What chips are compatible?

[gregf]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS, apparently it's
a SLOT1. I'm I want to get a new processor, something new and fast
maybe Athlon, around 2.5 G. So I'm wondering what chips are
compatible...I don't understand all the slot and socket types. Can it
be done or do I need to get a new MB altogether, or am I limited at all
in what I could get?

 

[Rob Stow]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS, apparently it's
a SLOT1. I'm I want to get a new processor, something new and fast
maybe Athlon, around 2.5 G. So I'm wondering what chips are
compatible...I don't understand all the slot and socket types. Can it
be done or do I need to get a new MB altogether, or am I limited at all
in what I could get?

Hate to burst your bubble, but AMD stopped slotted processors at
about a little under 1 GHz. (Intel stopped slot versions of the
PIII at about 1 GHz as well.)

 

[hackbox.info]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS

fastest (~1GHz) Coppermine P3/Celeron you can get (+ sloktek adapter),
avoid Tualatin

 

[George Macdonald]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS, apparently it's
a SLOT1. I'm I want to get a new processor, something new and fast
maybe Athlon, around 2.5 G. So I'm wondering what chips are
compatible...I don't understand all the slot and socket types. Can it
be done or do I need to get a new MB altogether, or am I limited at all
in what I could get?

P2Bs were in lock-step with PII-400s/450s. You might be able to use up to
a ~1GHz PIII with possibly a slocket as someone else suggested but check
compatibility on the slocket Web sites. If you didn't get a healthy load
of memory to go with the mbrd forget it - buying more would be a waste of
$$.

 

[dawg]

Chuck it. It's not worth even trying. You'll get a 500mhz CPU on that board
and maybe 256M of ram(if you can find compatable ram).

 

[Tony Hill]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS, apparently it's
a SLOT1. I'm I want to get a new processor, something new and fast
maybe Athlon, around 2.5 G. So I'm wondering what chips are
compatible...I don't understand all the slot and socket types. Can it
be done or do I need to get a new MB altogether, or am I limited at all
in what I could get?

The fastest upgrade you've going to be able to get in that system is a
1.2GHz 'Tualatin' PIII processor on an adapter card (common called a
'slotket'). You might want to have a look at what Powerleap has
available for you here:

http://www.powerleap.com/SystemSearch.html

Just enter in Asus and then P2B-LS. At $120 for a drop-in upgrade
it's not an altogether bad deal, though it's certainly not going to be
in the performance range that you're looking for.


For anything remotely recent though, you're going to need:

1. New motherboard
2. New memory
3. Probably a new power supply

If you're looking to do this on the cheap then you might want to check
out some "bare bones" system, ie something like the following:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1534264&CatId=1279


For under $200 you get everything you need in a system that will be
quite a bit quicker then what you have now. Of for a bit extra you
might want to look at something like this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1647371&CatId=1683


Alternatively you could also put together a system yourself from
components which gives you more flexibility, though potentially higher
cost.


The long story short though is that you're basically looking at
building a whole new system rather than upgrading your old box.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Someone gave me an old PC with an ASUSTeK MB, a P2B-LS, apparently it's
a SLOT1. I'm I want to get a new processor, something new and fast
maybe Athlon, around 2.5 G. So I'm wondering what chips are
compatible...I don't understand all the slot and socket types. Can it
be done or do I need to get a new MB altogether, or am I limited at all
in what I could get?

You definitely won't be able to get an AMD processor in there, let alone
a 2.5Ghz AMD. That motherboard is for the old Intel Pentium II/III
slotted processors only, not even Pentium 4.

The good news is that if you really like that case, then you can take
out the motherboard and put a new motherboard in there with a modern
processor of your choice in there (possibly Pentium 4, or more likely
Athlon 64). The case is very likely an "ATX-formfactor" case, so it will
take any modern motherboard that conforms to ATX as well. When you
replace the motherboard, you will also have to replace the memory, as
the modern memory types have evolved into new formfactors of their own
now, which are incompatible with the memory slots in your old
motherboard. That motherboard probably takes either EDO-RAM or SDRAM.
These days modern motherboards don't take either type, they use DDR or
DDR2 RAM.

Those are your minimum expenses. If you must upgrade the processor, then
you *must* also upgrade the motherboard. And if you must upgrade
motherboard, then you *must* also upgrade the memory. The good news is
that you may not need to upgrade anything else for the time being. Make
sure you get a motherboard with the video and sound cards built-in, and
you can use them until you save up to get a better video or sound card.

Yousuf Khan

 

[gregf]

Thanks. That's kind of what I was expecting. The machine works well,
but I want to start doing some audio recording so I need alot more CPU
power and RAM.

 

[adamwieczorek]

h

 

[nobody]

You definitely won't be able to get an AMD processor in there, let alone
a 2.5Ghz AMD. That motherboard is for the old Intel Pentium II/III
slotted processors only, not even Pentium 4.

The good news is that if you really like that case, then you can take
out the motherboard and put a new motherboard in there with a modern
processor of your choice in there (possibly Pentium 4, or more likely
Athlon 64). The case is very likely an "ATX-formfactor" case, so it will
take any modern motherboard that conforms to ATX as well. When you
replace the motherboard, you will also have to replace the memory, as
the modern memory types have evolved into new formfactors of their own
now, which are incompatible with the memory slots in your old
motherboard. That motherboard probably takes either EDO-RAM or SDRAM.
These days modern motherboards don't take either type, they use DDR or
DDR2 RAM.

Also expect to get a new video, since it is a waste to invest in AGP
motherboard today. Go for PCIe - the card will cost noticeably less
than AGP equivalent. Even the cheapest today's card will beat top of
the line one contemporary to your motherboard. Or get a board with
integrated video, just make sure it has a PCIe X16 slot for future
upgrade, you eventually will need one.
On top of that, the existing power supply (probably less than 300W)
will not be able to cope with today's CPU and video appetite for
power, so expect to get a new one (though you can keep the case).

NNN