Gateway Motherboard / CPU upgrade

Titanion · May 25, 2004

My friend has a Compaq motherboard with a PentiumIII 500MHz CPU in it that he got new in 1999... I will look at it this weekend, and then I will be able to search for the exact motherboard specs... but what are the odds a 1.0 or 1.3 GHz cpu will be able to work in his motherboard...

I am looking at the CPU below for a possible upgrade for him, as it is only $42...

Model: Intel Celeron (Pentium III based)
Core: Tualatin
Operating Frequency: 1.3 GHz
FSB: 100MHz
Cache: L1/12K+8K; L2/256K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 370

What are the odds of this motherboard supporting a faster cpu?

Edited: this is a Gateway computer...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200Edited by Titanion on 06/01/04 01:23 PM.

Crashman · May 25, 2004

PIII 500MHz...it's probably Slot-1. If it's Socket 370 it still won't work. But wait, you can use an adapter!

If it's Slot-1, find out if the board supported any PIII's faster than 600MHz, since those were Coppermines and would imply the board supports lower core voltages (early boards went as low as 1.80v, later boards as low as 1.30v). If so, the Upgradeware Slot-T adapter is the choice, if not, the far more expensive Powerleap IP3/T. The Slot-T is more reliable because it lacks the fairly weak VRM of the Powerleap adapter.

If the board is Socket 370, you can get by with the "Lin-Lin" adapter available for under $8 at <A HREF="http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=S370TUA&cat=CPU" target="_new">Compgeeks</A>

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

Titanion · May 25, 2004

He says it is a socket cpu... as he has seen some of my AMD motherboards... I need to just hold off until I have the computer opened up on my desk... I will post again this weekend... Thanks Crash

I want to learn more about what motherboards support this Lin-Lin adapter... another friend has a 600MHz Socket 370 Celeron in a motherboard that will not support a fraster cpu... is this board a candidate for the Lin-Lin... is there a general rule, or if it is a socket 370, will it just work, hands down?

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Crashman · May 26, 2004

The general rule is, there are 3 kinds of Socket 370 boards, those that support Tualatin and Coppermine, those that support Coppermine and Mendicino, and those that support Mendicino only. Most don't support Tualatins by default, because that processors was released way after the P4.

There are several issues involved and all of them are relatively simple. The earliest boards did not support core voltages less than 1.80v (VRM 8.2). They were also wired a bit differently on a couple pins. When companies came out with newer boards that supported voltages as low as 1.30v (VRM 8.4), they also wired the socket properly to support Coppermines.

Later Intel decided that the newer Tualatin core processors wouldn't meet their stability requirements on older boards and changed a couple pins again! The changes were made so that Tualatin core processors would not boot in older boards.

The Lin-Lin adapter is able to make Coppermines work on the old VRM 8.2 boards by setting the core voltage at 1.80v. This is above specification, but well tolerated by these processors. The Lin-Lin also corrects the 2 or 3 pin wiring difference.

The Lin-Lin is also wired to bypass the wire difference on Tualatin core processors. So with this adapter you can run a Tualatin on a Coppermine compatable board. You can't run the Tualatin on the older Mendicino-only boards because the needed 1.80v setting would eventually damage it.

There are no boards that support a Celeron 600 as the fastest CPU. The information many board makers publish is bogus, based on the fact they didn't TEST any faster CPU's in that board, and never updated their information to include newer processors. Any board that can support the Celeron 600 can also support the 633 and 667 minimally.

Some boards had a BIOS limit of 10x multiplier. For 66MHz bus Celerons, that's 667MHz. But newer BIOS versions overcame the issue and allowed such boards to support the Celeron 700, 733, and 766 (multipliers of 10.5, 11, and 11.5).

The Celeron 600 is a Coppermine. MOST boards that supported Coppermine also supported 100MHz FSB. Many also supported 133MHz FSB. So any board that can support a Celeron 600 AND 100MHz FSB can also support a PIII 600E. Or a Celeron 667. Or a PIII 850, etc.

If the board supports a Coppermine core AND 100MHz FSB, it SHOULD support Tualatins using the Lin-Lin adapter.

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

Titanion · May 26, 2004

Thanks...

The friend heading over this weekend has a P3 500MHz Coppermine... so I think...

