Big Oops! Please help a newbie

Hi All!

Well, act in haste and repent at leisure goes the saying. I guess I
proved it this month. Bit of a cautionary tale.

For two years I had a Celeron 1.8 with 60 Gig hard drive and 256 RAM.
I got a quality sound card and a network card. It wasn't brilliant but
I was happy. Then we had a HUGE lighting storm over Cambridge and my
computer went very funny. Music quit playing, my internet connection
was up and down. Then the computer just quit starting up altogether. I
needed a new computer or to repair the one I had.

My family were about to go away and they were concerned that I would
not be able to communicate with them or be able to get the computer
fixed without their car. I guess none of us were thinknig too clearly
before the holiday. In haste I went with a friend to the local car
boot sale. Usually the guy has a good stock of old computers. This
time the fastest he had was a Duron 1.2. I bought it.

Since I bought my Duron I feel it is a little on the slow side and
can't cope as well as the 1.8 Celeron. Music breaks up if another
programme is activated. I don't recall that happening with the
Celeron.

I know little about the mechanics of computers or upgrading but I
found out my computer is a socket A. So in a moment of madness I went
on Ebay and found another, more powerful CPU which is socket A
compatible - an Athlon 2600. Unfortunately, having bought it, I have
also found out that it is apparently not compatible with my
motherboard. Apparently you need different motherboards for diffeent
CPUs. Also memory. I don't know what else.

Right at the moment I don't know what to do. I could really use some
constructive advice (ie. not just yeah you made a total prat of
things). I'm wondering if I should

attempt to repair my old Celeron (possible motherboard replacement,
seing as we replaced the sound files, sound card and network card and
it still collapsed again). Then flog my Duron computer.

live with my slow Duron 1.2 and put the Athlon chip back on Ebay and
hope to get my money back (I paid £35 for it).

go on Ebay again and buy the extra bits I ned to get a more powerful
computer (for under £75 cos I'm disabled - poor).

Is upgrading a really huge deal? Mum's partner is good at putting
sound cards in, etc for me. Is it much more complicated to put in a
new motherboard, memory chips? Ebay is awash with chips and
motherboards and whatever. Can someone offer any guidance as to what
to get and how much I should expect to pay? Is there a good/reasonably
priced make of motherboard? Are some memory chips better than others?

I gather I would need a motherboard that does at least everything my
Duron does:-

video to moniter
network card
my sound card I can bring over
256Meg RAM
2 hard drives (I brought my old one over because the Duron's hard
drive is titchy at 20 Gig)
2 CD drives (inc a burner)
4 USB slots

If I get a motherboard with more bits do I need to get a diffeent back
for my computer?

A thousand apologies for my total ignorance. This is all new to me. I
bought a box from a shop and if the damned NTL had shielded my network
card from the lighting I would have been happy surfing still. Alas all
is misery, confusion and expense!

Any advice anyone can give would be very much appreciated.

Cheers
Dave

On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:04:29 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

Usually the guy has a good stock of old computers. This time the fastest
he had was a Duron 1.2. I bought it.

Since I bought my Duron I feel it is a little on the slow side and can't
cope as well as the 1.8 Celeron. Music breaks up if another programme is
activated. I don't recall that happening with the Celeron.

Probably a config or driver problem.

I know little about the mechanics of computers or upgrading but I found
out my computer is a socket A. So in a moment of madness I went on Ebay
and found another, more powerful CPU which is socket A compatible - an
Athlon 2600. Unfortunately, having bought it, I have also found out
that it is apparently not compatible with my motherboard. Apparently you
need different motherboards for diffeent CPUs. Also memory. I don't know
what else.

Any socket A CPU should work in any Socket A MB. You just need to know
what you are doing. If you want help, give me the the complete info on the
cpu label and the make/model of your MB. Now go to the link below and do a
little reading about MB's and CPU's.

--
KT133 MB, CPU @2400MHz (24x100): SIS755 MB CPU @2330MHz (10x233)
Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
Verizon server http://mysite.verizon.net/res0exft/cpu.htm

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:07:04 GMT, Wes Newell
wrote:

On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:04:29 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

Usually the guy has a good stock of old computers. This time the fastest
he had was a Duron 1.2. I bought it.

Since I bought my Duron I feel it is a little on the slow side and can't
cope as well as the 1.8 Celeron. Music breaks up if another programme is
activated. I don't recall that happening with the Celeron.

Probably a config or driver problem.

