Converting socket 5 to Socket 7 AMD

[ambientscape]

I've just read the article from Tom....about converting socket 5 to socket 7 and fitting a AMD K6-2 in it. The problem is I'm having a Triton 430BX chipset board.....will it work thou? how much can I squeeze out the power from this board?

Cheers

 

[Crashman]

First of all, THROW AWAY THAT ARTICLE! Second of all, the Triton series was 430 chipsets like the FX, HX, and TX. Third of all, the BX was a 440 chipset for PII's. Forth, we need to know what motherboard you have.

1.) Tom's article ignored the fact that most "non-compatable" boards were compatable with the K6-2 via a simple BIOS update.
2.) Tom's article suggested that voltages higher than 2.5v would kill the CPU, but I've tested K6-2 400's for YEARS on 2.8v boards without damaging them, you just had to use better-than-stock cooling.
3.) At least 1 of Tom's articles suggested you use an expensive adapter on a board that could support the CPU well without the adapter.
4.) No Intel brand boards support K6-2's at all in BIOS. Most other brands do.
5.) The 430 part is a given for Intel Socket 5/7 chipsets, the FX/HX/VX/TX part determines an important attribute of the chipset; which RAM is supported.

OK, something else you should know: Even if your board doesn't support adjustable voltages, or a fixed voltage below the original 3.3v, you can run a Pentium MMX on it. Yes, 3.3v is more than the rated 2.8v. No, that won't hurt the CPU. I've sold hundred of overvoltage chip systems without a single return.

OK, Intel's Pentium MMX 233 uses a 3.5x multiplier, which is duplicate of the 1.5x setting, hence if you can set your CPU at 100MHz via 66x1.5, you can stick in a Pentium 233 MMX and have it run properly (sometimes BIOS reports the wrong speed, but that's not a problem, you can check it yourself in Windows using CPU-Z).

OK, so if your board requires an adapter, I'd skip that expense and use a 233MMX. You should really tell us which BOARD you have to begin with. Lacking that, we can figure it out for you using the BIOS ID that comes up when you start the system.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

My pc is in the AT form...from NEC Powermate VP75(Socket 5, originally running at Pentium 75Mhz)128MB EDO RAM. But the board is from Intel....and using the AMIBIOS 1992. I couldn't find the update of the bios. Kinda' abandon it for sometime,....and interested to upgrade to see the performance.

 

[Crashman]

Check inside the box, the board should support 1.5x multipliers and 66MHz bus. Probably via a set of switches. It shouldn't have any problem running a Pentium 233MMX, except that it will probably tell you it's running a Pentium 100 by mistake since the BIOS isn't programed to understand what a 233MMX is. Still, it should run the 233MMX at 233MHz if you use the Pentium 100 setting of 66MHz bus and 1.5x multiplier (multiplier is probably fixed at 1.5x anyway).

And the 233MMX is like 4x faster than the Pentium 75, due to increased bus speed and MMX capability.

Because of the overvoltage, you'll want to run a heatsink with fan.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

Thanks for the advice,I've upgraded it to pentium 133Mhz processor without any socket convertor from some scrap desktop this morning.It's running like a champ, now! Since if planning to put a 233MMX I think I need a socket convertor from Socket 5 to Socket 7.
What about AMD K6-2? Should I forget about it?
Cheers

 

[Crashman]

You don't need an adapter to run the Pentium MMX in a Socket 5 board. Even though Socket 7 is supposed to be the dual-voltage version of Socket 5, and even though the Pentium MMX is dual-voltage (officially Socket 7), the Pentium MMX is actually a Socket 5 CPU. That is to say, the Pentium MMX lacks the added pin that would have made it Socket 7.

I've done lots of Socket 5 Pentium MMX systems. No adapter required. If you find that hard to believe, I can take a photo of the bottom of both a Pentium MMX and K6-2 to prove to you that the K6-2 has the extra pin while the Pentium MMX doesn't.

Like I said, Pentium 233MMX will run at 233MHz in a Socket 5 board using the Pentium 100 setting, because the voltage difference isn't enough to fry it, and because the 1.5x and 3.5x multiplier are the same setting. The only thing you need to concern yourself with there is that the CPU will run a little hotter than stock, so you should use a fan cooler.

