Acer Aspire 6360S Upgrade Possibilities/Questions

[Timago]

It's been difficult finding documentation for this computer
(Aspire 6360S).
Nothing on the internet is an exact match.
I was able to find a PDF document for the V76M motherboard
at ftp://ftp.acer.de, but it is actually a document for the
Acer 4300
computer, which is similar, but not identical to the Aspire
6360S.

Anyway, here what I've got:
* V76M motherboard.
* 64 MB RAM (1 64 MB SDRAM DIMM)
* Integrated Video
* Integrated Audio
* 4 USB ports (keyboard and mouse connected). No PS/2
connectors.
* 3 PCI slots
- Modem card - Not used. Could be removed.
- Ethernet card (internal network connects to router
for internet access).
- One unused slot.
* 10 GB Hard Drive
* 48X CD-ROM
* 3.5" floppy drive
* 1 Unused 5.25" drive bay
* 145 W Power Supply

Upgrades I'd like to perform:

Upgrade 1: More RAM. A Sure Thing.
--------------------------------
The first, obvious (and easiest) upgrade, of course, would
be RAM.
I will remove the 64 MB DIMM and install two 128 PC100+ MB
DIMMs.
This appears to be the maximum configuration for this
motherboard.

Upgrade 2: PCI Video Card. Will it support this?
------------------------------------------
The tech support man (Sears) thought the system would
automatically
recognize and use an add-on video card (PCI is the only
option). I could
not find any documentation that listed this as an option, or
that a CMOS
setting would support it. Does anyone have knowledge as to
whether this
would work? I want to do this because there are many games
that require
3D support, that do not work properly with the integrated
video subsystem.
I'd also appreciate recommendations for an inexpensive but
good PCI video
card that can play most of today's games.

Upgrade 3: CPU
-------------------------------
Currently has a 500 MHz Celeron (Socket 370). Some
documentation
I located suggest this mobo can run a 533 MHz Celeron.

I'm interested in the JP2 jumper. Currently (in the default
setting) it is
running the CPU at 66 MHz and the RAM at 100 MHz. Another
documented setting is supposed to run the CPU at 100 MHz
(and RAM at 100 MHz). This suggests that it might support a
750 MHz
Celeron (if the BIOS supports it, of course).

Here's why:
Current CPU speed:
66.67 MHz x 7.5 clock multipler = 500 MHz CPU

New CPU speed:
100 MHz x 7.5 clock multipler = 750 MHz CPU.

Is this feasible?
It sounds too good (and simple) to be true.
If it were, would I try a Celeron 766 CPU? (there doesn't
seem to be a 750).

Constructive comments will be appreciated.

[laurence cope]

Hello

Try http://support.acer.com/desktop/aspire/html/as63xx_dl.html

Regards

Laurence.

"Timago" <tim...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:ztMU6.3$dA4....@nnrp3.sbc.net...

[GDR]

Hi Timago ,

I was wondering how you made out with your upgrades. Did
your new CPU work? I also have the 6360s and you got me thinking of
upgrading.

I been searching the web for the "v76m." Some Acer models advertised
in other countries with that mobo have higher speed chips than the 500 MHz.
'Course those ads and web pages weren't to helpful too me because they're
written in languages I couldn't. It seems to be a popular motherboard in
Russia and Germany.

As for Acer sites, they are inconsistent with the info for computers
they give out and scarce with that particular motherboard.. Even the site
http://assist.acer.com/ seems to have every motherboard they ever made
except the v76m.

Naturally, when I e-mailed Acer support they didn't want anything to do
with the 6360 and told me to ask Sears. You are certainly right about Sears
lame tech support. When the customer service rep couldn't find the
information on the Acer homepage he actually tried to talk me out of
upgrading my machine. I also tried calling one of Acer's authorized dealers.
After giving him the "stats" for the machine he thought one could upgrade it
to a Celeron 750 and possibly a Pentium III. Unfortunately, when he access
Acer's web support he couldn't get any information about the "v76m" either!
After that, he was reluctant to recommend a new CPU and suggested that a new
motherboard might be a better option. It's making me wonder why the dearth
of information about that motherboard.

Sorry if I'm kvetching a little bit but anyway..... how did you make
out?

GDR
.