I know little about the mechanics of computers or upgrading but I found
out my computer is a socket A. So in a moment of madness I went on Ebay
and found another, more powerful CPU which is socket A compatible - an
Athlon 2600. Unfortunately, having bought it, I have also found out
that it is apparently not compatible with my motherboard. Apparently you
need different motherboards for diffeent CPUs. Also memory. I don't know
what else.

Any socket A CPU should work in any Socket A MB.

That's what I read at first, which is why I bought the nw chip. Then I
saw some sellers on Ebay were specifying things like the memory or the
motherboard the chip needs to run on. That's when I thought things
would start to rack up.

You just need to know
what you are doing. If you want help,

Please.
give me the the complete info on the
cpu label

When I thought that the motherboard made a difference I found a
utility called CPU-Z which told me

CPU
AMD Duron
Codename Morgan
Socket A
technology: 0.18
voltage 1.76
family 6
model 7
stepping 1
Ext. family 7
Ext. model 7
core speed 1194 (but this number changes)
Multiplier x12
FSB 99.6
Bus speed 199.1
L1 data, L1 code and Level 2 all read 64KB

"Mainboard"
Matsonic MS8308E
Chipset SiS 730 rev 02
Sensor IT 0

BIOS
American Megatrends v. 062710

Label on the computer box says axon IT Solutions


Looking on the Matsonic web site I got this information:-

MS8308E Series

Bios type: AMI TOP

030808.zip Date : 2003-08-08
instruction : MS8308EP(266) PCB Ver3.1
(FSB 266MHz), Support AMD XP

010912.exe Date : 2001-09-12
instruction : MS8308E PCB Ver 1.1 , 1.2

8308-d.zip Date : 2001-02-27
instruction : MS8308D PCB Ver 1.1 (W/O LAN)

BIOS Flash Utility AMI Flash : aminf340.zip







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2004 Matsonic All rights reserved.



Does this help at all?













and the make/model of your MB.



Now go to the link below and do a
little reading about MB's and CPU's.

snip
Any socket A CPU should work in any Socket A MB. You just need to know
what you are doing. If you want help, give me the the complete info on the
cpu label and the make/model of your MB. Now go to the link below and do a
little reading about MB's and CPU's.

Forgot to mention that the chip I bought off Ebay was an AXDA2600DKV3D
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ 2.133GHz 333FSB Prcessor.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Dave

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 10:07:27 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

snip
Any socket A CPU should work in any Socket A MB. You just need to know
what you are doing. If you want help, give me the the complete info on
the cpu label and the make/model of your MB. Now go to the link below and
do a little reading about MB's and CPU's.

Forgot to mention that the chip I bought off Ebay was an AXDA2600DKV3D AMD
Athlon XP 2600+ 2.133GHz 333FSB Prcessor.

Hope that helps.

Not much, that's why I asked for the "complete" info on the label. This
does tell me that's it's a Tbred B core (256K L2 cache) and default FSB of
166MHz, but the last line will tell me the stepping and whether or not
the cpu is multiplier locked or not. Your MB with the SIS730 chipset will
be limited to a 133MHz FSB. If the cpu isn't locked, you can change the
multiplier to reach the max speed of the CPU. If it's locked, then the max
speed you will get from the cpu is 1666MHz unless you perform the mobil
mod to turn it into an XP-M and then control it via software.

--
KT133 MB, CPU @2400MHz (24x100): SIS755 MB CPU @2330MHz (10x233)
Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
Verizon server http://mysite.verizon.net/res0exft/cpu.htm

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:58:59 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

"Mainboard"
Matsonic MS8308E
Chipset SiS 730 rev 02
Sensor IT 0

BIOS
American Megatrends v. 062710

Label on the computer box says axon IT Solutions


Looking on the Matsonic web site I got this information:-

MS8308E Series

Bios type: AMI TOP

030808.zip Date : 2003-08-08
instruction : MS8308EP(266) PCB Ver3.1 (FSB 266MHz), Support AMD XP

010912.exe Date : 2001-09-12
instruction : MS8308E PCB Ver 1.1 , 1.2

8308-d.zip Date : 2001-02-27
instruction : MS8308D PCB Ver 1.1 (W/O LAN)

BIOS Flash Utility AMI Flash : aminf340.zip

The first board (EP) would be the best. Do you know which one you have?
Model number should be on the board and rev. should be on sticker on one
of the ISA/PCI sockets. All use the same ram. PC133 would be best, but it
shouldn't matter as long as the 2600+ cpu isn't locked.

