Upgrading CPU

[Trainshed Terry]

Hello, :confused: :thumbs: :thumbs2:

I am considering upgrading my CPU on my desk top which at the moment has the following CPU in.

CPU Properties:
CPU Type Intel Celeron, 2600 MHz (26 x 100)
CPU Alias Northwood-128
CPU Stepping D1
Instruction Set x86, MMX, SSE, SSE2
Original Clock 2600 MHz
Min / Max CPU Multiplier 26x / 26x
Engineering Sample No
L1 Trace Cache 12K Instructions
L1 Data Cache 8 KB
L2 Cache 128 KB (On-Die, ECC, ATC, Full-Speed)

CPU Physical Info:
Package Type 478 Pin uPGA
Package Size 3.50 cm x 3.50 cm
Transistors 55 million
Process Technology 6M, 0.13 um, CMOS, Cu, Low-K
Die Size 131 mm2
Core Voltage 1.525 V
I/O Voltage 1.525 V
Typical Power 52.8 - 68.4 W (depending on clock speed)
Maximum Power 67 - 87 W (depending on clock speed)

CPU Manufacturer:
Company Name Intel Corporation
Product Information http://www.intel.com/products/browse/processor.htm

CPU Utilization:
CPU #1 0 %

The one I would like to upgrade to the following CPU.
Intel Celeron 345 3.0Ghz 256KB 533MHZ 478p.

Intel Celeron D 345
Socket 478.
Clock Speed 3.06Ghz
Bus Speed 533Mhz
Cache Memory L2 Advanced Transfer Cache - 256 KB

Could you please advise me if I could hit any problems in upgrading to this CPU.

If it possible I would like to hang onto the old CPU for a project some time in the future.

Thank You
Terry. :thumbs2: :thumbs:

[TechZ]

We would need to know your motherboard make & model as well, because you are upgrading to a Celeron D, I dont think all Socket 478 motherboards support that.

[Trainshed Terry]

We would need to know your motherboard make & model as well, because you are upgrading to a Celeron D, I don't think all Socket 478 motherboards support that.

Here is the information regarding the mother board hope that it is off help :rolleyes:

Motherboard Properties:
Motherboard ID 62-1029-001199-00101111-040201-SiS650$NECC000_8SIMLNF V1.0K
Motherboard Name Gigabyte GA-8SIML

Front Side Bus Properties:
Bus Type Intel NetBurst
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 100 MHz (QDR)
Effective Clock 400 MHz
Bandwidth 3200 MB/s

Chipset Bus Properties:
Bus Type SiS MuTIOL
Bus Width 16-bit

Motherboard Physical Info:
CPU Sockets/Slots 1
Expansion Slots 3 PCI, 1 AGP, 1 CNR
RAM Slots 2 DIMM
Integrated Devices Audio, Video, LAN
Form Factor Micro ATX
Motherboard Size 230 mm x 240 mm
Motherboard Chipset SiS650
Extra Features EasyTune III

Motherboard Manufacturer:
Company Name Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Information http://tw.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/Products/Products_NewProduct_List.htm
BIOS Download http://tw.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/BIOS/BIOS_List.htm :thumbs:

If I can not use the CPU that I first mentioned please could you advise me on which would be the ideal CPU to install.

Thank You.
Terry :thumbs:

[TechZ]

From what I've read about that board, (and I'm sure it will tell you in the manual as well), it can only take Pentium 4's and Celerons, that are 400MHz bus based.

CPU Support List:
http://tw.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/CPUSupportList/CPUSupportList_GA-8SIML%20(Rev%202.0).htm

So basically, short of switching to a Pentium4 (400MHz bus based) CPU, which should give you a decent performance difference, you are at the limit for the board.

[Trainshed Terry]

From what I've read about that board, (and I'm sure it will tell you in the manual as well), it can only take Pentium 4's and Celerons, that are 400MHz bus based.

CPU Support List:
http://tw.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/CPUSupportList/CPUSupportList_GA-8SIML%20(Rev%202.0).htm

So basically, short of switching to a Pentium4 (400MHz bus based) CPU, which should give you a decent performance difference, you are at the limit for the board.

