Getting that new hardware itch...

[Leon Goldstein]

Net Llama! wrote:

>>For less than $200 you can possibly* replace your K6-2 with a K6-III+ 
>>> and get an add-on Promise ATA100/133 IDE interface card and get a very 
>>> substantial and noticeable performance boost. 
>>> 
>>> *http://www.upgradeability.com/K6plus/index.htm?source=AdWords1
>>    
>>
>
>Sorry Leon, but I really have to vigorously disagree with this 
>suggestion.  I wouldn't call a substantial or noticeable performance 
>boost upgrading from one ancient CPU, to one slightly less ancient CPU. 
>  On top of that, for around $400 he could get a low end modern system 
>that would outperform that K6-III by several orders of magnitude.
>
>
>  
>
I am speaking from experience. 

Last year I replaced the K6-2 350 CPU in an old Compaq Presario with a 
K6-III+ 450.
The Presario mobo can be jumpered to 550 mHz, but I am running the 
K6-III+ slightly overclocked at 500 mHz since there is only a passive 
heatsink on this system.  The heatsink does not get  hot even after 
recompiling a kernel.  Since the brain transplant was successful, I then 
added a Promise ATA100 IDE PCI card.  The combined upgrades, plus maxing 
the system memory out to 384 MB (the Presario will not use DIMM's 
greater than 128 MB) cost less than $200 and yielded a "lab rat" system 
that runs Linux 2.6 kernel and FreeBSD with more than acceptable 
alacrity.  It is also almost silent in operation and that was my design 
goal: a silent desktop with performance.

My comment was to illustrate that the original poster's old K6-2 system 
has potential for extension of its serviceable life.  I am certainly not 
suggesting he refrain from building a new system.

-- 
Leon A. Goldstein

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