At 03:13 PM 4/30/99 , David Hurst wrote:
>I have an old Gateway 2000 60 Mhz Pentium in a large tower case,
>running Win95.
>There is a very limited upgrade path for that system I am told...
>only to 120Mhz via an expensive overdrive chip..so I am
>considering just replacing the entire motherboard and CPU, going
>to probably a 300 Mhz CPU.  My question is will i need an AT or
>ATX type MB to fit that kind of case ?  Anything else I should be
>concerned about, since I want to use all the other existing
>componets (video card, 16 bit sound card, CDROM, NIC, floppy and
>hard drives) ?

Not replacing the case along with the motherboard maybe difficult.

To determine if the existing case is AT or ATX, open the case and
read the information printed on the power supply.  Nearly always
it will be printed there.  If it is not obvious looking at the power supply,
then look to the power connectors attaching to the motherboard.   AT
style power connectors are two separate connectors attaching together,
with two black wires adjacent in the middle, while ATX is a single connector.

Your bigger question will be finding a motherboard that will fit into the
existing case.  The openings on the back of the case for keyboard, mouse
and so forth can be an issue, especially for AT cases.   Many P60 systems
were AT powered with PS/2 connectors.  You probably will not find such
a replacement board.

Another issue will be utilizing the ram memory chips on your current board.
Most of the current crop of motherboards do not allow the use of 72 pin
simms, (I am assuming your system has 72pin chips).  This will limit the
number of motherboards available for your upgrade.

Your first consideration should be a board that will accommodate all your
existing hardware, as well as your new 300mhz processor.   The case
can be replaced for under $40 as part of your upgrade.  Matching a
new case to your new motherboard will make your upgrade a lot easier.
If you want a mid-tower or full-tower case it may cost you a bit more.

                Bob Wright
       The NOSPIN Group, Inc
http://nospin.com - http://nospin.org

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