Compaq Presario issues...

JustinJustin Atlanta
edited January 2004 in Hardware
I have a few old Compaqs sitting around and I decided to open them up. Inside, I am finding your standard PCI slots and these other ones that are like twice as big and black with huge pins. Found them in both the presario 5220 and 4512. What are these big black slots and what are they for? I know these systems are dinosaurs but with your help and my big mouth, I have created something of a market for technological help and upgrades for your average, 6-year-old-system user. I am just trying to help these folks out and I am learning that systems have evolved in the last few years more than I knew.... Please help!!!

Comments

  • pcscustompcscustom Oklahoma
    edited January 2004
    They are isa slots... These were what was made before pci (the white ones) Pci is much faster and more efficent and up to date than isa. But if you have old hardware that utilizes that it could be a good thing.


    Trev
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Essentially, they are slots for a bus called ISA, comes in two flavors, longer ones are 16 bit, some folks also called these EISA for Extended ISA(ISA had only the length of the long part of slot that is before first filled in part as slot goes away from case edge of mobo, and was 8 bit). These days, suitable for a modem if you want to pay double for an ISA 56K v.90 hardware controller modem (USR made them and still has some for sale)-- this will be a 16 bit ISA card, although IT CAN run on an 8 bit slot. Otherwise ignore them. AVOID ISA slot nearest to PCI bus (shorter WHITE slots), it is shared with last PCI slot typically-- about 90% of the time.

    John.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2004
    As stated (twice) they're ISA slots. What do they do? Everything PCI does, only a hell of a lot slower. How useful are they to 99.9999...% of the population? They're not. They're totally, absolutely, completely worthless. There are some unique industrial applications that require them, but for consumers, they are totally useless.
  • ketoketo Occupied. Or is it preoccupied? Icrontian
    edited January 2004
    Anyone who has a computer with an ISA slot would be crazy to upgrade anything. Maybe a stick of RAM and a fresh OS install, but beyond that, no way. They'd be far better off upgrading to a cheap but more current system. How cheap? Depends entirely on their needs, which you as the consultant are in the hot seat to find out ;)
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited January 2004
    Depends on the system, Keto. I'm trying to talk my dad into giving me back my first motherboard, which is an i440bx dual slot 1 board. It's got 3 ISA slots, but if I throw a couple of Slotkets and 2 1GHz+ P3s in it, it could be made into a respectable system.
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited January 2004
    I think I will suggest construction at our next meeting. Thanks for the info.
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