Overdrive chips

By Andy Walker

Question: I read with interest your article about upgrading 486 PCs. I own a Compaq Presario 944 which is less than two years old. I use it only for pleasure, a few games, email, and internet browsing. I still consider my PC to be fairly new and hate the thought of having to chuck it or donate it. Using my software is indeed very slow going. I've read the Processor Overdrive page on the Intel website and think this is the way to go. What is the cost of a Pentium chip and can I buy it locally? --Ben

Answer: Overdrive chips are a very promising method of prolonging the life of your 486. Most computer stores can order the upgrades for you. However, I'd first recommend adding RAM to your system as the most cost-effective strategy for boosting your system's performance.