If you’re a hardware enthusiast like me, or you
just don’t have the money to go out and buy a new $2000 PC, this is the article you should
hold as your "bible."
286 Class or Older
If you’ve got a 286 or older computer in need of fixing up, don’t bother.
The processor is to old to run Linux, and the
processor upgrades that would make it a 486 are very hard to find.
386 Class
This includes the Intel and AMD 386 Line. As for the processor, you can run
Linux. It won’t break any speed records on boot up, but it will be a lot faster
doing everyday stuff, like file work, and other things. The only problem is that
Linux is very hard to learn, and should be used by experts only. As for memory.
If you have 8 30pin SIMM slots, all you can put in there for a fair price (around
$10 US) is a set of 8 1MB SIMMs. The price for 2MB and 4MB SIMMs are out of this
world, ranging from $5 for 2MB all the way up to $12 for 4MB 30 pin SIMMs.
There is an upside to this horror story.
There are upgrade chips out there that are fairly simple to install that will
upgrade your system to 486 class. They are fairly cheap, running anywhere from $10
to $20 at eBay. The 486
instruction set and the 8K of internal cache will almost triple the performance of your
existing system. The only problem is that the program that enables the 8K of
internal cache will conflict with Windows 95 Memory Managers, so you’ll have to stick with
DOS/Windows 3.xx
486 Class
This class is the most wide in range of Processor speed and performance.
They range from the 486SX/16, which does about as well as a 386DX/33, to the AMD
5×86 133Mhz Which does as well as a Pentium 75.
In terms of Memory, the 486 class of processors
depends on what type of slots you have form RAM, and what type of Bus you are using.
| ISA/VLB Bus 30 Pin SIMM Slots |
The oldest of the 486 Class. It takes a set of 4 30 PIN SIMMs to upgrade. Fill all 30 pin SIMM slots up with 1MB SIMMs. The larger SIMMs are too expensive. |
| ISA/VLB Bus 30pin and 72 Pin SIMM Slots |
As for 30 Pin SIMM Slots, same as above, fill them with 1MB SIMMs. With the 72 Pin SIMMs, depending on your budget and what the motherboard Supports, Fill with 8MB or 16MB SIMMs. |
| ISA/VLB with 72 pin SIMM Slots |
Fill as many 72 Pin SIMM Slots with 8MB or 16MB SIMMs. Keep in mind that one 16MB SIMM is cheaper than 8MB SIMM in most cases. |
| PCI Bus with 72 pin SIMM Slots |
This is where it gets a little weird. Because of the PCI Bus, it no takes 2 72pin SIMMs to upgrade. Try to get at least a total of 32MB of RAM, either with a pair of 16MB SIMMs, or 4 8MB SIMMs |
As for the Processor, that’s also
very complicated. The type of processor
you can upgrade to depends on what type of Processor socket you have.
Socket 1/Overdrive Socket Intel DX4 Overdrive Socket 2 Intel Pentium Overdrive Socket 3 AMD 5×86 133MHz or Cyrix 586 100/120MHz
For Socket 3, I personally Prefer the AMD 5×86 ADZ not the ADW) 133Mhz PR-75 Chip. The
difference between the ADZ, and the ADW, is fairly big. The ADZ can handle a
temperature of 85 Degrees Centigrade, while the ADW can only handle 55 Degrees Centigrade.
Because the ADZ can handle A LOT more heat, it makes it a candidate for
overclocking. Because of the Internal Bus Clock Multiplier of 4, (33MHz x 4 =
133MHz), to overclock, all you have to do is knock the bus up to 40MHz, and you’ll get
160Mhz. The Processor will then perform at Pentium 90 Levels. (That’s what I
have mine running at).Free Weekly PCMech NewsletterAlmost 500 Issues So Far, Received By Thousands Every Week.The PCMech.com weekly newsletter has been running strong for over 8 years. Sign up to get tech news, updates and exclusive content - right in your inbox. Also get (several) free gifts.
