Any chance running a K6-2 533 @ 550 in a laptop?

[vec]

Hi All,

I currently own an orphaned laptop (chicony mp982). It currently has a K6-2 400 cpu in it. I believe it is the desktop version (K62400AFX). As a final upgrade to this laptop I was thinking of replacing the K6-2 400 with a K6-2 533. Since the 533 is already clocked at 5.5 I thought it would be easy to bump the fsb from 97Mhz to 100Mhz and run it at 550.

I'm not familiar with the K6 series of cpus. Are they multiplier locked like the newer cpus? What are my chances to run the 533@550? Will it run a lot hotter than the k6-2 400? The laptop actually has a nice hsf and access to large vents. I will probably use arctic silver on the new cpu. I don't know what is being used on the current cpu.

Any comments, hints or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

BTW - why is it so difficult to find those nice k6-2+ cpus for cheap $?

 

[sandorski]

The multi's are not locked on k6-2's. The 533 usues a 5.5 multi, but it does not set a 5.5 multi, that function belongs to the mobo. Make sure multi and fsb adjustments are available on the mobo or thtrough BIOS before attempting the upgrade.

 

[bizmark]

There shouldn't be any problem putting the 533 in there. The multipliers on the K6 line are NOT multiplier locked. There should be jumpers/switches on the motherboard that you would change to change the CPU frequency. There should also be jumpers/switches to change the voltage and the FSB frequency.

The 533 may get somewhat hotter than the 400. Whether this makes a difference is up to you. You could always underclock the 533 if it ran too hot (run it at 5.0x100FSB, for example...). O/Cing to 550 may lead to heat problems, again you should just try it and see if it's acceptable to you.

The '+' line of processors is the most advanced processor for the Super Socket7. AMD moved to a new process for these processors (.28 to .23 micron, or something like that....) and that enabled them to put more cache on the core itself (K6-2+'s have 128k L2 cache, and K6-3+'s have 256k -- previous SS7 CPUs just had L1 cache on-die and the L2 cache resided on the motherboard. Putting a + series processor turns the L2 cache into an L3 cache.). The plusses were released shortly before the Athlon was introduced, so AMD simply didn't make many of them. Also, as the highest possible upgrade for a SS7 platform, they are highly desirable.

My Compaq Presario 1672 laptop had a 350MHz K6-2. I upgraded it to a K6-2+ 450MHz and was very happy with the performance increase 🙂 (The L2 cache seems to make a huge difference.) If you go for a + processor, make sure the motherboard can supply the lower voltages they require (my mobo has handy reference charts printed on it with switch settings). I had it running briefly at 500MHz but decided to just run it at 450. Since it's a smaller process, I'm pretty sure that the heat O/C'd at 500 would be about the same (if not less) than the heat made by the original K6-2@350.

 

[TheCorm]

Make sure you use a Mobile K6-2.......providing you can even get hold of them. The reason they are so rare is because they are very old now....i'd imagine you would have a similar problem finding a new Pentium II.

Corm

 

[vec]

Thanks for the information guys.

I found a K6-2+ 450 at tiger direct for a reasonable price. I think I'll go for that. I believe the laptops mobo is a newer one and supports lower voltages (lowest is 1.6v). I think I found information on the multiplier and bus speed jumpers. Very similar on all ALI Aladin V chipsets. I think I'll play around with it and see if I can get to 550 (checking heat and instability). I've read the 450s OC well.

Thanks again,
Vince

 

[vec]

Just an update - installed the 533, but it wouldn't go at 550 (program errors). I'm running it at 500 since I can't find the switch to change the fsb to 95mhz (at 100mhz now).

When I receive the k6-2+ from tiger direct I'll see if I can go 550 or 600 at the same temp + lower voltage.

Kinda fun so far.