The performance benefits of such a switch would be small, and although overclockability might increase slightly, remember that it depends heavily on your BIOS capabilities, and the speed of your RAM.

Thanks Esqy.

Yeah. I'm not so sure if it will benefit me. I was looking at the PowerLeap solution. Total package would cost me around $310, adapter plus 2.6gHz Northwood P4. IF I am able to overclock it, it conceivabley could yield a 3.06gHz setup but I have a Dell, it's not likely. Don't know if my chipset would support it anyway.

Also, I'd have to flash my bios with an XP compliant version to install XP Pro. Although I'm not averse to doing that. I've been a fairly regular BIOS updater.

Maybe I'll just add more RAM. I hate this waiting around!

Edited by - Indy11 on 4/2/2004 7:03:56 AM

excuse my ignorance, but I tend to follow the techie threads with interest and usually say nothing due to my extreme lack of knowledge, but, how do you update your bios?

Depending upon whether you have a strictly OEM based bios like I do ("Dell", you can download a bios "flash" update from either your PC maker's URL or the Bios maker's, Phoenix, AMI, Award, Asus, etc.

Oh yes. AND your PC must have flash bios capability which, usually, is the case today but not always on older ones, say 6+ years old (? not sure?).

Note: Taw does not trust this process so don't say I didn't provide an appropriate caveat.

It usually is an exe file download. You need to copy it onto a removable boot-up disk (I use a floppy) and then reboot from a cold boot after having set your PC bios to boot from the removable media drive first.

The exe file will do the rest and at the end, you will be prompted to reboot again (this time a hot reboot is OK but I still shut down and start up again from another cold boot ... just to be safe and sure).

Oh. And on the second reboot, be sure to remove that boot-up floppy first...

Edited by - Indy11 on 4/2/2004 10:36:17 AM

You just do.

Sorry, I'm just as blank as you are.

Well, IF my cpu were a Socket 423 P4 at less than 2.0 gHz, I'd probably do this upgrade. The review that impressed me the most showed that if you have, say a 1.6 gHz Socket 423 P4, using the PowerLeap products and opting for the 2.6gHz Northwood P4 will yield as much as 80% to 90% improvement on all benchmarks. That's definitely noticeable improvement. But the cost factor is something that I don't know how to answer. It isn't prohibitive to me but I also want to compare that to the ultimate cost I will have to incur in the future anyway when 64-bit becomes the norm. On that scale it is just a little bit over the scale. Were the total cost were around $250 or less, I would do it in a minute!

A complete upgrade would be better in the long run Indy, as PCI-Express is almost here and will completely replace PCI within a year or two of its relase (if that).

Flashing BIOSes is quite easy. Modern MBs contain a ROM chip that contains the BIOS data. Most MBs also come with an automatic or command line update utility. Essentially, you download the new BIOS update, run the utility, and the ROM chip is wiped. The new package is then "flashed" onto the ROM chip. After that you restart the PC, configure your new BIOS, and that's it. I have flashed my BIOS on a number of occasions, and I have never had a problem (my ASUS util works through WinXP and downloads updates for me! ). There are also reports that BIOS updates can increase perforance by 5% or more, and add stability. Still, the warning is; make sure that the BIOS update is the right one for you MB! Otherwise *shudder* .

@Esqy,

Yeah. I know. AND I do want to wait for PCI Express, the next gen Videos cards and 64-bit, etc. But I've been trudging along with my Dell now for three going on four years now and I'm getting itchy again.

So.... as a kind of interim measure..... I've been toying with either another cpu upgrade, to a socket 478 P4 plus an OC if this website I found is telling the truth about Dell and more ram, maybe move to XP.... in case I need to flash my bios again, etc., etc. Sometimes obsessing over this helps calm the itching down a little.

But I am thinking that I WILL end up doing something soon. I looking at having to buy RDRAM, though, which is kind of pricey. But not if I don't move to XP.

And so the circle begins again.......

*Sigh* I know exactly what you mean. I'm still trying to put together a killer system for a DVD Player and PC (AV Thread), but the parts are too much brand new. Therefore, while I wait for good quality second-hand parts, I may have to pay $80 and get some 6.1 Zalman headphones in the interim, until I can get a good subwoofer, five speakers, and an amp. I rationalise it like this; the headphones are not too expensive, and they will be good when I'm playing late at night .

So I found some software utilities to overclock with at this site.

Apparently, my Dell can be overclocked by using he first listed utility, CPUFSB.

Has anyone used any of these utilities? Am I about to stop off a cliff if I use one?

software o'cing is a pile of poo, Ed. Trust me on this. While there is SOME performance increase, it don't compare well with hardware o'cing at all. Plus it is of course still hardware dependent and if your mobo doesn't support the bus speeds and multipliers your trying to get up to then it just won't do it, I'm afraid.

as to your converter, as has been pointed out by our antipodean friends this is again largely dependent upon your mobo. You will get some benefit but you won't be running your processor at the proper bus speed; so is there any point really? What's the point of having a 2.4 or even 2.8 if you can't actually get it to actually run much faster than a 2.0? wait a few months then take the plunge and treat yourself to some decent kit.

if you really really really REALLY can't wait, it just so happens that I have an eminently overclockable Socket 478 Gigabyte GA8-IE533 mobo going spare which with the bios flash (already done) supports 3.0+ processors, and will happily o'c 2.4s up to 2.8. it's not 8x AGP but it will run 8x AGP cards no problem.

BIOS flashing is always, for me, a terrifying process, even though in my entire PC career spanning over 20yrs, it's only gone wrong once. Unless you're very confident and know what you're doing, or prepared to accept the consequences (dead motherboard) I wouldn't recommend it. Fortunately many mobo manufacturers such as Gigabyte are moving to a "live" bios update done entirely through Windoze, no need to make bootdisks and unpack bios files like we've always done.

if you want it, you're more than welcome, although if you'd mentioned this a week ago you could have had a personal delivery, could you not? And what's with those dam' high winds? I nearly got my head knocked off by some debris that fell off on Sunday!

Taw said

---

if you want it, you're more than welcome, although if you'd mentioned this a week ago you could have had a personal delivery, could you not? And what's with those dam' high winds? I nearly got my head knocked off by some debris that fell off on Sunday!

---

Ah. Thanks. If it were not a Dell, I would gladly take you up on the offer but the standoffs on Dell cases do not accommodate non-Dell mobos and I am not a fan of jury-rigging mobo installations. My next purchase will not be a Dell.

As for the winds. Well, one of the privileges of living in a community of tall buildings is the artificial vortex effect. The taller buildings literally catch the wind up high and send ir careening down onto the pavement levels... if it is a breezy day to start. In mid-summer, the dead hot humid air just sits motionlessly on the City and the solar heated paved surfaces radiate the heat up your trousers.

Anyway, back OT. Thanks for the advice. But itches gotta get scratched sometimes. I AM resisting and I AM convinced that waiting is the smarter option .... but I am weak.... will keep you apprised (amused?) of my doings.


Edited by - Indy11 on 4/6/2004 9:10:36 AM

sorry, forgot you had a D-H-ell; presumably your next one is going to be a total self-build?

Hopefully he'll take that step, Taw. I think that he may be ready .

Indy - Software OC'ing is ok, but is only really effective with graphics cards, etc.