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Upgrade 101-10 - Motherboards

Toronto Star Upgrade 101 series - part 10

Preparation and Precautions (READ THIS FIRST)

Introduction
- Why Bother
Before you go shopping
Shopping
Pre-installation
Installation
Post-installation
- Problems
Questions

We've been on a long journey together throughout this series on upgrading your PC, but all good things must come to an end and, aside from a short wrap-up column next week that will describe where we've been and how that has affected our test system's performance, we have indeed reached the conclusion.

This week, we're going to tackle the mother of all upgrades - replacing your system's entire motherboard. It's a level 4 task, frought with all sorts of complexity, and I'm sorry to say, no guarantee that you'll be any happier when it's done. You'll need all of your tools: multi-headed screwdriver, needle-nosed plyers, and anti-static procedure. If you haven't done so already, please have a close look at the preparation and precautions article, covering cautions and elemental stuff like how to get into the system's case.

An ATX motherboard You'll know when it's time to consider a motherboard replacement when you've done everything you can to improve the performance in your computer and have nothing left to try. If it's running the fastest processor it's capable of handling, has the maximum amount of memory possible, the fastest graphics controller you have a compatible slot to accept, and so on - and it still won't run Windows 98 fast enough to satisfy you, then it's time for a fresh approach.

Despite the fact that your system's motherboard, also known as its main system board, is the fundamental part of your computer, replacing it may not be as expensive as you might think. The average price in the GTA for a new one ranges from about $189 to around $249 (more detail below). Even if you have to replace your system's case, that unit is under $100 (typically $69 to $89). However, replacing the motherboard also means buying a new processor (up to $1,000) and, often, replacing memory, too (about $250 for every 64 MB).

So, why bother?

By the time you replace these four essential parts, you could easily be staring $1,500 in the eye and, if the temptation grabs you to also upgrade your video controller and hard drive(s), the cost can keep mounting. The reality is that building a new system from the ground up will cost more than buying a comparable system off the shelf if for no other reason than that the markup on individual parts is higher than it is on complete PCs. This is something that's true of virtually any manufactured item, whether it be a computer or an automobile.

Nevertheless, when you're done, you'll have a custom-built system that conforms to your idea of what a PC should be. And if, for example, your husband said you could never do it, you'll have bragging rights as well.

According to Evans Research, motherboard sales in Canada are expected to rise to 1.4 million units this year (and to 1.7 million next year). Based on conversations with the retail sector, Evans has determined that nearly 85 per cent of these shipments will go into locally assembled systems (what the industry calls "white boxes). That leaves roughly 210,000 boards being sold into the retail market for individuals who are replacing them in older systems or using them as the basis of new computers.

Before you shopping

Before you start shopping for your new motherboard, you'll want to look at your old board using all the knowledge you've gained reading this series. The purpose of this excursion is to try and figure out what it is that you get to keep.

If all of your memory is configured in 30- or 72-pin SIMMs (single inline memory modules), it has to go. Modern boards have only 168-pin, dual inline memory module (DIMM) slots. Even if you do have DIMMs, but they use EDO (Extended Data Out) RAM, they'll need replacing. Modern boards use synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

If most of your expansion cards use the older industry standard architecture (ISA) slots, ask yourself which of them you must keep - because newer boards have mostly peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slots.

If your hard drive controller is on a circuit board, you don't need to worry about whether there's a slot for it; new boards have two of them mounted on the motherboard itself (as well as a floppy drive controller and many other components).

If your board uses the older, large keyboard connector and has cables running to various external ports (parallel printer port, serial port, game port), it's most likely an AT-style board. It's possible, but becoming increasingly difficult to find this style of motherboard anymore. Instead, a relatively new form factor, called ATX, is far more common. This matters because unless you bought your system in the past 12 months, it's unlikely that your case will accept an ATX motherboard - so it has to go, too.

And, there are two other reasons you may have to shop your existing case. One of them is major - if this was a low-profile model with a "Baby AT" board, a new one simply may not fit. A minor problem, unless you can find a sympathetic retailer willing to solve it, is that if this system was purchased intact, it's very unlikely that you got the leftover parts needed to attach a new motherboard to it - and it's equally unlikely that your new board will come with them. These small parts - screws, plastic or metal spacers, washers, and others - are normally part of the case and don't come with a new motherboard. You may be able to recover some of them when you dismount your old board, but don't count on it.

