> From: Jim Cooley ([log in to unmask])
>
> Is it worth it to do a hardware upgrade to my computer? I have an IBM Aptiva;
> Board IBM V66m-1, bus clock 100 mH
> BIOS ACER V3 2 66 MEN 4 Q 07/07/99
> Processor 400 mH Pentium II
>
> Should I replace the processor or the whole motherboard and about how
> much would it cost?



  I did a lot with Pentium II-400 MHz systems around 1998, when they
were the latest thing; that accords well with your 1999 BIOS date.

The motherboards I was using were all ATX form-factor, but as Dean
pointed out already, IBM may have customized the board and case such
that no other would fit.,,,

  I did keep one system alive by replacing the Pentium II-400 with a
Pentium III-350, but not all BIOSes supported that as an option -- I
think the core voltage was different due to advances in CPU technology.

  The boards I was using typically had three or four DIMM slots for up
to 1GB of RAM in 256MB sticks.  These days you probably want at least
1GB of RAM, and 2GB if possible, so that would be a limiting factor. 
The video card technology of the day was AGP -- the last time I needed a
video card for an AGP system, I got the last one our local Fry's
Electronics store had.  So to upgrade the video, you'll want a PCI-E
video card and that will likely require a new motherboard, too.

  Systems of the time didn't have USB ports on the motherboard (so the
case is unlikely to provide cut-outs for them) -- cards to add USB ports
are still pretty easy to find.

There was no built-in support for SATA drives, either.  As with USB
ports, you could cover this by add-on cards -- but some of those don't
provide the SATA-style power connectors, and so even if you opt for a
card and not a whole new motherboard, you may also need to update the
power supply.  Again, IBM may have used a standard form-factor, or made
their own proprietary version.

  So, the way I see it, to use modern peripherals (SATA, USB)and provide
decent RAM and video, you're looking at a new motherboard and power
supply -- as well as new RAM, CPU and video card.  Essentially you'd be
re-using the case, and maybe the mouse and keyboard.  And that's
assuming that a new motherboard and power supply will fit the old case
-- if IBM went proprietary on either one, you're stuck.
  The computer might still be useful.  I keep one machine around for its
5.25" floppy and 100MB Zip drives, just in case I need to retrieve
something stored in those formats, and another to connect to our
workhorse laser printer -- recent machines haven't included parallel
ports either.
  But the odds are against you being able to keep much, if any of it and
have a machine that will compare to current models with multi-core CPUs
at GHz speeds, GB RAM and TB storage.  It might make a useful gift to a
child or a school; one of our colleges has a program where student
technicians refurbish PCs of about this vintage and provide them to
students on Financial Aid who'd benefit from taking online courses or
researching via the Internet.

David Gillett

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