Practical to upgrade CPU?

[beemsg]

Hi guys,

I have an unknown AMD Athlon cpu model in my Shuttle XPC (Specs for box), and the most information I can get about it is its clock speed and model number (the processor was preinstalled and I don't want to risk cracking the die or over-greasing to find out the serial). Here's the output from WCPUID:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ WCPUID Version 3.1a (c) 1996-2002 By H.Oda! ]

Processor #1 : AMD Athlon XP (Model 8) / 2633A4B7
Platform : Socket A (Socket 462)
Vendor String : AuthenticAMD
CPU Type : Original OEM Processor (0)
Family : 6 (7)
Model : 8 (8)
Stepping ID : 1 (1)
Brand : ----
APIC : ----
HT Log.CPU Cnt : ----
Name String : AMD Athlon(tm) XP

Internal Clock : 1143.88 MHz
System Bus : 198.94 MHz DDR
System Clock : 99.47 MHz
Multiplier : 11.5

L1 I-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 D-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 T-Cache : ----
L1 Cache : ----
L2 Cache : 256K Byte
L2 Speed : 1143.88 MHz (Full)

MMX Unit : Supported
SSE Unit : Supported
SSE2 Unit : Not Supported
MMX2 Unit : Supported
3DNow! Unit : Supported
3DNow!+ Unit : Supported

Host Bridge : 10DE:01E0.A2 [NVIDIA nForce2]
South Bridge : 10DE:01EB.A2 [NVIDIA nForce2 MCP]
VGA Device : 10DE:01F0.A3 [$NVIDIA VGA]
Memory Size : 480M Byte
Memory Clock : ----

OS Version : Windows XP Version 5.01.2600 Service Pack 1
-------------- : -----------------------------------
StdFunc 0 : 00000001 68747541 444D4163 69746E65
StdFunc 1 : 00000681 00000000 00000000 0383FBFF
ExtFunc 0 : 80000008 68747541 444D4163 69746E65
ExtFunc 1 : 00000781 00000000 00000000 C1C3FBFF
ExtFunc 2 : 20444D41 6C687441 74286E6F 5820296D
ExtFunc 3 : 00000050 00000000 00000000 00000000
ExtFunc 4 : 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
ExtFunc 5 : 0408FF08 FF20FF10 40020140 40020140
ExtFunc 6 : 00000000 41004100 01008140 00000000
ExtFunc 7 : 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000001
ExtFunc 8 : 00002022 00000000 00000000 00000000
C0010015h : 00000000 01031008 00000000 844E8598
C0010016h : 00000008 50460000 00000000 844E8598
C0010017h : 00000000 61200000 00000000 844E8598
C0010018h : 00000000 E0000018 00000000 844E8598
C0010019h : 0000000F FC000800 00000000 844E8598
C001001Ah : 00000000 1E000000 00000000 844E8598
C001001Bh : 00000000 20031223 00000000 844E8598
C0010111h : 00000000 000B0000 00000000 844E8598
C0010112h : 00000000 00000000 00000000 844E8598
C0010113h : 00000000 00000001 00000000 844E8598

##--- Date 08/30/2003, Time 18:19:02

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My question is this: will I see a major performance increase if I upgrade the processor to an Athlon XP 3000+ (333 FSB), the highest cpu AMD has certified the board for? I think the 3000+ runs at around 2.2GHz, but I don't know whether I have a good cpu already and my board is slowing it down to 1.1GHz or if the cpu is genuinely old. I just got this system two months ago, and it was my understanding that all the parts were state-of-the-art.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

-Grant

 

[mechBgon]

Welcome to the Forums beemsg It looks like you have a faster CPU that's incorrectly set up, and is running below its rated speed as a result. Being from the Model 8 lineup, that's probably an AthlonXP 1800+, designed to operate at 1533MHz (11.5 multiplier x 133MHz FSB).

So go into your BIOS and change your FSB to 133, and it should start calling it an AthlonXP 1800+ and operating it at 1.533GHz.

 

[beemsg]

Thanks mechBgon! I can't believe it was a simple software setting keeping my cpu from operating at its full potential. You'd think that my vendor would set the bios as part of the construction process, but I guess not. I'm actually kinda glad they didn't...it's like I just got a free upgrade and some good knowledge to boot. Here's the new CPUID if you're interested:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ WCPUID Version 3.1a (c) 1996-2002 By H.Oda! ]

Processor #1 : AMD Athlon XP (Model 8) / 0A515366
Platform : Socket A (Socket 462)
Vendor String : AuthenticAMD
CPU Type : Original OEM Processor (0)
Family : 6 (7)
Model : 8 (8)
Stepping ID : 1 (1)
Brand : ----
APIC : ----
HT Log.CPU Cnt : ----
Name String : AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1800+

Internal Clock : 1531.02 MHz
System Bus : 266.26 MHz DDR
System Clock : 133.13 MHz
Multiplier : 11.5

L1 I-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 D-Cache : 64K Byte
L1 T-Cache : ----
L1 Cache : ----
L2 Cache : 256K Byte
L2 Speed : 1531.02 MHz (Full)

MMX Unit : Supported
SSE Unit : Supported
SSE2 Unit : Not Supported
MMX2 Unit : Supported
3DNow! Unit : Supported
3DNow!+ Unit : Supported

Host Bridge : 10DE:01E0.A2 [NVIDIA nForce2]
South Bridge : 10DE:01EB.A2 [NVIDIA nForce2 MCP]
VGA Device : 10DE:01F0.A3 [$NVIDIA VGA]
Memory Size : 480M Byte
Memory Clock : ----

OS Version : Windows XP Version 5.01.2600 Service Pack 1
-------------- : -----------------------------------
StdFunc 0 : 00000001 68747541 444D4163 69746E65
StdFunc 1 : 00000681 00000000 00000000 0383FBFF
ExtFunc 0 : 80000008 68747541 444D4163 69746E65
ExtFunc 1 : 00000781 00000000 00000000 C1C3FBFF
ExtFunc 2 : 20444D41 6C687441 74286E6F 5820296D
ExtFunc 3 : 38312050 002B3030 00000000 00000000
ExtFunc 4 : 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
ExtFunc 5 : 0408FF08 FF20FF10 40020140 40020140
ExtFunc 6 : 00000000 41004100 01008140 00000000
ExtFunc 7 : 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000001
ExtFunc 8 : 00002022 00000000 00000000 00000000
C0010015h : 00000000 01031008 00000000 844FE740
C0010016h : 00000008 50460000 00000000 844FE740
C0010017h : 00000000 61200000 00000000 844FE740
C0010018h : 00000000 E0000018 00000000 844FE740
C0010019h : 0000000F FC000800 00000000 844FE740
C001001Ah : 00000000 1E000000 00000000 844FE740
C001001Bh : 00000000 20031223 00000000 844FE740
C0010111h : 00000000 000B0000 00000000 844FE740
C0010112h : 00000000 00000000 00000000 844FE740
C0010113h : 00000000 00000001 00000000 844FE740

##--- Date 08/31/2003, Time 07:07:13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are great forums, btw.

-Grant

 

[pspada]

It's possible that the bios was reset to factory defaults, and that's why your system was underperforming. I've seen this happen several times, usually when pressing the reset button while the machine is still booting.

 

[RobCur]

I have duron 1.1ghz and I see no reason to upgrade anytime soon.
A friend has P3 733mhz and just bought a new 2.4ghz P4 computer instead. He could have upgrade to XP 1800-2000 for much less and perform equally well. He is fond of P4 btw and will not buy AMD even if its half price.