Add a CPU
It’s now time to crack open the case and get down to business. Don’t rush any of
the following steps because you don’t want to damage any of your components. So, take
a deep breath, and let’s start.
Before you begin. If you’re upgrading with some kind of OverDrive or upgrade
kit, be sure to read the instructions included with the kit before doing anything. All
kits are different, and the instructions provided may differ from those we present below.
Prior to opening your computer, see if the kit comes with some kind of utilities diskette
that you have to run before the upgrade.
Configuring the motherboard. So we don’t forget to do it later, we’ll
start off by having you reconfigure your motherboard, if necessary. Motherboards are made
to operate with many different components, and they use jumper switches to make sure the
right signals are flowing at the right speeds to the right places. Jumpers
are simple tiny switches on the board; when the jumper connects two pins, the switch is
“on,” and when the jumper is removed, the switch is “off.”
Some newer motherboards are “jumperless,” which means you can change these
configurations using software. This will have to be done later, so skip this step for now
if you know you have a jumperless motherboard. Other motherboards have dual inline package
(DIP) switches, which are small sliding switches set in rows on the motherboard. Most of
the time, however, changing jumpers means pulling tiny pieces of plastic off the ends of
little pins.
While this could be the trickiest part of the upgrade, some installations will require no
reconfiguring at all. The hard part is knowing which jumpers to change. Some kits might
specify that no jumper changes are necessary, but most upgrades will require you to change
at least the bus and processor speed jumpers.
There is no way to guess here which jumpers should be changed because every board is
different. You will have to dig out your computer or motherboard manual and see what it
says on this point. Sometimes the information is printed right on the motherboard or on a
sticker inside the case. If you don’t have anything like that on hand, first try to
find the information on the manufacturer’s Web site, and if that fails, call or e-mail technical support.
Your manual or other instructions may include a list of common CPUs and their jumper
settings. If it only talks about specific processor speeds, you will need to know your new
chip’s actual clock speed rather than the speed at which it is rated.
Before actually changing any jumpers, write down the present settings; if something goes
wrong with the new processor, you can return everything to the previous settings. Try
drawing little pictures, with a notation marking which side is up.
To change a jumper, carefully pull up on the plastic part with your fingernails or
needle-nosed pliers. Figure out which pins to put the jumper back on and slide it in the
correct position.
Socket or slot. Now you’re ready to take out your old processor and put in the
new unit. The steps differ depending on the type of mounting for which the processor is
designed. The older Socket 7 is square,
 This is a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket.
ZIF sockets began their popularity with later 486 models and are the type of the older
Pentiums Socket 7
IF YOU ARE UPGRADING USING THIS SOCKET (click here) and the newer Slot 1 is rectangular and
stands on its end.
 This is a slot 1 socket. and works
the same regardless of whether you are using a Pentium II, Pentium III, a Slot
1 Celeron, or a K7.
IF YOU ARE UPGRADING USING THIS SOCKET (click
here)
Socket upgrade. At this point
we’ll diverge our instructions to deal with issues unique to both socket upgrades:
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