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General discussion

New processor..New MOBO?

Oct 26, 2004 6:15AM PDT

If i was to get a new Processor for my computer (3.0ghz Intel) would i need to buy a whole new motherboard? Right now i have a 1.8ghz that is way too slow for my wants. I would buy a new motherboard if i needed to but i want to keep my case and its hard to find a MOBO that has the same hookup connections in the back for the plate. Or am i wrong?

Discussion is locked

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The new mobo will come with
Oct 26, 2004 6:54AM PDT

a matching plate that will simply snap in, in place of the existing plate. The fact that the plate snaps out is typical of all ATX cases.

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RTFM.
Oct 26, 2004 7:07AM PDT

Matt,

Have a look in the motherboard manual (in print or on the makers web site). It will tell you what processors are supported. Usually, you have to set some jumpers and the jumper settings probably aren't defined for much newer and much faster processors, that didn't even exist when the mobo was made.

Also note that newer mobo's might have newer chipsets up to the task of supporting the faster CPU.

Kees

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Kees. The simple fact is that the manual
Oct 26, 2004 8:04AM PDT

CANNOT tell one all of the CPU's are supported. The mobo's get the extensive testing to qualify for production and sale well before some of the CPU's are available.

I have an old example, an ASUS A7V133 made well before the AMD 1700+ cpu was even thought of. I have PC133 memory but with the 1700+ the best that I can run the memory at is 125 MHz. [if I leave spread spectrum enabled, I can't do better than 118 MHz]. YET there are others that are running the 1800+ on the same model at full 133 MHz.

At some point in bus speed the slight variations in the performance of a given mobo [not a given model] will have enough noise problems with the artwork that the mobo will simply not process the memory properly.

One needs to understand what laws of physics create great difficulties in sending a very high frequency square wave over more than a few inches of printed circuitry and have the signal at the other end come close to looking like a square wave.

Generally the manual lists the CPU family and ends with a vague "and up [or higher]". There is simply no way that the mfr can know the upper limit by board serial number, the variations can be extensive.

EMAIL the mfr for such a big jump and you will usually get, you have to try it to be sure.

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Thanks for the clarification.
Oct 26, 2004 8:25AM PDT

I'll try to keep my mouth shut on hardware things, if I'm not damned sure of what I say.

Kees

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Don't do that!! You are an asset to these forums.
Oct 26, 2004 9:23AM PDT

In many cases your reply would be perfectly correct [always correct, in general. LOL] if the CPU the poster wanted to use fell within the range of CPU's mentioned in the manuals. The manual simply can't identify the upper limit.

I always wonder why so many of the people didn't first read the manual. They seem to lose them as fast as they lose the CD with the key codes on them. LOL

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Re: Don't do that!! You are an asset to these forums.
Oct 26, 2004 11:56PM PDT

I dont have a manual that would say anything about CPU's my MOBO would support.

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Are you saying that you didn't get a manual with the mobo?
Oct 27, 2004 12:06AM PDT

What make of mobo?

Basically they only mention some aspect of the CPU's the mobo is made for, such as the socket type or general family range of CPU's. That's what I tried to explain to Kees in my long winded post.

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Motherboard manual.
Oct 27, 2004 7:43AM PDT

My Compaq computer came with a manual that doesn't tell either. But it did tell how to change 32 Mb to 48 Mb (replace the 16 Mb by 32 Mb, including the Compaq partnumber!) and I know just enough of hardware to be able to add a NIC myself. That was good enough.

However, my custom build PC came with a nice booklet, called 'K7T Pro2-A (MS-6330) Users Manual' which explains things like connections, slots, memory options, jumpers and for a CPU it mentions "support for Duron/Athlon 500, 550, 600, 650 Mhz through 1.2 Ghz". But it doesn't tell what patterns of beep at boot might mean, so it's still less than you may want.

Even if I lost it (but happened to know the model number) a google search for k7T pro2-a manual gives a download for the manual as the second hit. There are some advantages of having your computer custom made.

So I suppose it all depends on the make and maker.


Kees