>If it is a K6 and the motherboard has a Super Seven socket (and BIOS and chipset that supports the K6-2), the easiest upgrade would be to slap in a K6-2. Keep in mind that you will need PC100 RAM if you go with the K6-2 300 or up.
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>200 MHz...can't be a K6-2 as far as I know.
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The description is vague enough that it could be; it doesn't state that it's Super7, and if it isn't, well, let's just leave it as a huge mistake.
>Also, regarding where/what to buy: I have a home-based business (part-time) and I can put together better systems for a better price and with better service (at least to home users; to business' I warn them that I am not available 9-5) than any of the big companies. And I generally have better warranties (2 or 3 years minimum on everything, some stuff longer). If you decide to go with a non-brand name, just make sure you are getting a good mainboard and good components. I prefer Asus mainboards.
I don't have a home-based, part-time business. I build my own systems because I consider myself to be a hobbyist, and I'm probably more knowledgable about the aspects of current hardware than you migth suspect. My preference runs to the SuperMicro boards; I use their P6DGS and P6DGU both at home and at the office for small workgroup servers. My clients deal with hundreds, or in at least one case, thousands of systems, and a small business selling the motherboard du jour isn't going to be able to repeatedly crank out the systems they need in the course of a year, much less provide the support. From a TCO standpoint, I've found that name-brand, business-targeted systems make more sense for a small business, because of the range of support options and vendors offered.
The advantages of volume make, in the long run, the small vendor a really bad idea for a business that doesn't have unusual hardware requirements. That's an opinion formed from being on several sides of the issue, including having done custom hardware integration and design, IT management for a small-sized, highly automated business, and consulting for some fairly large organizations.
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>Also, adding to the advice about the Intel Celeron: 333 is a good choice. If you go with 300, make sure it is a 300A. The 300 doesn't have any cache; the 300A and above does...and it is a big difference.
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That's why I recommended the Celeron 300A and 333 as the baseline for entry-level systems. It's easy to find stable, inexpensive toasters with an 18 month to two year life span; IMO, the Super7 marketplace is a waste of time, especially with the introduction of Socket370 and some higher-end Celeron processors, even though they're limited to a 66MHz FSB. Buying below the curve; systems like the lower-end Compaqs, Aptivas and even HPO Pavillions is counterproductive. As mentioned, I can get an HP model that I like with plenty of processing power for under $800. Why jerk around trying to mix and match components when I can get a toaster off the sheld that does what I want, on a reproducible basis. It's the same logic as the T-34 tank in WWII.
>>>>>>I have a client who has gone against recommendations and purchased a real fancy Mizellan computer (AMD 200 megahertz)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The customer is experiencing a bug that seems to be impossible to reproduce on a pentium machine. The receive an error 10 syntax error and then the machine locks up. No other client has reported a similar error running the same software.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Any experience or referrals that can help me convince the customer to by a good computer (Gateway, Dell, etc...) would be appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>>Are you blaming this on the AMD itself or the PC? Have you tried to run the same process your self with the users files?
>>>>>
>>>>>I have a wierd one onetime where a client added a field to a file that had the same name as a memory varible I had in the program. Caused a problem only iwth this persons data.
>>>>>
>>>>>BTW: Compaq and Dell make PC's with AMD chips.
>>>>>
>>>>>BOb
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>I didn't know about Compaq and Dell using AMD processors.... hmmm
>>>>
>>>>Thanks
>>>
>>>
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>>>I have downloaded their data and run it here in the office on a pentium workstation running from a NT server. (They are also running NT server)
>>>The problem can not be reprodeced here.
>>>
>>>It seems to me to be a definate 'environment' problem. One thing that jumped out at me about their environment was the use of AMD processors on the workstations...
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>>First, there are several AMD processors on the market; presumably this is a K5, K6 or K6-2, probably a K6. This machine is below what I'd consider entry-level at this point; HP, COmpaq IBM and others have systems based on the AMD K6-2 266, Cyrix MII 300 and Celeron 300A, with everything but monitor for well under $1000 at retail.
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>>The K6 processor itself is not a problem, except for some easrly releases of the K6, it's pretty close to a Pentium MMX in terms of compatibility. It is necessary to use a BIOS that can handle the K6's slightly different identification and setup code, and the motherboard needs to supply the proper voltages 9which are not the same for all chips.) You'll need to check their motherboard to ensure that it's set up properly.
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>>Any number of things besides the processor may be an issue; motherboard base drivers, video, network and print drivers are all possible suspects.
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>>I'd strongly advise that they reconsider if it's a K5 or K6 (the K6-2 isn't a bad chip) and look into a system based around Intel's Celeron processor. An HP Pavilion models 6355 has a Celeron 333, 64MB of RAM video, USB, 56K modem, sound, speaker, a ~6GB hard drive and 32x CD ROM drive for under $800 locally at Staples without a monitor. HP has a great rep for service, and I've installed a couple of dozen of these both at my office and at client sites; they're a piece of cake to set up (in our case, we add a 3COM 3C905B/TX 10/100Mbit NIC for ~$50 and a monitor; the machine boots and configures out of the box, recognizes the card, and with minimal selection, comes up live in our LAN environment (mixed NT/Novell environment.)
