CPU Upgrade
In August 1995 brought on another perusal of the 486XL Personal
Computer Users Guide, that little booklet of instructions for use and upgrading the
PB430. This was due to the installation of Windows 95, and I was in search of more
RAM. Mentions of CPU upgrades stuck in my mind, and while I was talking
with the Webmaster at Spectrum Upgrades, he mentioned the Kingston Turbo Chip
as a viable alternate to the costly Intel Overdrive. My compatibility concerns were
addressed by a 100% guarantee, if it did not work, I could return it for a refund. Toss one
in the bag, I said.
This CPU sits about 6 times as high as the original 486sx25. It has a
built in heat sink and cooling fan. The fan is powered from the CPU socket, no need to use
or split a disk drive power connector for voltage.
This upgrade was the perhaps most nail-bite inducing operation I have performed.
Maybe something forbidding, fooling with the mighty machine's brains.
The ZIF socket has a lever (sealed with tape-more forbidding signs), pull the lever,
lift the old CPU straight up and for a moment, my computer had no power, no
instructions, no nothing. Placing the Turbo Chip was a different matter.
The CPU socket sits close to the expansion slots, and the bottom two slots need
to be empty or filled with half-length cards. I pulled out the modem and sound cards,
to get a better view of my working space. I carefully placed the TChip on the socket.
It did not slide right in. Ugh. Check the cut corner, yes it's right. Wiggle the thing.
CHUNK! Two thirds of the chip fall into holes. A slight lift up on the fallen corner and
the rest of the pins fall into the socket holes.
The modem and sound cards had to be replaced into the upper slots, and slot
covers moved down. Button up the case (getting cocksure these days), and
shout "Smoke Test!", power up and I hear a new sound, the CPU fan spinning up.
Time the boot, yup, definitely faster. Not quite as fast as the 486DX66 at work,
but faster than the 25.
CPU II
?? Well, not an upgrade, but a flaw. At two months, the fan on the Turbo Chip
went south. Horrible noise. Called Kingston, got a replacement the next day. TChip II
was the same as the first, and has given 2 years of service
Brave? No.
Watch this space. I may experiment with clocking speeds via jumpers on the 430 board.
The Turbo Chip needs no jumper changes whatsoever, and runs at it's advertised
75Mhz by simple replacement. If you have done anything like this, click
on the email link below and tell me your experience.
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