Ok, I have a Compaq...how to find out the Mobo?

Quakindude · Nov 4, 2002, 05:48 PM

Ok, about a year ago my wife thought I needed a new computer, I was using an AMD 450mhz, FIC VA503+ Mobo, and a TNT2 32 meg card with 256 megs of sys ram that I built myself. I was going to build my next one also, but my wife knows that I am pretty busy and had been putting it off. So she just goes out and buys me a Compaq Presario desktop 1.2ghz Athlon T-bird system with 17" monitor and a 6 speaker sound system. I sure wasn't gonna get the ass with her for being so nice, but I am now stuck with this computer. I have put a GF4 MX440 64 meg card into it and I get 140 to 150 FPS in Q3 at 800x600. SO I am happy with it. Almost that is. How the hell can I find out what kind of Mobo is in this thing? I want to find out two things. One, how high can I go as far as upgrading the cpu? Two, how can I flash the bios to get rid of the Compaq stuff and maybe overclock a little? I have already formatted the H/D and installed Win2kPro which has effectively removed all the Compaq programs that were choking it up. I have thought of gutting the thing and putting a new P/S in it and going from there, but am wanting to explore these options prior to doing that. Plus, the wife would know if I did that!

Suggestions?

alewisa · Nov 4, 2002, 06:06 PM

You're kinda stuck with this. All the Compaqs I have used (admittedly business machines) can't be overclocked or tweaked. Only way to go faster is to add install a faster CPU, then the mobo autoruns the CPU at the higher speed.

Compaqs are pure business machines, where stabillity is king and takes priority over speed. After all, you can't type any faster on a P4 2.4gb than you can on a PII-266. And o/c'ing leads to crashes which leads to non-productive employees (and more IT time spent fixing, in turn leads to increased support costs... both lead to loss of profits)...

Smile sweetly, give it a month, decide that her PC needs upgrading (convince her by installing lastest games and watch running at snail speed. She'll agree, it needs more oomph!). Then, build the best you can and share. Eventaully, unless she plames games, she'll do her stuff on the Compaq, and you get the beast.

OTOH, accept her as the loving creature she is - she might have got the wrong deck, but the thought was in the right place!

Nov 4, 2002, 05:48 PM	#1
Quakindude DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 37 Rep Power: 0	Ok, I have a Compaq...how to find out the Mobo? Ok, about a year ago my wife thought I needed a new computer, I was using an AMD 450mhz, FIC VA503+ Mobo, and a TNT2 32 meg card with 256 megs of sys ram that I built myself. I was going to build my next one also, but my wife knows that I am pretty busy and had been putting it off. So she just goes out and buys me a Compaq Presario desktop 1.2ghz Athlon T-bird system with 17" monitor and a 6 speaker sound system. I sure wasn't gonna get the ass with her for being so nice, but I am now stuck with this computer. I have put a GF4 MX440 64 meg card into it and I get 140 to 150 FPS in Q3 at 800x600. SO I am happy with it. Almost that is. How the hell can I find out what kind of Mobo is in this thing? I want to find out two things. One, how high can I go as far as upgrading the cpu? Two, how can I flash the bios to get rid of the Compaq stuff and maybe overclock a little? I have already formatted the H/D and installed Win2kPro which has effectively removed all the Compaq programs that were choking it up. I have thought of gutting the thing and putting a new P/S in it and going from there, but am wanting to explore these options prior to doing that. Plus, the wife would know if I did that! Suggestions?

Nov 4, 2002, 06:06 PM	#2
alewisa DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: May 2002 Location: Kendal, UK Posts: 260 Rep Power: 0	You're kinda stuck with this. All the Compaqs I have used (admittedly business machines) can't be overclocked or tweaked. Only way to go faster is to add install a faster CPU, then the mobo autoruns the CPU at the higher speed. Compaqs are pure business machines, where stabillity is king and takes priority over speed. After all, you can't type any faster on a P4 2.4gb than you can on a PII-266. And o/c'ing leads to crashes which leads to non-productive employees (and more IT time spent fixing, in turn leads to increased support costs... both lead to loss of profits)... Smile sweetly, give it a month, decide that her PC needs upgrading (convince her by installing lastest games and watch running at snail speed. She'll agree, it needs more oomph!). Then, build the best you can and share. Eventaully, unless she plames games, she'll do her stuff on the Compaq, and you get the beast. OTOH, accept her as the loving creature she is - she might have got the wrong deck, but the thought was in the right place! __________________ TRS-80, dual 5.25", 32K C-64 o/c to 2Mhz, 1541 with PhantomDOS Amiga 4000/040@66Mhz, C64-3D, 64mb, 4.3gb SCSI Netware 4.11 And too many damn PC's to care!