Intel BIOS doesn't support K6-2's.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

Oh man! This is getting interesting!! But I've tried.....fitting a Pentium 166Mhx MMX into socket 5....but indeed there is an extra pin that can't be fitted in the socket. You gotta send me the photo thou! My e-mail is ambientscape@hotmail.com

Cheers crasher....

 

[Crashman]

Yes, I'll send you a picture, I'll actually scan an image since it seams to be the easiest method for getting a closeup of the pins. But it will be a few minutes before you get the image as I have to reboot the system to pick up my SCSI scanner after turning it on.

looks like it's 1 pin, plus a half-row of pins.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

God! The P75 and the P233Mhz....having the same pins! But I think the middle one is a 200Mhz MMX...?? FV80503200...notice the 200?? If I put this MMX processor..into it...will it utilize the MMX function?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by ambientscape on 12/10/04 07:08 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

I used the 200MMX because I'm all out of 233's. Yes, MMX gets used. You can't run any CPU at 200MHz because your board doesn't support a 3x multiplier. But because the 1.5x and 3.5x setting are the same, you CAN run the 233MMX at full speed.

So no, don't put a 200 in it, put a 233 in it.

You know why I have a bunch of 200MMX CPU's and no 233's? Because I used up all the 233's upgrading systems like yours, where the 233 runs at full speed but the 200 doesn't!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

Oh! I only have the 200Mhz MMX....I think I gotta find a 233Mhz MMX then!. All right...finish with the processor thingy....Perhaps I should now focus on graphics then. I'm having the on board graphic S3 Trio64 2MB. Can I just plug in a PCI graphic card and the onboard graphic be automatically disabled? I'm thinking of a nice graphic for DVD's....possible?

 

[Crashman]

The onboard graphics will be PCI. Adding a PCI card gives you dual PCI graphics. You should be able to disable the onboard PCI graphics in BIOS, or there might be a jumper or switch setting for it.

Do you really need improved graphics?

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

2MB graphics can't play any videos on it, and during the pentium 1 era...it depends much on MPEG 1 cards....I don't think so I still can find it. Hey!! I thought of MPEG 2 card..will it run at 233??

 

[Crashman]

Actually a "DVD Decoder" card would be your best bet with that system. Far less CPU overhead than modern methods.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

I've tried with a DVD decoder card (MPEG 2) just now. It wouldn't fire...perhaps its still 133. One more thing!! It uses a VESA bus....where I couldn't find it on my board

 

[Crashman]

Are you talking about those cards that use the internal passthrough cable? Those only work with a few video cards. You'd be better off with a card that uses an external VGA passthrough, such as the Hollywood Plus or Creative DXR2.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

The hrd disk now....I have a 1.2GB quantum fireball HDD. Need a serious upgrade thou'.....what is the max capacity this board can support?

 

[Crashman]

It probably supports 8.4GB, but depending on the BIOS it could have a 2GB limit as well. Of course if I knew the BIOS code it would be helpfull, at the boot screen is there something that says BS0T, BR0T, or something like that?

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

There is nothing on the terms you mentioned. But can I get a special software from the HDD manufacturer to detect a larger hard disk? But the local computer service centre told me that it's not possible because limitation of the the board.I've tried fitting a 2.1GB....but it can't be detected! I guess not more than 2GB like what you said. Any suggestions?

 

[Crashman]

We will figure out your BIOS issue now. What does your screen say when you boot? If it takes too long for the monitor to warm up to read the boot screen, try hitting the "Pause" key on your keyboard.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ambientscape]

Well....it display the BIOS type:AMIBIOS (c)1992 American Megatrends, Inc. and the BIOS Version 1.00.06.CAOK. The others would be the display of RAM capacity, and detection of floppy.
I've been searching for ages for the BIOS update from year 1996 till 1997 and was abandon till today when it was fire up again. I've tried NEC support service website, they have the BIOS file for my Powermate VP75 model but the update was for Phoenix BIOS type.

 

[ambientscape]

My friend recently gave me a MPEG CARD. I've been able to use it....but when I plug it through my sound blaster 16 bit soundcard....it only have mono sound. Why was that?