Shopping

I'd best get something out of the way right off the top. I am not going to recommend a specific brand of motherboard (although I may mention a few). Even though the manufacturers of these things are getting better at design and quality control, my experience and that of friends who custom-build systems for a living is that buying a new motherboard is often a crapshoot. The manufacturers change designs, switch on-board component suppliers, and tinker with firmware constantly - and often without bothering to change a board's model number. The result is that anything we liked last month may become a turkey next week. And, like all other components available in the computer industry, not all brands and models are alike. Some get better performance and offer more stability than others.

Instead, I'm going to focus on the features offered by today's boards and how they relate to what you want to do with them. Your task is to find one that offers the best mix, then hope you get one that works properly.

Processor

One motherboard doesn't fit all. You need to decide now which basic processor you're going to want to run on this product while thinking about what you might want to do with it in the future. At present you get four basic choices with some sub-flavours thrown in.

	AMD K6-2 and K6-III processors require a motherboard using a processor connector known as Socket 7. With this design, you'll be limited to the K6 series (or an old Intel Pentium MMX if you can find one) - and AMD isn't going to make many more of them. The K6-2 currently tops out at 475 MHz, while the top speed for a K6-III is 450 MHz. These processors do well with business applications compared to a slower, classic (i.e., non-"Coppermine") Pentium III, but they lag behind in multimedia and floating point operations. Good for business, not great for gaming. There is no upgrade path to Celeron or Pentium III.
AMD K6-III
	Intel Celeron processors now come in only one form factor that requires a special 370-pin socket (Socket 370). If you buy a motherboard with this socket hard-wired into it, you'll be forever limited to Celerons running on a base speed of 66 MHz. The current top internal speed for Celeron processors is 500 MHz, and I frankly can't see Intel making any more without increasing the motherboard's base speed (see Chipsets, below). This type of motherboard won't let you upgrade to Pentium III later or change your mind and try either a K6 or an Athlon from AMD. You may get a choice next year when VIA - which bought out Cyrix and IDT (the WinChip) - introduces a Celeron clone currently code-named "Joshua." No one knows many details about what it will require in the way of motherboard base speed or socket voltage
Intel Celeron now at 533 MHz
	Pentium III processors, and Celerons attached to a converter board (of which there are many choices) fit a processor connector called Slot 1. With it, you can't change your mind and go back to a K6-n or Athlon later - but you can upgrade all the way to a 700 MHz Pentium III with the right chipset (again, see below).
800 MHz Pentium III
	AMD's new Athlon processor won't fit any existing motherboard design and once you pick this route, there's no going back to an Intel product, either.
AMD Athlon
	Intel is also introducing a new version of the Pentium III in what it calls a "flip-chip" package that will require a new socket that isn't compatible with anything else. At present there aren't a lot of these motheboards on the market and my guess is that the same people making Celeron Socket 370 converter boards will have a model out for this FC-PGA version of the PIII almost any day now.
Pentium® III processor in FC-PGA package

Chipsets

To quote Billy Newsom, the awesome creator of Motherboard HomeWorld (www.motherboards.org), "The chipset runs the show. The CPU can be changed. The memory can be upgraded. The hard disk can be swapped. But the motherboard has been designed around the capabilities of the chipset, and until you change the motherboard, your PC will function largely the same."

Functionally, the motherboard's logic chipset (so named because it is usually two or three chips working together) sits between your processor and everything else that happens in your computer. It has a direct effect on:

The speed(s) of the motherboard's base speed - also called the front-side bus speed - the data pathway connecting the processor to main memory. This in turn determines how fast your processor can be (because the internal speed of the processor is always a multiple of this front-side bus speed - in today's terms, either 66, 100, or 133 MHz).
The type of processor that can be used (486, Pentium, Pentium MMX, Pentium II or III, AMD or other).
The type, amount, and speed of the memory you can use in the system. In today's terms that means SDRAM or Direct Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), which is about twice as fast and costs significantly more.
The type and data transfer rate of the hard drive(s) - either 33 or 66 MB/sec
The type and speed of any external secondary cache memory
How the PCI bus communicates with the processor and whether or not that's mediated with memory access.
Whether the PCI bus is 32 or 64-bits wide
Whether the system can use one or more than one processor
Whether the system supports Universal Serial Bus (USB), High-Speed Serial Bus (FireWire), Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP - and how fast it can be), Infrared (IrDA), PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports
Advanced power management and remote diagnostics

In short, the chipset is <italic>the<italic> determining factor for what the motherboard can do and what you may wish to do with it in the future. In today's market, for Slot 1and Socket 370 motherboards, you'll find several choices.

