An all too familar story...I need help with cpu...

[namsyco]

REcently...my hard drive got burnt so one day when i was at school my dad took my tower too some people to get it fixed, first he took it too someone but they didn't have any hard disks...eventually he got a new one...when i took it home i realised my comp was running at 90MHZ instead of the usual 166MHZ... so then i went with my dad to get a new processor (the person denied they changed it). Anyway... I got a new processor put it in but still runs at 90Mz. Now I know its something to do with CMOS.. but what i need to know is how to get the CMOS or wateva to recognize the new processor and make my computer run back at 166mhz...can anyone help?

Thanks your help will be greatly appreciated.

[Paleo Pete]

With a 166 MHZ machine it's more likely to be a jumper setting on the motherboard, BIOS or CMOS CPU settings are a very recent change. You need to get a motherboard manual. The board may have the bus speed and multiplier settings printed on it, so look inside first, and have a flashlight and magnifying glass handy. For the 166 you'll need to set it at 66MHz bus speed, or clock speed, and 2.5 multiplier.

If the settings are not printed on the motherboard you'll need to consult a manual. BOot the machine and press [Pause] while the memory counts up, and write down the long number at bottom left. That's the BIOS ID string. Then go to my site posted below, and look for Trish's Escape from Hardware Hell, the top link. Look in the Motherboard/BIOS section for Wim's BIOS and you''' find info there to identify the motherboard, and often youcan find a manual you can download. The manual will have the jumper settings, as well as other info that may come in handy. Like what faster CPU you could have bought. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I'd bet it will handle a 200, maybe 233 or 266...Check into it, you might be able to exchange it if you want to go to a faster one. Shouldn't be much difference in cost, the older CPU's are dirt cheap now.

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[namsyco]

thanks a lot! I will do just that and hopefully my computer will be fixed. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif

[namsyco]

MY COMPUTER IS FIXED YAY! I changed the jumper settings and its now at 166 but i am able to put it up to 200mhz... I can .. am able to clock it up to 200... should i? how hot should the cpu be when running my comp at 166??... thanks you heaps!

[Paleo Pete]

That's called overclocking, and is something I don't recommend. Overheating is not the only risk. You can also damage other components due to either heat, or running them faster than they are designed to run. The PC Guide has more detailed info Here (http://www.pcguide.com/opt/oc/index.htm).

In reality, your 166MHz CPU might handle 200, and might not. Overheating might or might not be a problem. But will your video card handle being abused? Or the memory? The bad part is you won't know until the screen goes dead and it refuses to boot again.

How efficient are your case fans? Do you have case fans, or just the one in the power supply? Do you have a top notch CPU fan? Are you prepared to replace that spiffy new CPU again? Or the motherboard? And most important, are you prepared to lose components and all the data on your computer?

If you can't hold your finger on the CPU for 10 seconds it's too hot.

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[namsyco]

oh ok thanks a lot for the info. uumm.. i do not have a top notch fan so i won't over clock it but thanks a lot for all the info and help ya gave me to get my comp up to speed...thanks.

[Paleo Pete]

You're welcome, and I'm glad you decided not to try overclocking. If you ever do want to, be sure and look up all the info you can find first, and know exactly what you're getting into before you start. Pop in here and let us know, most of us can dig up a ton of good websites to check out in no time.

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[sleddog]

Originally posted by Paleo Pete:
That's called overclocking, and is something I don't recommend. Overheating is not the only risk. You can also damage other components due to either heat, or running them faster than they are designed to run....

And you'll hardly notice a difference between 166 and 200MHz.

[Paleo Pete]

Very true sleddog. I upgraded from a 166 to a 200MMX and only noticed a minor difference. Better performance in games due to the MMX but that's about it, overall, barely noticeable. Should have a 64MB memory chip on the way soon, and that will make a big difference. Had 48MB in here at one time, noticed a difference soon as I dropped back to 32MB. Had to give it up though, needed it for a customer and that was the original deal, it was mine till the shop needed it...

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