The friend with the 600MHz Celeron has only tried a 700MHz Celron in his board (so you are right; he has not tested a 633 or 667 cpu).

I have been wanting to look at my friends motherboard for quite some time...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Crashman · May 27, 2004

Like I said, most boards that support the Coppermine natively (as in, were designed for it) will also support 100MHz FSB, so even if your friend is running into a 10x multiplier limit in BIOS he should still be able to run a PIII 850 (8.5x100) rather than his Celeron 600 (9x66.6), assuming his board falls into that catagory of "most boards that natively support Coppermines also support 100MHz FSB".

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

Titanion · May 30, 2004

OK, here is what SiSoftware Sandra calls this Compaq motherboard...

Intel Corporation WS440BX

The CPU is not a Socket 370... it is a slot...

but it is a Pentium III 500MHz CPU with a FSB of 100...

Is this enough to give me some options, or is there some other stuff I can find out?

One 2x AGP slot
Five PCI Slots
One ISA slot

Three 168 pin ram slots...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Crashman · May 30, 2004

That's an Intel motherboard, it supports PIII 850's fairly easily and I'm pretty sure it will support a Tualatin Celeron with the Slot-T adapter. It's a newer version of Intel's SE440BX, the WS440BX was produced only for OEM's such as Gateway and Compaq. That board IS on Upgradeware's compatability list as I recall.

It also supports 3 256MB DIMMs as long as their the right density. This is more than the "officialy" supported amount, but I've verified them with Crucial's low density PC133. I believe the memory information is available in the Memory forum FAQ post.

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

deadkenny · May 30, 2004

As usual Crash has given you some excellent info on your PIII options. Since it's already been covered so well, I'll just suggest another alternative. Check out the price on a 'cheap' socket A m/b and Duron processor. You might well be able to get both m/b and processor for about the same as a 1GHz Coppermine processor for instance (which are still ridiculously overpriced). A 1GHz Morgan Duron will outperform a 1GHz Coppermine PIII.

That (upgrade) which does not destroy you(r system's stability), makes it stronger. Nietzche

Titanion · May 30, 2004

Not my computer... I have three computers on my LAN rumming at 1.6, 2.3, and 2.5 GHz respectivley, all AMD boards... this is for a friend... and for him, doing the upgrade with the Slot-T adaper and a 1.3 GHz Celeron is a good option...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Titanion · May 30, 2004

And before I forget, thanks Crashman...

BTW, do you think he will need a bios update...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Crashman · May 30, 2004

He might need a BIOS update. I'd check Upgradeware's site to see if anyone mentioned it.

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

deadkenny · May 30, 2004

Sure, if you say so. Let us know how much the 1.3GHz T-Celeron and adapter end up costing.

That (upgrade) which does not destroy you(r system's stability), makes it stronger. Nietzche

Titanion · Jun 1, 2004

He is still running Windows 98 on that computer... I could not talk him into at least letting me update it to 98SE... I really wanted to get W2K on there... it will have to crash and die before that, I am afraid...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Titanion · Jun 1, 2004

BTW, this is a Gateway, not a Compaq...

For gaming, what type of cpu should I search for that will work in this slot-t adapter? His ram is PC133.

Is 1.1 GHz with 512 cache and 133fsb going to be better than 1.3 GHz with 256 cache and 100fsb?

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Crashman · Jun 1, 2004

WS440BX does not support 133MHz FSB. While soft overclockers like SoftFSB can probably push it to 133MHz FSB, that would overclock both the AGP and PCI busses. He could use a Celeron 1400 on the Slot-T as his fastest option. All the PIII's around that speed are 133MHz FSB.

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

Crashman · Jun 1, 2004

I've never seen a Duron 1GHz beat a PIII 1000EB, but it MIGHT be possible if you purposely handicaped the 1000EB by putting it on the crappy Apollo 133A or even worse, i820 chipset.

Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!
Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!

Titanion · Jun 1, 2004

Thanks... I thought a 133fsb cpu might be supported, but knowing it is not is good to know... I will hunt for a 1.3 to 1.4 GHz Celeron, then...

NF7-S/Mobile Barton 2600+
211x11.5 1.824v SLK900A
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200
Sapphire 9500np@9700np
NF7-S/Barton 2500+
200x11.5 1.76v
512MB XMS PC2700
XFX Ti4200

Gateway Motherboard / CPU upgrade

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