	Intel 440BX AGPset remains the most popular for the purposes of providing a wide upgrade path. It allows front-side bus speed switching from 66 to 100 MHz, but only supports the UDMA/33 hard drive standard and doesn't support AGP 4X (its main drawbacks). A motherboard such as the Asus P3B-F that came in our test bed can handle a Celeron of any speed, a Pentium II of any speed, or a Pentium III processor at 450, 500, 550, 600, 600E, 650, or 700 MHz. You may find the 440BX integrated into custom chipsets by manufacturers such as Soyo, who have added UDMA/66 support (but not on the Asus board). The other most popular 440BX motherboard in the Toronto market this month is the Abit BX6, but Asus is the brand leader in Canada.
Intel i
	Intel 440ZX AGPset. You have to watch this one, because it comes in two distinct flavours. The 440ZX-66 supports only Celeron processors and Pentium II up to 333 MHz. A motherboard with this chipset will not be upgradeable to faster Pentium II or III processors. The 440ZX-100 will only handle Pentium II at 350 to450 MHz and the Pentium III processors at 450, 500, 550, 600, 600E, 650 and 700 MHz. You can't start with a Celeron in a system with this chipset. It does provide support for UDMA/66, but not for faster AGP.
440ZX AGPset (100 MHz)
	Intel i810 and i810e. The i810 and i810e are considered to be low-end chipsets. You're liable to find them on motherboards with integrated graphics controller chips designed for the bottom rung on the price ladder. They allow manufacturers to save money by sharing main system memory with the graphics controller (instead of providing it with its own). It's a cost-saving measure, but it also makes for a slower system. The i810 is limited to a 66 MHz front-side bus for Celerons only. The i810e provides a 66, 100, or 133 MHz front-side bus, which means it can handle Celeron and Pentium III processors at 450, 500, 550, 600, 600E, 600EB, 650, 667, 700 and 733 MHz.
Intel i810e chipset
	Intel i820. The company's newest chipset, finally released on November 15, after a multi-month delay when it discovered that something bad happened to motherboards with three DIMM memory slots that didn't occur when the boards had only two slots. The i820 supports all the modern features, but adds AGP 4X, Direct Rambus DRAM, FireWire, and 133 MHz front-side bus to the mix. You can't run a Celeron on one of these still rare boards, but you can run all the Pentium III products.
Intel i820 chipset
	VIA. The Taiwanese chipset maker is Intel's main competitor for motherboard chipsets. Although Intel has over 80 per cent of the motherboard chipset market (it sells them to anyone who asks), VIA, Acer Labs (ALi), SiS, and others are in the market too. You're liable to see VIA's Apollo Pro 133A on some Pentium III boards and a variation of it on Athlon boards. VIA chipsets are very common on Socket 7 (K6-n) boards.
VIA Apollo Pro 133A

Others: You don't want to know. Although you can find systems with Acer Labs, SiS, and PC Chips chipsets in branded systems, you'll be better off sticking to one of the mainstream chipsets if you're upgrading (the fewer oddities you have to deal with, the better).

A word of explanation...in the list of Pentium III processors, above, I mentioned the 600, 600E and 600EB. Confusing, isn't it? Blame Intel. The "600" is the original 0.25 micron Pentium III with 512 KB of level 2 cache memory running at half the speed of the processor. The cache is a separate module inside the processor cartridge. The "600E" is Intel's new 0.18 micron "Coppermine" Pentium III with 256 KB of level 2 cache running at the full speed of the processor and integrated into the processor die. Both the 600 and 600E run on a 100 MHz front-side bus. The "600EB" is also a Coppermine Pentium III with integrated full-speed L2 cache, but this model runs on a 133 MHz front-side bus.

Last notes: Since this article was originally published, both Intel and AMD have released new processors. Celeron, for example, now tops out at 533 MHz, however, all Celeron processors still use a 66 MHz front-side bus. You'll also want to have a look at the performance results in the concluding article in this series to find out how much of a difference that can make. Both Pentium III and Athlon have gone up, too (as of this update on January 10, to 800 MHz). There are also two 800 MHz Pentium III parts, an 800 and 800EB (see above).

Other services

In order to save some money later, or to overcome that problem you may have with ISA v/s PCI slots, you may choose a motherboard with integrated components hardwired into it. This costs extra, but not as much as buying the individual components. Your choices include integrated graphics, sound, Ethernet network, and SCSI (small computer systems interface) built into the board - and boards with these services are harder to come by (you may have to order specially).