:grin: AAGGHHH!!!, Could you please confirm that the answer you have sent me that the current motherboard can not take the upgrade CPU that I would like to install, and if Ihave read the listing that you sent me the motherboard that I currently use is undertesting. :guns:

I have just looked in Packard Bell info center and found the following, I hope that it helps to answer the question.

CPU Support
Socket mPGA 478B
Supports Intel® Pentium 4™ FC-PGA2 processor (Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array), 1.4 to 2.5 GHz
Supports 100 MHz data bus support (400 MHz using Quad-bumped technology)
Supports 133 MHz data bus support (533 MHz using Quad-bumped technology)
Here are the spec of the motherboard.

COLUMBIA MOTHERBOARD SPECIFICATIONS
Form Factor
µATX 24.4 x 22.9 cm
CPU Support
Socket mPGA 478B
Supports Intel® Pentium 4™ FC-PGA2 processor (Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array), 1.4 to 2.5 GHz
Supports 100 MHz data bus support (400 MHz using Quad-bumped technology)
Supports 133 MHz data bus support (533 MHz using Quad-bumped technology)
System Memory
Supports 2 memory slots
Serial Presence Detect (SPD) support
Supports a maximum memory size of 1 GB (using 2x512 Mb memory modules)
Supports only 2.5V DIMM DDRAM configurations
Unbuffered type support
Core Logic (Chipset)

The *651 IGUI HMAC 3D Graphics SDR/DDR Chipset (see note) features:
Processor Host/Bus support (533MHz data transfer rate)
Support for DDR266 and DDR333 SDRAM
AGTL+ & AGTL compliant bus driver auto compensation
AGP V2.0 Compliant
Support for additional AGP4X/2X interface and Fast Write Transaction
* Columbia 5 only.

The SiS 645 DX DDR333 Chipset features:
Processor Host/Bus support (533MHz data transfer rate)
Support for DDR266 and DDR333 SDRAM
AGTL+ & AGTL compliant bus driver auto compensation
AGP V2.0 Compliant
Support for additional AGP4X/2X interface and Fast Write Transaction


The SiS 962 MuTIOL Media I/O features:
PCI rev 2.2 specification support
supports PCI bus at 33 MHz
3 PCI bus masters slots (1 of which is combined with the CNR connector)
133MByte/sec maximum throughput
Integrated IDE controller supporting PIO Mode 4 transfers at up to 14MB/s, Ultra ATA/33 mode transfers at up to 33 MB/s, and Ultra ATA/66 mode transfers up to 66 MB/s, Ultra ATA/100 mode transfers at up to 100 MB/s and Ultra ATA/133 mode transfers at up to 133 MB/s
AC'97 link for audio and telephony CODECs (AC'97 2.2 interface)
SMBus interface
PC2001 compliance


I/O Controller
The motherboard integrates a WINBOND W83697HF I/O controller with the following features:
PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse controller.
Floppy disk controller supporting one 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB or 1.44MB Floppy Disk Drives.
2 serial ports, both 16C550 Fast UART compatible.
1 Parallel port supporting SPP (Standard parallel Port), EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port), ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) and BPP (Bi-directional Printer port) modes.
1 MIDI/Game port.
Hardware Monitoring:
Fan speed monitoring.
Built-in case open detection circuit.
Watchdog comparison of all monitored values.
Audio Chipset
The functionality related to sound is provided by the integrated Sigmatel STAC9750T Codec, featuring:
DirectSound AC'97 2.2 Audio.
Inputs and Outputs: Stereo inputs for line-in, CD audio, Auxiliary, mono inputs for microphone and TAD, MPU-401 (UART mode) interface for wavetable synthesisers and MIDI devices.
Integrated game port.
Mixer Features: mixer with stereo for line, CD audio, auxiliary, music synthesiser, digital audio (wave files), and mono for microphone and speakerphone.
3D stereo enhancement for simulated surround.
Power management support.
SPDIF output for PCM & AC3 sound formats.
Ethernet Controller (Optional)
Realtek RTL8100(BL) PCI/Mini-PCI Single-Chip Fast Ethernet Controller with Power Management10 Mbps 10 Base-T and 100 Mbps 100 Base-TX support, includes the following features:

