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My UnOfficial Compaq 7478 Site

First let me say by doing some of the things I've done the warrenty I'm sure is voided, so don't do them if your Compaq is still under warrenty, unless you just don't care, and what kind of attitude is that? Do you think you'll be able to change the settings back and take it to a local repair center? Think they'll know? Huh?!?...

With that said. Let me List the modifacations I made before I disassembled the Compaq:

First tip I bought a sound card for the original purpose of being able to play music from both cd drives. Heres another way that should work. Open up the case move the audio cable from the DVD to the CD-RW. Then after turning on the computer hit the windows key (the button with the Microsoft logo) and pause button at the same time. Go into device manager, click on "DVD/CD-ROM Drives" then SD-608, properties, and enable didgital audio. This should work but I haven't tried it... Let me know if you try it...

Well heres some tips: First when you call cusomer service, when it asks if you have an open case number always enter *42. This will make sure you reach customer service in Ottowa. If you even reached Kansas you know why this is important, Don't you?

The biggest improvement I made to my system including "overclocking" was to remove the 64mg Compaq memory! I don't know why, I could have had a defective card, But the fact that I was told to take it out by a repair shop makes that questionable. This is of course only if you have another memory card installed. I haven't had one lock-up or crash, (with out me directly causing it), since I took out the memory card.

One thing bugged me since I bought the computer,I couldn't figure it out then and still don't know why they set the bus speed at 97Mhz, limiting the 550Mhz proccesor to 533Mhz, instead of going with a 100Mhz bus speed. I'm sure there is some reason... You can however increase the bus speed to 100Mhz. How? Get some jumper plugs you'll need 2 and find the jumpers marked 11, 12, 13, 14,and 15. And add the jumpers to 12 and 13. These settings are listed on the mainboard! If you remove the power supply you can see them all of the jumpers clearly! What good is increasing the bus speed without increasing the core voltage? It is good, but it gets better with extra voltage! Go slow with this one, this is what kills processors. Increasing the core voltage from 2.3v to 2.4v gave me an extra 300 interger points and 200 floating points on win tune benchmarking! At one point I did raise the core voltage to 2.5v, but the temp went up and I started getting "random" crashes. I was going to list all the settings here, but there on the motherboard so why?

UPDATE: It seems now that Compaq has a new line of computers they'll actualy support the 7478. They have a new page with all of the info I've been looking for, jumper settings, exploded veiws, parts lists. (Jumper15 is still not listed though) Looks like I'll have to come up with a new idea for my site! Find all the Compaq info here
The #15 jumper has undocumented bus speed settings but since MY Compaq would not run reliably above 100mhz it's no need to post them...

Heres a way to get some of that shared memory back. Go into the bios, keep tapping the f10 button on start up or hold f10 and Alt, go to the advanced tab, go to bus options, change video memory size to eigther 2 or 4 megs. If you have another video card and want to totaly disable the Trident card then disable the on board VGA controller, this will also give you all of your memory back! But why not use the Trident for a second desktop?!? You won't know how great that is until you use a system with dual monitors, expecially for the net.

While your in there change the boot order to make the cd last, my Compaq had a way of killing both cd drives if I mistakingly left a cd in eigther drive, while booting...
Incredeble re-doing the site, and looking back. I'm proud of all the problems that I got solved... This was my first computer, I knew nothing of them at the time, and custormer support, while they tried, basicaly sucked.

here's the updates from then:

  • 6.28.00 Gave my Compaq memory to someone to try out in his HP, and It worked! He even said the extra RAM made it quicker!
  • 6.29.00 My Compaq locked up ocasionaly with the core voltage at 2.5, I backed it off to 2.4 volts.
  • 6.29.00 Got 30 hits in two days, realized I don't have a e-mail address posted. Now I do...
  • 7.01.00 Copied my C drive to my D drive, and made it the master. Smaller hard drives ARE quicker! Turned the fan on the CPU "backwards" so that it blows AWAY from the heat sink and into the power supply, which blows out of the case. Also added a case fan that blows in.
  • 7.01.00 Having a busy morning, its 12:44am. Worldspy just made me change to Juno, and juno gives a banner just like Freelane and Netzero! I'll have to actually start using the isp I pay for!
  • 7.02.00 Got Windows 2000 and can only say one thing... Swweeet!!!
  • note: What ever it is Compaq installs as Windows, doesn't get reconized as Windows by a 2nd ED. disk or 2000, which led me to the next update...
  • 7.03.00 Found out how to gleem the programs from the Compaq Quick Restore cds! I reinstalled only the programs I used with the Real Windows 2nd Ed. Then reinstalled 2000 over that. The patches that run in the back ground, with the stock setup, seems to be there to REMOVE other functions that the disc installs. 2000 runs faster and the graphics are "smoother", Whether thats because of the new code or the stripped down programs I can't say for sure. I can't wait for Microsoft's "BlackComb"!!!
  • 7.06.00 If anyone wants the lay out for the restore discs, let me know. I'll post them...
  • 8.05.00 Major upgrades! The last few weeks have not been good! Direc PC sucks!!! If you can get cable get cable, If you can get DSL get DSL! From a reliability stand point, satellite is the worst. It downloads great when it's in the mood, it's avg is about 65kbs with bursts of over 120kbs. However sometimes, like tonight it crawls like a 56k!!! On top of that I had to reinstall '98, The Win2k drivers won't be out until October!
    My Compaq is no longer a Compaq! I canabilized it to make a custom. Antec case, Giga-byte motherboard, Why?!? Learn from this... A number of computer shops said the reason my Compaq benchmarked so badly was because of the motherboard, While playing with some overclocking I started getting a number of glitches that I was told was cpu related. A 550mhz K6-2 went in and the system ran slower! So I was told the motherboard was bad. Hence the new system... But, It runs just a bit better than the Compaq! According to the Norton bench mark program I picked up 25 points, not even worth the changes! The glitches came from the power supply going bad! And there is nothing wrong with the Camaro motherboard besides a lack of information! Clock it to 550mhz set the core voltage to 2.4v and forget it!

    K6-2's, no matter of what you read on the net, DO NOT OVERCLOCK!!! Neigther of mine will run over 550mhz even with increased core voltage! Which leads me to say the K6-2 is not the powerhouse we were lead to believe! It will not hang with a P3 like some say, it will not keep up with a P2 of any speed, and even a lowly Celeron benches better! So what to do? If you need power for games or bragging rights canalbalze (how do you spell that anyway?!?) the Compaq, get an atx case, mainboard and a 650 or higher Athlon. The new Athon PGA's (Thunderbirds) in my area are close to the same price as Durons! You could probably do this for about $350.

  • 8.06.00 Requested Update I've been getting a lot of mail for the layout of the quick restore disk, even though I like the mail here it is in simple form. Insert the first restore disk, open it, and in the "bom" folder you'll find which file numbers fit which Compaq's. In the "copytod" folder you'll find a I30.sku file, it's the complete layout of the disks, open it with notepad. Just find the file number on one of the two disks and follow the instructions WinZip gives, when you click setup.exe,to install them. You'll just have to manualy clean the files out your start menu when your done. Simple...
  • 8.06.00 I don't believe the write allocation of the K6 is turned on in the Compaq. It's supposed to be good for a 5% boost you'll need Setk6 to do this. Install the direct95.vxd to c:\windows\system, copy, setk6d.exe to a floppy and run it in dos. At the command prompt enter: setk6d /on:64m /m0:lfb /m1:lfb2
  • 8.22.00 Got another motherboard a Giga-Byte Ga-7ZX with a 700mhz Thunderbird... It's 3DMark score is 3562 with the Rage Fury Maxx I bought!!! the CPU score was Three Times the K6-2 550mhz!!!! Sswweeet!

    This site will probably no longer be updated regularly but if you are here and have questions feel free to mail me...
    Go here for the specs of my new computer... And if you need drivers or updates try here...