ALL FOR DIGI

[Aron]

I am a PC Pentium 3 550 Mhz cpu owner who bought his computer before he knew digi existed. I have now been introduced and am very impressed with the pro tools l.e. software and wish to get it. However, I am an owner of a cpu with a VIA chip motherboard (which is not compatible with the digi toolbox xp). I was considering rearranging the whole inside of my computer, ALL FOR the DIGI (I don't have space for another computer). I was considering replacind the motherboard in my cpu with a digi compatible motherboard. Is this possible? If so, can you reccommend a good motherboard to get? Thank you very much for your time and help.

p.s. Are there any other issues I should worry about? My computer is a Compaq presario.

[This message has been edited by Aron (edited June 08, 2000).]

[crs117]

Hey aron,
i almost can feel your pain. I have been following the digi 001 since its conception, and have had to wait forever for the PC version. Well, before i saw the PC requirements, i almost upgraded to a Via chipset so i could run my PC at 133 mhz Front side bus. I still have not upgraded, and am waiting to hear if anybody can configure thier via chipset with the 001. Maybe you wont have to change anything (i am hopeing too).
Anyway to answer your question, to make your computer compatable with the 001 req. you will need to buy a new MotherBoard. The best Board out right now (with an intel chipset) is the BX based boards. i would recommend getting abit, or asus brands they make the best. once you buy your board you are gonna need to take your board out of you compaq case (or you can buy a new case thats more user friendly), put the new board in, and transfer each of your components in the via board to its correct place in the BX board. by the way going from a 133 Mhz front side bus to a 100mhz bus is gonna make your processor run slower, meaning it will probly run around 500 mhz (sorry i know that stinks). But i would recommend finding a friend that could step you through the process, cause you may feel like you have gotten in over your head when you get inside of your computer.
Best of luck, and i hope everything works out. (by the way you will probly have to spend around 100 dollars to get a different board).

Christian

[This message has been edited by crs117 (edited June 08, 2000).]

[carbon]

Unfortunatetly, Compaq's are probably the worst CPU, out of the box, that you could get. HP's are second....
Hopefully you have one that you can upgrade..
Sugestion: Get the new motherboard and rip out any sound card that's in it.
Plus reformat the HD cuz they load on all types of **** that slow down your system...
Then you should be fine....

Good luck

[MIL]

Aron
Try www.compuplus.com they have a Abit BE6ll that will run a Plll 700 check out the specs at www.abit.com
GP

[B.Ray]

Good advice from all who responded, except that your PIII 550 will not slow down by putting it a BX mobo. According to Intel, the 550 has a 100MHz FSB not a 133MHz FSB. So, putting it in a BX mobo at 100MHz will allow it to run at the same speed.

The production PIII's that have a 133MHz FSB are, 533EB, 600EB, 667, 733, 800EB, 866 and 933.

The production PIII's with a 100MHz FSB are 500E, 600E, 650, 700, 750, 800 and 850. This data is from the Intel web site.

[Aron]

I would like to extent WARM THANKYOU! to everyone who replied, all ye bringers of great news! I CAN configure my computer to use pro tools l.e. Are there any other aspects of the interior of my computer that I need to take care of? So, you recommend that I take out the sound card that is already on my computer? SO will I be able to configure the few mp3's that I have to play on the andromedia III card? Thankz a lot
digi user conference for making my day!

p.s. this topic is open to digi reps too I've never actually had a digi rep reply to any of my posts.

[ripples]

for all you, I'm waiting the motherboard
Asus cusL2 (intel 815E chipset)for upgrade my pc with the digi 001.
It support 133MHZ FSB (I 'll buy a PIII 600EB FG-PGA), SDRam PC133(I'll buy 256 MB PC133), agp pro 4x and H.D. ATA 100/66(I'll buy one H.D. ata66 10GB 7200 rpm 2mb cache 8,5ms seek time for O.S. and one H.D. ata100 20 Gb for audio)
I think it's the best solution for the use with digi 001.
I'm writing from Italy and the board should came out in a few week.
Ciao and sorry for my english.

[Aron]

Can anyone reply with answers to my last questions on my reply 2 users up?

[crs117]

B.Ray,
You are right about the PIII chips and the letters that follow them, but i am assuming that if he just got a newer computer with a VIA chipset. I am figuring that he got one of the VIA apollo pro chipsets which do run at 133 FSB speed. If that is the case then changing motherboards to a BX and running at the default 100mhz BX FSB speed, the chip will run slower reguardless of the letters after the chip. You can figure out your chip clock speed, by multiplying the FSB speed times the Multiplier of chip. A 600mhz PIII E (100mhz FSB) is set to a multiplier of 6.0, so 6.0X100=600. Therefore if you up the FSB to 133(overclock) you would get 6.0X133=@800 mhz. If he has a via motherboard with a 100mhz FSB then no the chip will not run slower. If it is at 133 FSB (most likely) then the chip at 100FSB on the BX will be slower, unless he overclocks the BX (which does run stable if you have a graphics card that can withstand an 89 mhz bus speed) to 133 mhz.

Oh...i am not sure if intel made a 550 EB chip (for 133mhz fsb,cause if would have a wierd multiplier setting [4.1 or something]) so in that case, probably the motherboard is only clocked at 100mhz.

Christian



[This message has been edited by crs117 (edited June 11, 2000).]

[JimWest]

>>Are there any other aspects of the interior of my computer that I need to take care of?

Yes, go read this: http://www.digidesign.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000480.html

Jim West
Digidesign