Conforms to IEEE802.3u 100Base-TX and IEEE802.3x Full Duplex Flow Control.
10/100 Mbps Half/Full duplex operation and IEEE802.3u auto negotiation.
Supports Wake on LAN features.
Remote Power On.
Remote Wake Up.
Advanced Configuration & Power Interface (ACPI) 2.0 & PCI Power Management Specifications 2.0 compliant.
Supports Wake-On-LAN function and remote wake-up (Magic Packet).
The ethernet address, Vendor ID and Configuration register are stored in the EEPROM.
Compliant to PC99/PC2001 standard.
PCI 2.1 and PCI 2.2 compliant.
BIOS
AMI BIOS includes the following features:

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) 1.0.
2Mb Flash device.
Supports Desktop Management Interface (DMI).
Supports Windows Plug and Play.
Supports Advanced Power management (APM) 1.2.
Year 2000 compliant.
PC 2001 compliant.
Supports S3 power mode.
Could you please advise on which Gigabyte/Columber mother board would you recomend to take the upgrade CPU.

Thank You.
Regards.
Terry :( :confused:

[NooNoo]

Why bother upgrading from a celeron to a celeron, that few mhz is not going to make a blind bit of difference...

Now if you want to make a difference get a full P4 with the correct fsb for the existing motherboard. (Intel P4-Northwood 2.6G 400FSB) If you think that a 2.6 P4 will not perform as well as a 3.0g celeron you are mistaken I'm afraid. :)

If (as I suspect) you have bought the new cpu without checking the motherboard's specification, I wonder if you go shopping for shoes without knowing the size of shoe you need to buy? :D

[Trainshed Terry]

Why bother upgrading from a celeron to a celeron, that few MHz is not going to make a blind bit of difference...

Now if you want to make a difference get a full P4 with the correct fsb for the existing motherboard. (Intel P4-Northwood 2.6G 400FSB) If you think that a 2.6 P4 will not perform as well as a 3.0g celeron you are mistaken I'm afraid. :)

If (as I suspect) you have bought the new CPU without checking the motherboard's specification, I wonder if you go shopping for shoes without knowing the size of shoe you need to buy? :D

No I have not purchased a CPU as off yet, that is Why I am asking if it is possible to up grade the current CPU and what is the best way to go about it.

The only reason that I made the suggestion of going Celeron to Celeron it would be easier.

I always ask for advise if possible before I leap it to doing anything major.

Regards.
Terry. :eek2: :redeyes:

[slgrieb]

Upgrading isn't what it used to be. CPU performance is over-rated. Trainshed, the question you have to ask yourself is: "What do I want to do with this computer that I can't do now?" If you just want a bit of a boost in general performance, you can spend lots of money and not see much improvement. In gneral, video upgrades, additional memory, or faster memory are worth more than a new CPU.

If you want to run F.E.A.R., a cutting-edge graphics card will give you a bigger boost than a slightly faster CPU. The numbers displayed in benchmarks may be impressive in raw numbers, but they don't translate into real-world performance.

[Trainshed Terry]

Upgrading isn't what it used to be. CPU performance is over-rated. Trainshed, the question you have to ask yourself is: "What do I want to do with this computer that I can't do now?" If you just want a bit of a boost in general performance, you can spend lots of money and not see much improvement. In general, video upgrades, additional memory, or faster memory are worth more than a new CPU.

;) If you want to run F.E.A.R., a cutting-edge graphics card will give you a bigger boost than a slightly faster CPU. The numbers displayed in benchmarks may be impressive in raw numbers, but they don't translate into real-world performance.

That was sound advise you have just imparted, I shall give it some thought but going on what has been said I think that I just might purchase a 512MB Memory Chip set as PC has 2x256MB chip sets.

I shall take out one off the 256MB chip sets and put in its place the 512MB which would give me RAM of 768. Good Idea or a very bad idea.

Thank you for all the advise.

Regards.
Terry. :thumbs2:

[NooNoo]

this is the basic GA-8SIML (http://tw.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/Products/Products_GA-8SIML.htm) - note the ram - you can have 2gb at 266 speed which is PC2100 memory.

You can buy another strip at 512, but note that certain ram strips don't get on with others, so if you get odd problems that suddenly appear you may have to get two of the same type to make things work correctly.

Check what ram make/type you already have and if possible, get the same make/type of the new stick.

[Trainshed Terry]

this is the basic GA-8SIML (http://tw.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/Products/Products_GA-8SIML.htm) - note the ram - you can have 2gb at 266 speed which is PC2100 memory.