If you have a notebook computer you're planning to use in conjunction with your new system, consider shopping for a motherboard that provides Infrared (IrDA) service, as well. Just keep in mind that there are two standards that operate at different speeds (IrDA 1 and IrDA 2), so you'll want to check your notebook as well.

You're going to get a pair of hard drive/CD/DVD-ROM controllers on a new motherboard, and unless you're being rooked into getting an old one, you'll also get USB and PS/2 connectors (they're standard on an ATX board), as well as a parallel connector and one or two serial connectors. Whether you get the larger keyboard connector or not is a function of the board's form factor (it's not on ATX boards). You may also want to pick up a converter plug for your keyboard and a serial-to-PS/2 converter for your mouse.

Jumperless setup is also a feature to seek. It's better if you can set your board up to work with your chosen processor, set its front-side bus speed, make any adjustments to processor socket voltage (Socket 7 boards) and so on, from software instead of having to physically change something on the board when you do so.

Never buy a new motherboard that doesn't have a "Flash BIOS." Although the Basic In/Out System comes on a chip, it's software, and the board manufacturer will tinker with it to iron out bugs, provide new support services (such as for hard drives over 8.4 GB), or to become compatible with new versions of the Windows operating system still to come. You want one that can be updated through software instead of having to be replaced.

Figuring out the mix of ISA v/s PCI slots is always fun. It depends on the number of older expansion cards you absolutely have to keep. The trend is for ISA slots and devices to disappear (and some new systems are shipping with no ISA slots at all).

See if you can have a look at the design and imagine in your mind's eye what you have to connect to the board. For example, if the power connector isn't on the side of the board closest to where the case-mounted power supply is located, that means the wires have to fit over top of other things - they'll get in the way. The same is true of hard and floppy drive connectors. You'd like them to be closest to the side of the computer where your drive bays are located.

Last, but not least, try to find a board that doesn't place memory sockets or big, nasty capacitors right next to the processor socket or slot, or the AGP slot. Heat sinks and other attachments can often get in the way.

Pre-installation

Before you remove your existing motherboard, check the precautions article again to see how to call up your system's current BIOS/CMOS settings. This is particularly important if your current system's age means that your hard drives are described by their physical characteristics (e.g., number of cylinders, heads, sectors per track). If you ever expect to see the data on your drive(s) again, you'll need this information when you set up your new board. It's not good enough to note that the drive is "Type 47" for example, because the actual information along this line has almost invariably been entered manually. Write it down, now.

At all times throughout the rest of the process, keep dumping static from yourself before touching any old or new components. All of them, including expansion cards, data cables, memory modules, processors, and the motherboards themselves are sensitive to static discharge.

It's difficult to give precise directions that will fit all motherboards and all cases, so the remainder here will have to be generic. If the task appears too daunting, seriously consider asking the retailer who sells you the components to do the installation.

Doing the deed

Remove all expansion cards, cables, power leads and anything else currently attached to your existing motherboard. You can probably leave the processor and memory in place because the chances are pretty good that you won't be using them again unless you're planning to rebuild your old system and give it to your grandmother (in which case, you'd leave them in place anyway).

Given my assumption of the average age of the systems that will be undergoing this process, the likelihood is that your motherboard is held to the chassis by two or three screws visible from the top. It's also held in place by several white, plastic spacers. If you can see the underside of your chassis and the points where the spacers peek through, that would be an asset.

Remove the holding screws. Try as best you can to get the plastic spacers out of the chassis and the board without breaking anything. Note that this may be impossible as the plastic gets brittle over time, but I have both done it and seen it done (I've broken some, too). Once the board is free, gently work it out of the case. You may have to be a bit of a contortionist to do it successfully, and depending on the size of the case, you may first have to remove the drive bay cage and/or power supply (I didn't say this was going to be easy).

Once the board is out, you should see some hexagonal brass posts on which it was resting. What you do next depends on the board you're installing.

If you're putting an AT-style board back into an AT-style case, you may get lucky - the holes for the plastic spacers and for the hold-down screws may be in the same place as your old board. Lucky you.

If not, start eyeballing the case chassis looking for alternative attachment points that do fit your new board. If you can't find any, it's time to shop for a new case, because we are not (trust me) about to start drilling any new holes in either the case or the new motherboard. The chances are good that another AT-style board will fit an AT-style case, but I've been surprised before.