--
KT133 MB, CPU @2400MHz (24x100): SIS755 MB CPU @2330MHz (10x233)
Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
Verizon server http://mysite.verizon.net/res0exft/cpu.htm

"" wrote:
Hi All!

Well, act in haste and repent at leisure goes the saying. I
guess I
proved it this month. Bit of a cautionary tale.

For two years I had a Celeron 1.8 with 60 Gig hard drive and
256 RAM.
I got a quality sound card and a network card. It wasn't
brilliant but
I was happy. Then we had a HUGE lighting storm over Cambridge
and my
computer went very funny. Music quit playing, my internet
connection
was up and down. Then the computer just quit starting up
altogether. I
needed a new computer or to repair the one I had.

My family were about to go away and they were concerned that I
would
not be able to communicate with them or be able to get the
computer
fixed without their car. I guess none of us were thinknig too
clearly
before the holiday. In haste I went with a friend to the local
car
boot sale. Usually the guy has a good stock of old computers.
This
time the fastest he had was a Duron 1.2. I bought it.

Since I bought my Duron I feel it is a little on the slow side
and
can't cope as well as the 1.8 Celeron. Music breaks up if
another
programme is activated. I don't recall that happening with the
Celeron.

I know little about the mechanics of computers or upgrading
but I
found out my computer is a socket A. So in a moment of madness
I went
on Ebay and found another, more powerful CPU which is socket A
compatible - an Athlon 2600. Unfortunately, having bought it,
I have
also found out that it is apparently not compatible with my
motherboard. Apparently you need different motherboards for
diffeent
CPUs. Also memory. I don't know what else.

Right at the moment I don't know what to do. I could really
use some
constructive advice (ie. not just yeah you made a total prat
of
things). I'm wondering if I should

attempt to repair my old Celeron (possible motherboard
replacement,
seing as we replaced the sound files, sound card and network
card and
it still collapsed again). Then flog my Duron computer.

live with my slow Duron 1.2 and put the Athlon chip back on
Ebay and
hope to get my money back (I paid £35 for it).

go on Ebay again and buy the extra bits I ned to get a more
powerful
computer (for under £75 cos I'm disabled - poor).

Is upgrading a really huge deal? Mum's partner is good at
putting
sound cards in, etc for me. Is it much more complicated to
put in a
new motherboard, memory chips? Ebay is awash with chips and
motherboards and whatever. Can someone offer any guidance as
to what
to get and how much I should expect to pay? Is there a
good/reasonably
priced make of motherboard? Are some memory chips better than
others?

I gather I would need a motherboard that does at least
everything my
Duron does:-

video to moniter
network card
my sound card I can bring over
256Meg RAM
2 hard drives (I brought my old one over because the Duron's
hard
drive is titchy at 20 Gig)
2 CD drives (inc a burner)
4 USB slots

If I get a motherboard with more bits do I need to get a
diffeent back
for my computer?

A thousand apologies for my total ignorance. This is all new
to me. I
bought a box from a shop and if the damned NTL had shielded my
network
card from the lighting I would have been happy surfing still.
Alas all
is misery, confusion and expense!

Any advice anyone can give would be very much appreciated.

Cheers
Dave

here’s a program for you download and install. it should be able to
give us the brand and model of your motherboard. that way we can
figure if a new board will fit okay.

http://www.lavalys.com/products/down...?pid=1&lang=en

give us as much info on your present setup. power supply, type of ram,
video card or onboard video, etc.

what operating system are you using and do you have a disk to do a
fresh install of windows.

what 2600 did you get?

AXDA2600DKV3C 2.13Ghz Multiplier=16x(tbred)
AXDA2600DKV4D 333FSB 1.91Ghz Multiplier=11.5x(barton)
AXMG2600FQQ4C(mobile)

ud

--
Posted using the http://www.hardwareforumz.com interface, at author's request
Articles individually checked for conformance to usenet standards
Topic URL: http://www.hardwareforumz.com/Big-Oo...pict63881.html
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I suspect it is the first one. MS8308E. I am unfortunatley unable to
open the case until my friend opens it for me. A case of shaky hands
I'm afraid., I have emailed the seller of the chip (which is yet to
arrive) to ask about stepping and whther the chip is locked. I believe
he did not have time to test it himself before selling it to me.

