Upgrading from PII to PIII

[LiLong]

Here is a simple question for you.
I have an Asus P2B-S motherboard currently fitted with a PII-400
Is it possible to upgrade to a PIII using the same motherboard? If so, what is the fastes PIII the P2B-S could handle. Asus' site indicates only support for the PII.

[Rik]

You'll be O.K. with a PIII in this motherboard, just make sure your BIOS is flashed to a recent version so that it can recognise it correctly.

[paulcs]

Actually, you could have *plenty* of problems, depending on the type of PIII you decide to purchase.

Assuming you have flashed your BIOS to the latest version, you shouldn't have problems with the *Katmai* PIII's. The new Coppermine PIII's are a different story entirely, and Asus has been fairly silent about the P2B-S and Coppermine support. Your board does not appear on any of their compatibility charts.

The last couple of BIOS updates include the specific support for the PIII 600 (Katmai, I assume) and microcodes updates for Coppermine CPU's. If you intend to purchase a Coppermine CPU, you should call Asus, with your board's revision number handy, and ask them about it.

Good luck.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[Johnny Ray]

Paul's right here. Unless support is explicitly indicated for Coppermines for the revision of your motherboard at the Asus site, you're asking for trouble. Up to a 600 MHz Katmai (no "E"; 512 L2 cache) should work fine. Another place to look around, if you haven't already, is:

alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus

You concerns are discussed in nearly every-other thread, so many are confused about this.

John

[This message has been edited by Johnny Ray (edited 27 February 2000).]

[PurpleHaze]

Makes me wonder about my P3B then...

Another problem is going to be the retention mechanism I had a helluva time putting my P3 in my P2B... eventually went and got the P3B...

Wasn't aware of that with coppermine :\ ... Does the P3B support coppermine?


------------------
Ami Y. Koriuchi - foxyviolet@hotmail.com
Asus P3BF 1003.A - P3-500 - G400Max
256MB 6NS - 75 GB of 10k RPM SCSI UW

Hello... my name is ami. and this is my signature.

[SCompRacer]

Here is an ASUS Coppermine support page that should help clear things up. http://www.asus.com.tw/Products/Tech...ine/index.html

Say Ami, didn't you upgrade from a P2B to a P3B-F a while back? Was there any difference or pretty much the same?

I think you ought to go to a P III 800 with say, 256MB 800MHz RAMBUS. Be the first on your block, or maybe even the state, to have one! Or follow Rogue's advice and go the Athlon route. Benchmark wise, which is all I can go by cause I got neither, them Athlons edge out the P III with RAMBUS till you get into the P III 800 range.

[PurpleHaze]

I haven't seen any real performance increase between the P2B and the P3BF... But it does seem more solid and more stable. (But how do you interpret that anyways...) I just like the 6 pci option... and don't know why everyone's still throwing an ISA slot in there.

Aiee, so I can't use the 133mhz CU. hmm. Snarglefratz. Looks like I got decisions t'make.

------------------
Ami Y. Koriuchi - foxyviolet@hotmail.com
Asus P3BF 1003.A - P3-500 - G400Max
256MB 6NS - 75 GB of 10k RPM SCSI UW

Hello... my name is ami. and this is my signature.

[Jorden]

Well Ami,

You could go for a new revised mobo as well, or follow Greebe's mailed advice

On the topic of going from a PII to a PIII, I didn't have so much of a problem, but for getting the darn CPU out of the slot
(I did get it out eventually and it's running a PC in Holly's home happily now.)

I know my rev P2B mobo can't run a Cu-Mine, so I'll stick with my P3-450 for the moment, as there's still not a game on the market even asking for anything bigger than a P2-350!!!

Coming back to Ami: Why the need for a new CPU? Instability, or just the need to spend money to keep up-to-date?

Jord.

[paulcs]

Asus claims Coppermine support for the P3B-F at revision R1.03 (BIOS 1004).

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[PurpleHaze]

Well uh, what other reason to upgrade, Jorden?

[Jorden]

Impress someone (us), Ami

[paulcs]

Because it's there, or, more to the point, because you can.

Because there is poetry and art in the silicon.

Paul
paulcs@flashcom.net

[PurpleHaze]

Yeah uh, that's the reason! That's it! Poetry! Art! Yeah! Now I feel justified!

------------------
Ami Y. Koriuchi - foxyviolet@hotmail.com
Asus P3BF 1003.A - P3-500 - G400Max
256MB 6NS - 75 GB of 10k RPM SCSI UW

Hello... my name is ami. and this is my signature.

[Jorden]

Oh, sure... sorry... I forgot

(Art and poetry... smoking too much G400's )

[LiLong]

Regarding the speed of progression the chip industry is moving at, the 600 Mhz PIII Katmai may be below bottom line quite soon.
So I think I'll better wait until the 4th quarter and buy a new processor AND motherboard instead.