I have an HP Pavilion 524g (don't laugh, I don't want to buy another computer until conroe and am2 are mature) and I want to find out what the specifications on my motherboard are.
Is there some sort of tool I can download that will tell me all I need to know, or will I have to pop open the case to find out everything?
I'm looking for a good PCI graphics card (http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=175646&highlight=)
but somebody said something about need a pci slot with a 64 bit connection and not a 32. I have no clue what that means, but I don't really want to buy something I cannot use.
Oh and if someone could also tell me how I would be able to find out the max upgrade to my cpu I could get, I would give them a high five.
Specs on my pc are something like:
2.2ghz, 768mb of ram (1gb max), 40 gb hard drive(I physically installed another 80gb hard drive, but I don't really know how to get it running), onboard sound, 64mb intel integrated graphics, dvd-drive, and a self-installed emprex dvd burner thing.
I think the power supply may be a bit weak, so it wouldn't hurt if I could find out how many watts it is too.
Sorry to ask so much, I'm just a newb with an agenda.
More info:
I downloaded chiputil from Intel and it didn't work because it isn't version 2.91 which they do not have on their website. O_o
And then I downloaded something else from them that said:
Frequency: 2.2ghz
System Bus: 400 MHz (ouch)
L2 Cache Memory: 512kb
CPU Type: 0
CPU Family: F
CPU Model: 2
CPU Stepping: 4
CPU Revision: 1E
Yeah, I still don't know what I can upgrade to since I don't have all of my motherboard info, but maybe this info will help some?
I feel like such an idiot. I used cpu-z on my sister's computer.
Thanks for the reminder though, helped a ton
I also downloaded PC Wizard 2006 from the same website that cpu-z is on. Its saying I have an AGP bus, but I'm 99% positive I don't. Everything else is right. Maybe "bus" is some other technical term I don't know?
Bus Information :
Number of AGP connectors : 1
Bus Information :
Device : LT WinModem 56k Data+Fax
Device : RT8139 (A/B/C/810x/813x/C+) Fast Ethernet Adapter
I know that AGP came before PCIe, but I'm slightly confused.....
My computer is made by HP and they usually don't have agp slots.
And last time I looked at its guts, there was no brown slot (I hope I'm not mistaken in thinking that this is the color of an agp slot), but I didn't actually try to slide in my ti4200 anywhere.
I think that PC Wizard was incorrect, because Sandra discovered no agp slots.
But hey, maybe I'm wrong (that'd make my day). But now I need to find out the wattage of my psu. I bet its incredibly low e_e.
Side note:
played DoD with itunes and pc wizard running and got up to 51 degrees celsius.
Can anyone direct me to a fan controller program?
Open up your case and look for a slot that's slightly back with a (usually) white clip at the end. The AGP slot will be a little further back than the PCIs. Some mobo's don't use a clip to lock the card down... some mobo's also use green instead of brown to identify the AGP slot.
The slot is around 2.8" in lenght too, if that helps...
I've got an older 866Mhz AMD HP that does have an AGP...
@ doublehelix: Well, I've found my answer via grimmy.
@ apache_lives: o_O how in the world would that work? (I'm an idiot btw)
@ grimmy: Hmm, HP's website. Never thought of that *sigh*. But your post made me go over to their website where I found a nifty little picture of my motherboard, so now I don't have to open the sucker up until much later in my adventure.
I'm still presented with a few problems though:
1) I want to know my power supply wattage.
2) I read a review on newegg about how someone purchased a pci video card, but said it didn't work because he had 32 bit pci and not 64. I'm 90% sure mine are 32 bit after using PC Wizard 2006, so will there be non-compatability issues?
3) My BIOS are from some time in 2002, and I'm pretty afraid that if I update them, it'll screw things up. But I did find the download for it on HP's website. Its an update from a year later.
4) I can't find any info about processor upgradability for my computer. Mines a genuine Intel 2.2ghz/400mhz fsb socket 478. I can't find any s478 with a 400mhz fsb. And even if I did, I wouldn't know if they were compatible with my motherboard :|
PS: Everyone that has helped so far is uber-awesome. And some of you may wonder why I want to upgrade this hunk of junk, and the answer is I want it to last a couple years longer (with vista), I want to learn a bit more about how my computer actually works, and I want to get used to tinkering with the insides of a computer.
You will have to open the case to figure that out. To put another PS in it, other then HP, might be a problem.
Quote :
4) I can't find any info about processor upgradability for my computer. Mines a genuine Intel 2.2ghz/400mhz fsb socket 478. I can't find any s478 with a 400mhz fsb. And even if I did, I wouldn't know if they were compatible with my motherboard Neutral
Problem is, you brought a system that wasn't designed to be flexable in any upgrading path. It was specifically designed for that processor, or just a proprietary setup. Only upgrades that you could do, is Ram Capacity/HD Capacity/PCI Addons - video/IDE SATA/Modem/ECT.
I'm pretty sure (though I could be wrong) your bios on that won't even allow you to over clock, or do anything much. Hell, I even remember Compaq had proprietary parts. I couldn't even use another floppy drive from one Compaq PC to another, unless it was the same model, for example.
Only thing it can teach you, is to just read up on it from the web. But no upgrades to physically learn how to tinker with it.
-Ah well, I guess I could still get a new 512 stick of ram to bring it to 1gb.
-And a new video card as planned (still confused about that 32bit/64bit issue).
-And at least another case fan (50-51C under load e_e)
-I'm not too angry about that overclocking thing. But I would like to know of a simple overclocking program (for future reference).
-And I'll have to finish installing this extra hard drive.
-And why wouldn't I be able to get a new power supply? Thats.... retarded. Couldn't I get one that is the same size with the same number of pins with more power?
-And why wouldn't I be able to get a new power supply? Thats.... retarded. Couldn't I get one that is the same size with the same number of pins with more power?
Now I'm not totally sure, but if it's truely a proprietary system, then it is a specific molex power connector to the mainboard, which wouldn't be a standard one.
But who knows, you might be able to drop another power supply in it. Just have to open it up, and maybe compare it to another PS if you have one laying around.
The only other reason for the proprietary parts, is that HP wants to be your service in repair, and sells it to you when the warranty goes out. So the word marketing comes to mind... heh
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