Want to upgrade computer, but very limited funds, any suggestions?

[gstpwr]

Hi all,

I have an Abit BX6 motherboard with an original Celeron 300A overclocked to 450MHZ.
Recently, the computer has been crashing more and more, due to overclocking.
Well, basically, a bunch of my files and registry got corrupted it seems when my
computer crashed again today. So now I need to reinstall winblowz, etc.

I figure since I gotta reinstall, I might as well get a new CPU too, so that I don't
have to deal with all the crashing anymore. What would be a good choice?

I have limited funds, and I'm looking into maybe a Celeron 600MHZ or 700MHZ to drop
in. Is that a good choice? Also, does anyone know if my motherboard will support it?
Abit's homepage only lists my motherboard going up to 450MHZ...

Also, since K7 CPU's seem to be so cheap right now, I'm thinking about getting a K7
and a new motherboard. If I do that, will I need new ram too? Right now I'm using
PC100 Micron.

Please reply, thanks.

-GSTPWR

 

[AmdEmAll]

I would get:
Asus A7V - $145
Duron 700 - $75
Then overclock the hell out of it!

 

[pillage2001]

I second that. 😉

 

[Eug]

Celeron 566 ($65), or Celeron 600 ($70). Run at 850/900.

No need to get a new board, just get the latest BIOS. (I'm not 100% sure about the original BX6, but the BX6 rev. 2 works well with the Celemines.)

Instead of getting a new mobo, get a new video card, like something like a Geforce 2 MX. You system will SCREAM then.

 

[Yzzim]

I agree with what Eug said. Even though I like the Durons more than the Celeries, as long as you have a board that supports a Celery and you're on a limited budget you just as well get a faster one.
Considering that you do play graphic intense games, then spend the extra money on a Geforce 2.

 

[jamarno]

Gstpwr, you may be starting to have a power supply problem, not necessarily with the main supply but with one of the voltage regulators built into the motherboard that supply 3.3V (DIMMs, chipset) or CPU voltage. I'm not familiar with the Abit BX6, but some motherboards run these regulators at very high temperature (with others the regulators barely get warm), leading to early failure of the electrolytic capacitors located near the large regulator transistors and diodes. When one of these capacitors starts to go, it overloads one of those transistors and burns it out. Replacing those capacitors with new ones rated for 105 Celcius and high-frequency operation will prevent such failure, and adding heatsinks to the transistors and heatsinks will also extend capacitor life by diverting heat away from them.

 

[gstpwr]

Jamarno: What you describe is exactly what happened to one of my previous motherboards, a few
years back when I had a K6-200 system 🙂 I hope that it's not happening again now...
I don't think it is, because I don't crash very often when I clock it back down to 300MHZ.
Only at 450MHZ does it seem to hang and crash a lot.

Amdemall & Pillage2001: Will I need new RAM if I get AMD Duron and new motherboard? I have PC100
SDRAM right now, won't I need PC133? If so, that's not a very cost effective upgrade for me,
I'd rather just spend $100 on a Celeron CPU to drop in...

Thanks for the replies people!

-GSTPWR

 

[SKiller]

no, you won't need new RAM, all kt133 boards can run memory at both 100MHz and 133MHz. And Micron should have no compatability problems.

 

[etech]

gstpwr, unless you feel the need to upgrad now there are some things to check on your C450a.
Check the heatsink and make sure it is clean and dust free. Enough dust can build up to impede air flow leading to overheating. Check your fan to make sure it is clean also.

Clean and reapply the heatsink grease between the heatsink and the processor. Some types of the grease can "dry out" and become less effective.