Upgrading PC's - Basics Revealed

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                      U P G R A D I N G   P C 'S

                    B A S I C S     R E V E A L E D
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  I've given advice as well as help to many on this one topic, but the basic
 term here is "CLONE".   In order to be able to successfully upgrade your
 computer you must have a standard PC clone, not a name brand like:
  Compaq, Dell, IBM, Packard Bell, etc....in which some if not all of the parts
 are Proprietary/Non-standard - which means that you probably won't be able to
 use the parts on anything other than that brand machine, and if you do need
 parts, you are limited "ONLY" to that brand.

 Those are also upgradeable but only at a very steep price, and some include
 combo boards (Everything built onto the main board or one board) which some-
 times takes some of the fun out of upgrading since you don't get to see how
 the individual boards would actually look.
  The 2nd problem here with combo boards is that when a component goes bad,
 you sometimes don't have the option to "DISABLE" it since you can't replace
 it without replacing the entire board.

  I had a job assembling/building PC's back in 1988 in Arlington, Virginia
 for a company called:  Community Computers.   That was my first hardware
 experience with PC's 'cause up to then I dealt mainly with "Radio Shack"
 TRS-80's which I learned to repair and upgrade myself.   I still have my
 original one:  TRS-80 Model 4P.

   First things first,
 - For The Older XT Class Machines
    you must have a "CLONE CASE"...a Desktop more than likely...
 - For The Older AT Class Machines  (286, 386, 486, 586, Pentium, etc..)
     They all use the same type case
    you must have a "CLONE CASE"...either a Tower or Desktop...
 - For The New AT Class Machines (Pentium, Pentium II, etc...)
    you must have the "NEWER CLONE CASE"....either a Tower or Desktop
    which is called an "ATX CASE"

   With the above out of the way, the type of mainboard/motherboard you need
  will depend on the type of "CASE" that you have and vice-versa.
   Cards that you buy and install will depend on the type of slots that you
  have on your motherboard.

   XT's have 8 bit isa slots
   286's up to some 486's have combinations of 8 bit and 16 bit isa slots.
   some 486's up to Pentiums have combinations of 16 bit isa slots and pci
   slots.

    At this point, you are pretty much set as far as upgrading as long as you
   stick with the same type "CASE"...as far as 286 to Pentiums...
    and the newer Pentiums with "ATX CASES".
     All you do is replace either or both CPU or Motherboard.   Motherboard
   replacements have been around a while but CPU replacements became standard
   with some 286 and 386 motherboards but mostly 486 Motherboards.
     Ever since building my first AT Machine...286-20, I've been upgrading
   ever since, and have never had to worry about buying a completely new
   machine every year or two.

   You pretty much have your choice of Motherboards depending on specs, your
  needs and spending budget as you would if you were buying anything else...
  ...from the basic to the very expensive.
   Your choice of CPU's is only limited by brand names, specs, speed, and of
  course price.

    Last if not least is memory, the computer will not run without it.
  From observation I've found that memory pretty much depends on the motherboard
  you are using since there really is no standard, even though I might actually
  be safe in saying that XT motherboards don't use simms but rather dip ram.
    The flip side is that I've seen both 286 and 386 machines using either or
  both dip ram, simms, and sipps - so it really depends on the motherboard that
  you have.

  ===========================================================================
   The above is pretty much the basics and the key to never having to buy a
  completely new computer unless you actually want to.....Starting with a
  "PC CLONE"....something that you will always be able to upgrade with your
  choice of Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, etc....
   ,Not to mention being able to re-use some if not all of your old parts.
  ===========================================================================


 Thank you and enjoy....

                                    Etop Udoh

                               merlin00@bellsouth.net
                                sdruid11@netzero.net
                                 sdruid@yahoo.com