What is a VRM?>

[Gregory L. Hansen]

I bought an HP Kayak from eBay, with 400 MHz PII, and it has an unfilled
second processor slot. I'd like to fill it, I need another identical
processor and also a VRM. But I don't know anything about VRMs.

They're voltage regulators, I gather. So the processor needs voltages
that the power supply doesn't have? Does a VRM match with a processor, or
would I be looking for a special HP VRM that matches that particular
motherboard? They give a part number 0950-2837. I've found lots of VRMs
on eBay, e.g.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3434662867&category=3666

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3434703251&category=16181

But I don't know quite what I should be looking for.

 

[Wayne Morgan]

It is a Voltage Regulator Module and you'll need on that is designed for the motherboard.
If you have an HP part number, that's a good place to start.

 

[Gregory L. Hansen]

It is a Voltage Regulator Module and you'll need on that is designed for
the motherboard.
If you have an HP part number, that's a good place to start.

I need one that's designed for the motherboard, then. Darn, the 0950-2837
is kind of pricey. Around $70 is common, I've seen one price over $100.
For a $10 processor (including shipping and heat sink) and a computer I
paid $45 for. I was really hoping I could substitute another one, like
maybe the 0950-3310.

 

[Wayne Morgan]

You won't be able to substitute unless you know that the electrical specifications of the
VRM meet or exceed the specifications of the specified VRM AND that the connections to
attach the VRM are the same. I wouldn't even begin to guess on where to get the last part
of that information.

 

[Gregory L. Hansen]

You won't be able to substitute unless you know that the electrical
specifications of the
VRM meet or exceed the specifications of the specified VRM AND that the
connections to
attach the VRM are the same. I wouldn't even begin to guess on where to
get the last part
of that information.

HP tech support has been very slow in getting back to me on that. I was
just told in e-mail by a seller of these sorts of things that any PII/PIII
VRM from eBay would work, but I don't know how he formed that opinion, so
I still hesitate to try it.