Overclocking an old Packard Bell C115 =)

S

ScarsUnseen

Weaksauce
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Jul 9, 2007
Messages
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Hi,

I recently dug up an old, old Packard Bell Multimedia C115 with an Intel 120MHz processor (code name P54C), 60MHz bus speed (according to the chart at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium), socket 7 (not super7). I read (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_7) that compatible processors can run from 2.5-3.5v. If I bought this CPU (http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-K6-2-550-AG...hZ014QQcategoryZ15921QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem) and overclocked it from 2.3 to 2.5v, will that work for this computer? If not, what are my other options to make it run over 233MHz? This will be my first time overclocking and I just think it would be pretty cool to have an old Packard Bell like this run at its maximum.

Much thanks,
Jaime
 
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The socket supports a wide range of cpus and voltages but it is unlikely the bios/motherboard will. If you can find any documention on the machine itself you best bet would be to stick with whatever CPU was offered as the fastest option from the factory for that particular model. If there is still a bios update page existing, the notes on updated bios verions as to what cpu support was added might be an additional clue.
 
I hope your sig is not serious, increasing clock speeds causing a "decrease in system performance" ? good one.
 
Patman said:
I hope your sig is not serious, increasing clock speeds causing a "decrease in system performance" ? good one.
Click to expand...

his sig is very real, while you may see an improvement in proformance from the over clock, the damage done to the chip will cause it slowly loose stability, and in the end, in order to gain that stability back, you have to underclock it.. sometimes it works.. sometimes you fry the chip.. if you read the amd phenom article that they put up today amd isnt releaseing any chip over x speed becuase going higher causes issues with the cache (this will be fixed of course... but it is an example...)

as for the OP.. if you can get a 66mhz buss chip, you might be able to run upto a 166, but i wouldnt count on anything higher than that.. iirc, most chips above 166 required a 100mhz buss.. but my memory is a bit sketchy there.
 
Patman said:
I hope your sig is not serious, increasing clock speeds causing a "decrease in system performance" ? good one.
Click to expand...

Maybe its from people not using good cooling, which then his sig would be kind of true.
 
With a system that old, your most likely going to have to manually set jumpers on the motherboard to over clock the CPU. The jumper settings should be silk-screened onto the mobo. The best thing to do is to download the manual if available. It's so much easier to read.

The fastest Intel CPU for the socket 7 platform was the Pentium 233 MHz, if I remember correctly. Truthfully, with the first gen Pentium, arctic silver and copper heat sinks were not common place. Sure you had goop, but not the paste of today. It might be interesting to see where you end up. The challenge might be to find a Cu heat sink that fits the socket. A quality PIII heat sink might do the trick (?).

It is also possible that the motherboard is re-branded. It was fairly common that Packard Bell would buy there mobos from other manufacturers and slap there bios in place. In this case, it might be possible to flash the bios to liberate any locked out bios options that Packard bell, Gateway, and Dell were know for... if any. You might get lucky and have the option to run the memory at CL2 (for example).

With my ancient Biostar Pentium board there were jumpers that allowed me to run 87 MHz FSB with my 233. Anyway, I never tried it. I was a newbie at the time. Sorry.

The chip you want :
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentium/Intel-Pentium MMX 233 - BP80503233.html

Keep your eye on ebay. They come up all the time.

You should follow your interests. Sometimes it's good to do something just to tick every body else off.

*edit for spelling
 
My sig is an excerpt from every Intel data sheet for CPUs and chipsets Intel has published in the last 2 years. I have discovered its validity depends more on the end user than the product itself. The all caps portion (my caps) I regard as a joke, the rest you had best take as dead serious.
 
jackofalltrades, this is my first overclock as I said previously. So whether it's "worth it" or not does not matter because this would be a good and cheap educational experience. (I also like to recycle.) As for everyone else, thanks the the advise. 8lack8rain, that geocities link is awesome. I'll post my results soon hopefully, if any. ;)
 
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