Slockets, Celerons, and BIOS speed limits

[CyberSpaceCowboy]

I've been looking for a way to put a faster CPU in my FIC KA-6100 (Slot 1 AT, VIA Apollo Pro, Award Modular BIOS 4.51PG v1.1dI, 128Mb generic PC100 RAM).

I currently running a SEPP Celeron 400 at 450Mhz. I'd like to OC a 66Mhz core 500-600 Socket 370 Celeron in a slocket adapter or run a 700-766 Celeron straight up.

Postings on another discussion group indicated that no CPU could be installed that exceeded the speeds recognized by the board's current BIOS revision. FIC's specs say my board is limited to 450Mhz (the BIOS hasn't been upgraded in 2 years, I doubt if FIC will get around to it). I inquired to ASUS about their slocket card, and they confirmed I could not exceed the mobo's BIOS limits (which didn't make sense to me since the FSB speed would be the same reguardless of multiplier).

I'd given up on upgrading this system until I read an article concerning an Evergreen upgrade processor. The article said that multiplier locking would force Intel chips to run at the CPU multipier times the FSB, even though the BIOS startup routine might not report the actual speed. If this is true, why would I need the expensive Evergreen kit vs. a Celeron and a slocket adapter? I'm guessing because the system wouldn't boot?

So I came to the experts. Can I ignore the arbitrary speed limitations of my BIOS or am I out of luck?

Does anyone know of a slocket card that can be set in between the Intel defined 66/100/133 FSB settings? I'm a timid overclocker and would rather slightly overclock a 700 than run a Celeron at 100Mhz core speed.

Does the mobo FSB setting affect the speed of a CPU in a slocket adapter? I would think it would be mobo FSB (overclocked or underclocked relative to closest standard setting) x slocket FSB x CPU multiplier.

I realize that a new mobo would give me more options, but I not ready to replace my AT case and buy new RAM. I'm just looking to get a little more speed out of my current box on the cheap.

Thanks

 

[Tim-]

The Evergreen boards are active devices and have clock generators on board, I believe. A slotket doesn't have any active circuitry with the exception of voltage regulation. The slotket FSB settings do not alter the motherboard's available speeds, it only tells the MB what the default FSB should be. Available FSB choices are a function of the PLL clock generator on the MB and are dictated by the bios. Whether a different cpu will run with an old bios is a crapshoot- some will, some won't. Only giving it a try will tell for sure.