is it that easy ?

[paul37803]

Hi, well here goes.

At present my computer is Amd k6-3 450,128 mb ram pc100, Gigabyte ga-5ax mobo, ati rage pro graphics card, philips cdrw 400 and yamaha sw1000xg sound card.

I use it mostly for music (hence the sw1000xg) but as i'm using more soft-synths etc. lately the cpu can no longer cope.
When i bought it 1 1/2 years ago i new nothing about the fact that the k6 is apparently useless at floating-point calculations which i've been told is important in the software that i'm using.

Any way i digress. I would like upgrade to an Amd t-bird 1.4Ghz 266fsb, with a suitable mobo, memory, fan and psu and as i don't play any games i think the rest of the system is ok for now.

So now at last to the question. How easy is it to perform an upgrade like this, is as straight forward as it appears? The physical side of things is not a problem as i work in lighting and am not afraid of wires and pcb's.
But i have visions of being lost in reams of computer code, blue screens and error messages!!!!

Well there it is, any help anyone can give would be grately apprecited as i can't really afford the components and someone to put them in.

Cheers Paul.

[kenja]

Sounds good to me. If you get a VIA chipset motherboard, remember to run the VIA "4-in-1" drivers "first thing", before loading the latest drivers for your video card. Might want to "flash" your video BIOS to the latest version, if applicable. (If so, I'd recommend doing it on your existing, proven stable system.)


[This message has been edited by kenja (edited 08-20-2001).]

[ranchdog]

Paul... Welcome. You can do it Big Fellow. Get youself a Mboard that suits you needs and read over the manual. Some quality RAM to install. A retail box CPU will have a heatsink/fan included. Use a small amount of hermal grease between the two.
The K6 you have is probably using a 250W power supply. At least a 300W for an upgrade would be better.
Swap everything out. It's best to do a clean install of the O/S after changing the Mboard. Then install all necessry drivers, etc.
As you stated, it's all straightforward. Luck.




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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[kenja]

Adding to ranchdog's comments: I like to download and read motherboard manuals before I decide to buy. Also, taking a tour through the manufacturer's web site can give you a clue as to what kind of support you can expect after the sale.

I like the idea of buying the retail box CPU. I haven't seen AMD's heatsink; my Intel heatsink came with "phase-change thermally conductive compound". This is a thin layer of gummy stuff that melts when the processor is initially powered up. It's only good for a one-time use, though, so I always end up rubbing it off and using white thermal grease (I get mine from pcPower&Cooling).

I'm not sure, but I don't think both types of thermal conductivity aids should be used at the same time. Their purpose is to fill the pores and small voids between the CPU die and the heatsink, you don't want a thick layer here.

[paul37803]

Thanks for the replies guys, i'm going to attempt the "operation" next month when i've scraped the cash together.

I've had a look on tcwo.com and i think i might go for one of their "bundles". Asus A7V133, 1.4 t-bird(266fsb) and Thermal take Volcano5 fan/heatsink ($279.00). Does this look like a good deal? I can't seem to find any prices in the U.K. better than this. I will probably get 256mb pc2100 266Mhz from them too, but they don't seem to sell PSU's above 300w so I'll get one here.

Once again thanks for the advice,

Cheers Paul.

[muckshifter]

Hello Paul,

I know how you feel about buying stuff in the UK. I have fond, and dealt with these people before, they are very good. Have a look ... http://www.overclock.co.uk/

Here is another ... http://www.overclockers.co.uk/ ... however, I have not dealt with this company so I cannot comment.

Mucks

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If at first you DO succeed, then try not to look too surprised.

[paul37803]

Sorry to be a pain guys, but is there any chance of a step by step discription of the mobo/cpu installation?

I'm pretty sure i know what to do, but confirmation would save alot of hastle and possibly expense if i f**k it up.

Once again many thanks,

Cheers Paul.

"With very few exceptions nothing lasts forever, and amongst those exceptions no work, or thought of man is numbered" (one of those deep moments) http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[iisbob]

Paul as i recall AMD actually has a downloadable cpu installation guide on their site.
Just remember to install the cpu/heatsink first then the memory. Set your jumpers for their correct settings, make sure you pay attention to how it mounts. Don't hook up peripherals except your video card and floppy at first, you'll want to power up and make sure it boots properly.
Your BIOS should be in default mode at first, once you've verified it's booting properly the install your harddrive(s) sound cards etc. You'll want to do a fresh install of windows.
It's not as difficult as it sounds-keep your old parts around just in case for awhile-once you've got it up and running you'll spend a little time tweaking it ( i don't ever stop fooling with my systems even after their built http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif ) so that it runs as stable as you want.

Good luck! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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iisbob
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they are more deadly in the long run."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." --Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[ranchdog]

Paul... The "bundle" looks good. The only thing I might add is Asus is really picky about having quality RAM. Also, as I recall the Mboard you referred to will read a 256MB stick of RAM as 128MB. Luck.

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[This message has been edited by ranchdog (edited 08-21-2001).]

[yawningdog]

last I knew, the socket A platform forbade the use of thermel conductive compound. The instructions will tell that there should be a gap between the CPU and heatsink.

As mobos go, Asus is top of the line, in my opinion.

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Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to use the net, and he wont bother you for weeks.

[yawningdog]

last I knew, the socket A platform forbade the use of thermel conductive compound. The instructions will tell that there should be a gap between the CPU and heatsink.

As mobos go, Asus is top of the line, in my opinion.

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Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to use the net, and he wont bother you for weeks.

[Reid]

There is a gap between most of the heatsink and a Socket A CPU, but the heatsink must completely contact the die in the center, whether phase-change or heatsink compound is used.

AMD Processor Installation Guide (http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/athlon/pdf/23986.pdf)

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reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

[This message has been edited by Reid (edited 08-21-2001).]

[ranchdog]

Paul.... Here's a site you can go to for what you are going to do. When you get there, look on the left and click "How To." WWW.duxcw.com (http://WWW.duxcw.com) . Luck.

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[paul37803]

Ranchdog,

thanks for the link, that's exactly what i was looking for.

Thanks for all the other posts. Full of confidence i'm off to pull my old pc apart.

Cheers Paul.

(It's easy, when you know how !!)

[kayofcircles]

paul37803 I will be copying/pasting this thread for further reference so I thank you for the question. But also..don't know if you've seen Gallager in the UK, but your subject line has me picturing him saying "It's just that easy!" while he smashes the watermelon. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[CLTEK]

Hey there Paul...

If you are going to move on to the next level with regard to the cpu and mobo, I'd suggest you read and article over at prorec.com called 'Roll your own Thunderbird". http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.nsf/articles/D6A94D6B2F7DA99186256A7F00747CC9

They recommend the IWill KK266 Mobo for the project.

This place is held in high regard by the recording gurus around the world and it's an exceptional information resource. Have fun, man. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

Also... You might want to hit the 'PC OS and Hardware' section over and http://www.audioforums.com

Hope that will ease your concerns.

Respectfully, Cory



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Age and Treachery will forever triumph over Youth and Skill.