🚀 go-pugleaf

Christopher D. Kent wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
>         I hope some of you can help me make the best choice here. I want
> to upgrade my PackardBell 486 SX 33mhz (model Legend 115+) machine to at
> least a 486 DX/66, or preferably a Pentium using one of the available
> overdrive chips. After talking to the folks at PB, I found out I must
> first install a Phoenix BIOS upgrade chip available from MicroFirmware at
> a cost of $89 + s&h. I will then be able to use 1 of several overdrive
> chips, but they have only tested (and confirmed) compatabilty with the 3
> chips available from Intel. They have not tested anyone else's chips as of
> yet. My avilable choices from Intel are: the DX4-100mhz, the Pentium
> OverDrive-66mhz, or the Pentium OverDrive-83mhz. I have tentatively
> decided on the POD-83, which I can buy locally for $199 + tax.
> 
<snipped so that my news server would accept the reply>
> 
> --
> Motac @ Alachua Freenet, Gainesville, Fl., U.S.A.
> afn36201@afn.org
I too would say that the most cost effecive route would be to replace
the MB, but if your PackBell case is non-standard, you would need a new
case, power supply, etc., etc. As for replacing the CPU, your most cost
effective choice would be one of the AMD 5x86-133 based upgrades, such
as the Gainbery MAXimizer 586-133, Kingston TurboChip, or Evergreen
586-133. These companies take the AMD CPU, add a voltage regulator
(necessary for your vintage MB--it is 5 volts which is reduced to 3 for
the AMD to function properly), a heatsink (Evergreen & Gainbery) or fan
(Kingston), and their own warranties. With your MB (a non-L1 write-back
cache type), these chips match or outrun the Intel Overdrive P83, and
cost much less. As for compatibility, if your board will work w/the
Intel 486/100, it will work with the AMD 133. 

I speak from experience here; last year I installed a Gainbery 586-133
into an IBM PS/ValuePoint 486DX/33 which has only been tested and
confirmed by IBM to work with the Intel Overdrive 486/DX2-66 and P83. 8
months of usage has brought no compatibility problems in either Win95 or
OS/2 Warp 3. The BIOS in this machine recognizes it as a "486". BIOS`s
have no bearing on the performance you will recieve w/a CPU--the clock
speed is all hardware. Good luck, and e-mail me if you have further
questions.  
-- 
To discourage freaking mailbots, an asterick has been placed at the
start of my domain name. Remove it to respond.


        If there is hope, wrote Winston, it lies in the proles.....

               -George Orwell, "Nineteen Eighty-Four"