Cheers
David

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 17:52:10 GMT, Wes Newell
wrote:

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:58:59 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

"Mainboard"
Matsonic MS8308E
Chipset SiS 730 rev 02
Sensor IT 0

BIOS
American Megatrends v. 062710

Label on the computer box says axon IT Solutions


Looking on the Matsonic web site I got this information:-

MS8308E Series

Bios type: AMI TOP

030808.zip Date : 2003-08-08
instruction : MS8308EP(266) PCB Ver3.1 (FSB 266MHz), Support AMD XP

010912.exe Date : 2001-09-12
instruction : MS8308E PCB Ver 1.1 , 1.2

8308-d.zip Date : 2001-02-27
instruction : MS8308D PCB Ver 1.1 (W/O LAN)

BIOS Flash Utility AMI Flash : aminf340.zip

The first board (EP) would be the best. Do you know which one you have?
Model number should be on the board and rev. should be on sticker on one
of the ISA/PCI sockets. All use the same ram. PC133 would be best, but it
shouldn't matter as long as the 2600+ cpu isn't locked.

"" wrote:
I suspect it is the first one. MS8308E. I am unfortunatley
unable to
open the case until my friend opens it for me. A case of shaky
hands
I'm afraid., I have emailed the seller of the chip (which is
yet to
arrive) to ask about stepping and whther the chip is locked. I
believe
he did not have time to test it himself before selling it to
me.

Cheers
David

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 17:52:10 GMT, Wes Newell
wrote:

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:58:59 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

"Mainboard"
Matsonic MS8308E
Chipset SiS 730 rev 02
Sensor IT 0

BIOS
American Megatrends v. 062710

Label on the computer box says axon IT Solutions


Looking on the Matsonic web site I got this information:-

MS8308E Series

Bios type: AMI TOP

030808.zip Date : 2003-08-08
instruction : MS8308EP(266) PCB Ver3.1 (FSB 266MHz),
Support AMD XP

010912.exe Date : 2001-09-12
instruction : MS8308E PCB Ver 1.1 , 1.2

8308-d.zip Date : 2001-02-27
instruction : MS8308D PCB Ver 1.1 (W/O LAN)

BIOS Flash Utility AMI Flash : aminf340.zip

The first board (EP) would be the best. Do you know which one
you have?
Model number should be on the board and rev. should be on
sticker on one
of the ISA/PCI sockets. All use the same ram. PC133 would be
best, but it
shouldn't matter as long as the 2600+ cpu isn't locked.

well i guess we have a little time.

when the new cpu xp2600 arrives check the numbers on it. you may need
plenty of light and good glasses. there is a line of numbers on it
that should look like:

AQXDA 0314 mpmw -- the middle set of numbers is what we are
interested in to determine whether it is unlocked. amd started locking
the chips arounc 0340.

i looked your board up and it is using the old sdram 168 pin. you will
need to buy some ddr 2700 or ddr 3200 184 pin. the price should be
about the same 3200 might be even cheaper.

check around for any board with cpu fsb 333 or 400.

when your friend opens the case have him look at the side of the psu,
so we know if it has enough power. give us the brand, model number and
what the amps are for the 3.3, 5 & 12volt lines. also have him look at
how much extra room the case has. your board is a micro atx. the case
may be big enough for a micro atx or full atx which would give you
more options.

do you have cd with windows?



ud

--
Posted using the http://www.hardwareforumz.com interface, at author's request
Articles individually checked for conformance to usenet standards
Topic URL: http://www.hardwareforumz.com/Big-Oo...pict63881.html
Visit Topic URL to contact author (reg. req'd). Report abuse: http://www.hardwareforumz.com/eform.php?p=320824

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 19:32:37 +0000, Dave The Brain wrote:

Motherboard Properties:
Manufacturer Matsonic Product
MS8308E Serial Number
00000000

Does this help at all?

This, if correct, does a little. This board officially only supports a
100MHz (200FSB) FSB. But it should do 133Mhz ok if the bios has that
option. Go into bios and see what the max CPU Freq you can set is. From
main bios, select CPU PnP Setup page. Set CPU speed to manual, user
defined or whatever, and then try and set CPU Freq to 133 to check.
Don't try booting with this with the Duron 1200, unless the Duron 1200 is
a C model. If you can set the CPU freq to 133, then try it with the 2600+
you got/get. If the cpu isn't locked, you would be able to even use a
100MHz FSB with it and set the multiplier to a max of 24x after changing
the default multiplier to 13 on it.

--
KT133 MB, CPU @2400MHz (24x100): SIS755 MB CPU @2330MHz (10x233)
Need good help? Provide all system info with question.
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php
Verizon server http://mysite.verizon.net/res0exft/cpu.htm