Before doing any upgrade on such an old system I would recommend doing a BIOS update first. You can get the latest at the HP website.

The system can be upgraded to 512 MB of ram, PC100 SDRAM to be exact.
Couldn't find out much more about the processor other than it is a Pentium III 1GHz processor. So As long as you upgrade to a CPU with the same FSB and socket size it should work with the latest bios update for the system.

You need a new motherboard. Im guessing your computer is pretty old so the motherboard probably is too. You need a more recent or up-to-date motherboard because they changed alot of things on newer models and most PC repair stores only give support on those. Not the older ones. So it wont be cheap to make it run faster or anything. Take it back to the PC store or whereever you can take it to and ask them to upgrade your hardware to as good as possible without spending alot of money.

sunsetzthugg wrote:

LOL can you guys dumb it down a bit, not trying to be rude but i am stupid when it comes to PC's i don't know anything about them

Ok, as dumb as I can be, don't bother with it it, it is old as dirt and not worth the time and effort.  For a more specific account, see below the next paragraph.


However, I use systems like that as media servers, so you got yourself one there bub.  I got a PIII 866Mhz eServer I am working on as a whole house media server at the moment.  I am looking for two matching PIII CPUs to 1Ggz, or another 866Mhz like mine...  It's not a total write off for ya, a good web surfer or Media Server with no transcoding...

The DUMB dope on your system:
133 FSB = How fast the bus speed is, so a 1Ghz cpu (like yours) is 133 * 7.5 multiplier (997.5Mhz rounded to 1Ghz). So, in order to put a higher CPU in, the multiplier must go higher, and generally they do, to about 10 for a 1.3Ghz (yeah, wow!).  A BIOS upgrade may support higher Ghz processors, of they put support in.  You can always use a better PIII cpu with more L1 and L2 cache memory (basically a sticky-note pad for the CPU).   They don't even say what the MAX speed you can use, just RAM.

100 Mhz RAM is how fast the RAM is, yours stock has 128MB, with a MAX of 512MB of PC100 ram, that's 256 * 2 = 512 MAX.  You only have two slots.  More memory allows Windows to run faster by putting more of the O/S into RAM rather than the swap file (virtial memory) = uses the hard disk as RAM (simplicit terms), which is slower.

Your on-board graphics SHARES 11MB of your system ram, which was ALWAYS a bad idea in my book. That's why I use AGP cards instead...  So, if you have 128MB of ram, say Bye-Bye to 11MB of it for your on-board video.   IF you have an AGP slot, you can always ad add a card.

Your 60GB drive is old, slower access and read times, a newer HDD would fix that.

Original BIOS date should be March 2001, so any LATER bios update would be fine.  Usually, a BIOS update is to fix hardware and/or PnP issues, and add processor support.  Generally, if everything works fine with Windows Messed Edition, don't update the BIOS unless the README says it updates processor support, and you ARE updating the CPU.

You have a CDRW and DVD drive in there?  They have no bearing on speed, unless you want to burn DVDs, then you need a DVD writer...

Now, the real dumb of it?  After buyng a CPU, RAM, VIDEO CARD, and HDD?  You can buy a PIV 1.8Hgz or better for the same price, or cheaper at www.pacificgeek.com