CPU Scaling Analysis, Part 2: Intel Pentium III Scaling and Upgrading

Upgrade Mania

As already mentioned in the introduction, it is often possible to upgrade existing Pentium II and Pentium III systems with a faster processor. Slot-1 versions are hardly available anymore, leaving you a choice of just two Socket 370 processors, the Pentium III and the Celeron. Don't worry if you should own a Slot-1 system. Adapter boards enable you to run Socket370 processors in Slot1 motherboards.

That is a Socket 370 to Slot-1 converter board.

The same, with the CPU installed this time.

Two types of converter boards are available.

Type one just converts the format (Slot-1 to Socket 370) and is only useful for the last generation of Slot1-motherboards. This type of converter sometimes comes with jumpers to adjust multiplier, FSB and core voltage. The settings are only passed to the motherboard and have no effect if the motherboard does not support them. The multiplier of Pentium III or Celeron processors is usually locked, making those jumpers pretty useless.

Type two comes with its own voltage regulator, supporting a much wider range of Slot1-motherboards, including the ones that don't support Pentium III's lower voltage requirements. Still the new CPU requires a BIOS which supports it.