If you can get all the holes to line up, move the posts (or not as appropriate), then start trying to fit the plastic spacers into their receptacles in the board. Oops, one other note. If, when you removed the brass posts, you noticed that there was a small, cloth washer between the post and the chassis, don't reinstall it in another hole unless the washer goes with it.

If getting your old board out was a chore, it's only slightly better getting the new board in. The plastic spacers tend to wiggle and wobble - and it's really best if you can see the underside of the chassis while you work. The holes for the spacers are generally key-shaped with a large opening and a narrower slot. You need to get them all in the openings, then slide the board into place. Have fun. Don't be surprised if you have to take several runs at this before the board is settled down.

Re-attach the hold-down screws, and note that they had washers, too. You'll need them.

If this is an ATX board and suitable case, there may be no plastic spacers. Instead, you may get some springy metal platforms with threaded holes and a choice of locations where you can attach them. Again, try to match their location with the holes in the motherboard. Several sources contend that you don't have to put washers between the bottom of your board and the metal platforms, but it can't hurt. You'll definitely want to place washers between the screws and the board.

Smoke Tests

If you have an ATX board and case, attaching power to the motherboard isn't a big chore; the power plug is all one piece and it's keyed in such a way that you cannot get it backward.

On an AT board and power supply, however, you can get it wrong, then you'll also fry the board and get what we call a positive smoke test (a whisp of blue smoke rises from your previously valuable motherboard). There is one AT power supply socket, but there are two separate plugs coming from the power supply.

They're keyed so you can't swap 'em front for back, but you can reverse them side to side. We've seen them labelled P8 and P9, both labelled P8, both labelled P9, neither labelled at all, and I have one pair labelled P4 and P5.

If you look at your motherboard so that the socket runs right to left, I can't tell you which goes where, either, because it depends on whether my culture reads from right to left or left to right - and this is rarely ever in the manual.

They key is in the colour of the wires. When you attach the power supply to an AT-style motherboard, always keep the black wires together (repeat after me...).

Post-install

Once the board is in place and the power is attached, you'll want to find out if it's working before you do anything else. Follow the instructions in the motherboard manual to install your processor and memory. If your graphics controller is on a separate circuit board, install it, too. Attach a monitor to it. Power up the monitor, then the computer.

If something is going to go wrong, it will do so at this point. Depending on your BIOS, you may hear a series of beeps or see one or more on-screen messages. If you don't have an Award BIOS with its on-screen messages, then hope and pray your motherboard manual has the BIOS beep-codes explained, so you can track down any errors.

If nothing obvious goes wrong, power the system down, then reattach any appropriate cables for AT-style systems to external ports. Reattach your drive cables. Don't install any other peripherals yet.

Power the system back up.

Your new motherboard will likely throw you directly to the system BIOS/CMOS setup. Consult the manual as you go. Are there any software drivers you need to install? Make the changes necessary to recognize the memory in the system, and get the hard, floppy, and other drive(s) running. Once all this information is saved in the CMOS memory, power down again, then restart. Take it all the way into Windows. Let it recognize and configure what it can.

Once everything currently attached to the system is up and running, start the lengthy process of re-installing your other expansion components. Restart between each one. Yes, you could try installing them all at once, hoping that your Plug and Play BIOS and Windows will see all of them and install them properly. But I've seen what can happen when you try this approach and either the BIOS or Windows or both get confused over trying to handle all that at one go. It isn't pretty.

Problems?

There are so many combinations of motherboards, processors, cases, expansion cards and whatnot that I'll be of only limited use to you if you run into serious or even minor problems installing a new motherboard. Add Windows to this complexity and we're all lost. Your motherboard manufacturer should have a Web site (of limited use to you if you have only one system and can't get on the Internet if it isn't working). You can read up on motherboards and see what other people have to say about installing and tinkering with them - before you begin - at System Optimization (www.sysopt.com), Tom's Hardware (www.tomshardware.com) and the Motherboard HomeWorld site noted above.

You can try sending me a question at troubleshooter@computerwriter.com - but the best advice I can give for this particular process is either to enlist the help of a more knowledgeable friend, or to throw yourself on the mercy of the vendor who sold you the components in the first place.

Questions?

Send them to troubleshooter@computerwriter.com or by fax to 416-425-4644. Many components for this series were supplied by Grey-Tech Computers, Inc., Markham, Ontario www.greytech.com

Conclusion