You can buy another strip at 512, but note that certain ram strips don't get on with others, so if you get odd problems that suddenly appear you may have to get two of the same type to make things work correctly.

Check what ram make/type you already have and if possible, get the same make/type of the new stick.

I have a Compaq Presario XL1200, which had a RAM value off 128MB, but the twist is that 64Mb of the is built in to the computer and the other 64MB is a SODIMM chip set of 64MB, I had some one install a 128MB chip set which now gives me a RAM size off 192MB

Terry Macavoy.

[NooNoo]

ummm a Compaq Presario XL1200 is a notebook... weren't you talking about a desktop based on the 8SIML?

[Trainshed Terry]

ummm a Compaq Presario XL1200 is a notebook... weren't you talking about a desktop based on the 8SIML?

That is right I was talking about a Compaq XL1200 note book. I take this one with me when I go away for weekends.

The desk top is not very transportable are they.

You said that desk top do not like to use 2 memory chips of a different size......................or did I read it wrong.

The note book has a built in memory chip off 64MB and a SODIUM chipset which you can up grade..........yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..........going on what you quoted PC do not like to work with different size memory chips.

Hope you can understand on what I am trying to say.

With regards to I have search high and low on the internet Pentium 4 CPU that will run at 400MHZ.........................and all I can find is Pentium 4 CPU that run at 533MHZ...................

Regards :redeyes: :thumbs:

[NooNoo]

OK, you are talking about two entirely different setups. If you read the thread, you will find that this is the first mention of the notebook.

I lug desktops around all the time... redelivering them to customers :devil:

Two different sizes rarely cause problems unless they are different makes/speeds etc

I meant that you need to try and match the make and speed.

As for not being able to find the correct cpu... sorry I can't shop for you now can I ? :devil:

[Trainshed Terry]

Hello :redeyes: :redeyes:

I have installed 2 X 512MB Packard Bell Chip sets to day, and things seam to run a lot smoother.

But I would still like to upgrade the CPU some time in the future any further advice would be a great help.

This is a after thought but dose anybody know where I can find a BIOS update for my PC.

BIOS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


BIOS Properties:
BIOS Type AMI
System BIOS Date 07/30/03
Video BIOS Date 04/13/05

BIOS Manufacturer:
Company Name American Megatrends Inc.
Product Information http://www.ami.com/amibios
BIOS Upgrades http://www.esupport.com/biosagent/index.cfm?refererid=40

Problems & Suggestions:
Suggestion Are you looking for a BIOS Upgrade? Contact eSupport Today!
Suggestion System BIOS is more than 2 years old. Update it if necessary.

I have tried to use www.esurpport.com and have found it difficult to navigate through. :flames:

Terry :thumbs: :thumbs2: :thumbs:

[NooNoo]

Ebay.co.uk ... you pays yer money, you takes yer choice.

Computer fairs are equally risky since it's hard to test a cpu in a sports hall.

[Trainshed Terry]

Ebay.co.uk ... you pays yer money, you takes yer choice.

Computer fairs are equally risky since it's hard to test a cpu in a sports hall.

:rolleyes: I do use E-Bay.co.uk to purchase other item but very reluctantly to buy a 2nd hand CPU and motherboards because it could open up a hole can of worms in the way off problems and there is no guarantee that it will work. :rolleyes:

I think that you would agree NooNoo

Regards.
Terry

[NooNoo]

I have bought CPU's from ebay without a problem. You could also contact Garak (moderator here) who has dealt in 2nd hand CPU's in the past for advice.

[Garak]

Hello, I have used these motherboards before in setups (buying them as OEM from an external supplier). The max I have been able to put in is a full Pentium 4 2.6ghz CPU running at 400mhz FSB!

Good Luck

[Trainshed Terry]

Hello, I have used these motherboards before in setups (buying them as OEM from an external supplier). The max I have been able to put in is a full Pentium 4 2.6ghz CPU running at 400mhz FSB!

Good Luck

Please could advise me on which motherboards you would recommend to run at 533Mhz FSB. :thumbs:

Thank you.
Terry. :redeyes:

[NooNoo]

If you are going to change motherboards, then go with what is current... little point in finding yourself in the same position 6 months down the road...