QUESTION

Here's my system:

Intel Pentium II 233 MHz Tower
45 GB hard drive (9 +36 array)
CD-ROM drive
20 inch monitor
ISDN modem
32-bit PCI soundcard
Matrox Millenium video card
Video Editing system with DVision and Targa 2000 SDX card
Windows NT

Are 333 MHz Pentium (Deschutes) processors a direct plug-in replacement for the 233s in my system?

I have seen some different voltage specs for the 333 as well as statements that it allows "glueless" dual CPU operation, which makes me concerned that simply plugging it in might conflict with circuitry already on my dual processor motherboard which contains the "glue logic" for handling the 300 and below Klamath processors.

--Nick Johnson

ANSWER

The best thing to do is check with the motherboard manufacturer and see if the board is even spec’d to handle 333 MHz. The 333 MHz Pentium II is a lower voltage chip, but shoving higher voltages through a chip shouldn’t kill it, just make it hot. I’d be more concerned about whether your board can do a 5x multiplier on the 66.6 MHz bus so you can really achieve 333 MHz.