QUESTION

Here's my system:

• Intel Pentium II 266 MHz Tower
• 32 MB RAM
• 2.6 GB hard drive
• CD-ROM drive
• SoundBlaster 32 soundcard
• Cable modem
• 15 inch monitor
• Matrox Mystique 220 video card with 8 MB
• Windows 95

I am just upgrading my system from a QDI Explorer II VX motherboard with a Cyrix P200+ CPU with 48 MB of EDO RAM to the new Epox BX chipset motherboard.

I want to buy either a 266 or 300 MHz Intel CPU for the system, but the price of the 300 is about $200 more here in Canada than the 266 CPU. This is quite a large amount of money between the two and I am wondering if the extra amount for the 300 MHz is worth the price. Most of my work is AutoCAD and graphic files, such as CorelDraw and Adobe.

I am also thinking that I should buy 100 MHz RAM as well in case I want to increase my speed and buy a Deschutes processor since I have the proper RAM already. Is this the way to go?

By the way . . . a comment about the Cyrix P200+ CPU and VX chipset:

When I bought the chip and QDI Explorer IID motherboard I thought I could run the CPU at 75 MHz bus speed, but what the computer store didn't tell me is that the VX only runs the CPU at 50 MHz. At the time, I could've bought a motherboard with a TX and ran the CPU at 75 MHz. What a gip. The Cyrix was a cheap workhorse but did not even come close to the performance of an Intel P200 CPU. I was, and still am, steamed about this.

Thank you from CANADA.

P.S. This site is now a favorite of mine. Keep up the good work!

--Tobias Mueller

ANSWER

I’d say that you can save your $200, because 266 MHz vs. 300 MHz isn’t going to make much of a difference. The 100 MHz RAM will not run at 100 MHz unless you have a Pentium II 350 or 400. I would recommend going with 100 MHz RAM as you are planning to. That way, as you say, you can go to a Pentium II 350 or 400 and not have to buy all new memory.

As far as the old VX chipset goes, it is specified to run at 66 MHz by Intel, but could be pushed higher by motherboard makers. I think the problem had to do with that particular motherboard, not the VX chipset. Not that it would have helped your situation.

Glad you like the site.