to an 800EB by just changing the FSB from 100 to 133 (if you can of course). I've got 3 of those bad boys and that's what they all run at. One has a stock HSF that I just screwed a fan from a Socket 7 HSF. It's running XP Pro w/ 256MB RAM and has been for months and months and months . . .

[PresterJohn]

>I suppose my point, in a nutshell, is my wife requires a (almost) zero maintenance system. and the case design is ideal for her computer desk (armoir)

ahhh..you didn't mention that you had a more specific need.

well, i can tell you the 1ghz socket 370 does run relatively cool...the slot1 runs hotter though. the majority of my FAD herd are socket 370's and i have a stock hs/f on 'em and nothing else (fan-wise) in the case except for the exhaust fan on the PS....very quiet.

[Brangwen]

EvilRick:

The reason I got "that bad boy" was due to the hoopla of what a great OC'er it was going to be.

I recall getting it up to 720 via BIOS ... that was it!

Unless you are talking about jumping the mobo to FSB 133? I recall that jumper / option but never tried it.

Please explain ...

Thx!

Brangwen

PS: How much heat? I'm using stock HSF.

[John Prophet]

Ok, I have a slightly different suggestion.

Buy this , slot "T" adapter for $20

which allows you to use "Tualatin" (also known as fcpga2) intel processors...then buy you a 1.3g Tualatin celeron with 256k cache etc for $40 at newegg

here is the link showing your abit va6 being compatible with that slot "T" adapter.

Anyway, that is another possibility...I have used that adapter before and it worked quite well....and the "Tualatin" celeron is very similar to a p3 and probably as good as a p3 coppermine....runs cool also. It is still on the 100mhz bus but probably overclocks easily also.

JP


as far as the pc133 memory....it would seem like that board would have a setting for "asynchronous" memory setting where the cpu clock is 100 but the ram clock is 133...with abits famed "softmenu" you would think the option is there....have you checked? It might look something like "cpu clock+33mhz"