What does a hobbyist do with an aging Intel Pentium 133? I decided to upgrade my computer last year without throwing out my AT case or any of my existing components.

The challenge was to find a respectable board and CPU that would be compatible with my other parts and that the upgrade would be under $200. I would use this system for office applications and checking my email.

The search was not easy. As for the CPU, I had searched the web and found the AMD K6-2 500 Mhz as a great value because back in October 99, the CPU was selling for a little under $100 (you can probably get it for $70 now). To keep it under $200, I needed to find a motherboard that supported my AT case and used 72pin memory.

One of the choices was the ASUS P5 board ($110), but it not allow me to use my 64 MB SIMM memory. So I had to scratch out my preference.

Fortunately, I found the Acorp 5ALI61 ($75), a motherboard which was the solution to my challenge. It used an AT form factor and was compatible with my 64MB of 72 pin SIMMs. The 2 DIMM slots also support an additional 256MB of PC-100 memory.

I was also able to use my old PCI video card and ISA modem, because it had 3 PCI and 3 ISA slots. I did not need to look around for another video card, because I was able to use my existing Voodoo 1000.

I was surprised to see that the board had an anti-static sheet that did not prick my fingers. It fit snugly into my AT case. The retail box also included a bundle of Norton Anti-Virus and other goodies on a CD.

The problem that I encountered was that the instruction manual was unclear for the jumper settings, but that was squared away after placing a tech support call.

Ever since the installation, i have upgraded from Windows 95 to Windows 98 SE. The system runs smooth without locking up. I will probably donate this machine to a school.

Note: Sometimes an upgrade does not make sense, because you end up spending more that what you originally intended, either from a sweet-talking salesman or the allure for more power.






Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 75