Question Concerning CPU and Hard Drives

Jimmy Thompson

Jimmy Thompson

New Member
I want to upgrade my CPU in my motherboard to a better AMD Athlon XP CPU (AMD Athlon XP 1800+, current). I don't really know who makes the motherboard... but its got a VIA chipset..and the model name is KT400-8235. I want to perhaps put in like a 3200+, without losing any hard drive information. I have XP SP1
:cool:
 
you need to find out the socket type, I looked quick and didn't find anything so you might have to do that. If the socet type is the same as a faster processor, you can most likely put it in. However, whenever you change a motherboard or processor, you almost always need to reinstall windows, so your only option would be to backup all the data first and reinstall windows when you get the new stuff in
 
Jimmy Thompson said:
I want to upgrade my CPU in my motherboard to a better AMD Athlon XP CPU (AMD Athlon XP 1800+, current). I don't really know who makes the motherboard... but its got a VIA chipset..and the model name is KT400-8235. I want to perhaps put in like a 3200+, without losing any hard drive information. I have XP SP1
:cool:
Click to expand...

If the motherboard supports it, then I would not see a problem with losing any data. What OS are you using?

JAN :D
 
update the bios and then buy the cpu. you can do that easily, and when windows reboots it'll just recognize a different cpu. no loss of info :)
if you're lucky, your bios may not need an update
 
The socket may support the new CPU.. but the chipset may not. Many Athlon XP motherboards won't support past a 2600+, usually due to a bus speed issue, according to an article I had seen in an old Maximum PC "Ask the Doctor" column on this very subject. 2700+'s and up (approximately... don't quote me) use a 333MHz bus speed, lower ones use 266MHz.
Tom
 
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it's a Socket A, Bus Speed is 266.7 MHz

BIOS - Phoenix Technologies, LTD
6.00PG
09/09/2002

VIA Chipset...KT400(VT8377)

So then I suppose I should upgrade to a 2600+?

Heres the details on the 2600+ I want to purchase

AMD Athlon XP 2600+ Socket A processor! This CPU runs at 2.083 GHz and has a 256 KB L2 cache and a 333 MHz Front Side Bus



Features/Specifications
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ 333MHz 256KB Socket A Processor


General Features:
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ (2.083GHz)
Model 8 Athlon (Thoroughbred)
More Instructions per clock cycle
PGA Package Type (462 pin Socket A)
333 MHz maximum Front Side Bus
512 KB L2 Cache
QuantiSpeed architecture


Notes:
AMD-AXDA2600DK4VD

-------------------------------
 
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http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/TYPE-Athlon XP.html
Fastest I can find on that page for a 266MHz bus is the Athlon XP 2400+. I was off by one speed. But at http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/cpu/article.php/1474081 it states the CPU uses the new bus speed of 333MHz. It also says: "...the 333 MHz FSB of the Athlon XP 2700+ and 2800+ requires a motherboard that fully supports, at standard 66 MHz AGP and 33 MHz PCI, the 333 MHz bus speed. In terms of chipset support, this amounts to the VIA KT333 & KT400, NVIDIA nForce2 and SiS 746, though just because the chipset supports the 333 MHz FSB feature does not mean the individual manufacturers implemented it."

Now, your NEXT logical step, before you shell out any money, is to thoroughly check your motherboard to see if the bus speeds can be changed, either through the BIOS or mobo jumpers, and whether or not the change is actually supported. My mobo has a 400MHz jumper position shown on both the motherboard and in the manual, but zero documentation on whether it actually works or not. I do know my chipset does not support a 400MHz bus speed, so why the jumper's there is a mystery. Yours may be different.

http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/chipsets/k7-series/kt400/ shows the features of your chipset. The actual implementation on your motherboard may not enable a 333MHz bus speed. You'd need to run a program like SiSoft Sandra to try to find the make and model of your motherboard in order to research this further. If you can't then I'd recommend staying at a 266MHz bus speed.

Tom
 
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