Ernest S. Bledsoe Bledsoe 1
Professor Philip Saxena
English 1A

A cheap upgrade for your old computer

To those of you who have an Intel 8088 Microprocessor based computer, and want to buy a new machine but cannot afford it. There is an easy, inexpensive upgrade you can do to increase the performance of your old machine about 60%. (This is based on the Norton Utilities: SYSTEM INFO; computing and performance indexes). The upgrade can be done by replacing the Intel 8088 Microprocessor with a new NEC V20 Microprocessor.

I first read about the V20 in an article, in PCM Magazine, June 1989. The article stated that the V20 was a pin for pin match to the 8088. Its internal architecture was different, so it processed data 75% faster. The chip cost less than $15, and sounding provocative I ordered it. I wanted to buy a new computer anyway, and I thought if I blew up my old one, I was not going to lose much. My old computer was a Tandy 1000EX. A dependable workhorse, but slow by today's standards.

The original IBM-XT is the basis for all computer test ratings. Its computing and performance indexes have been set, by the industry, to 1.0. For reference, I tested my computer's performance before and after I installed the new processor.

Bledsoe 2

Before installing the V20, my computer ran slightly faster than the IBM-XT with a reading of 1.4 on both the computing and performance indexes. After installing the V20, the computer tested at 2.4 on the Computing Index. This implied a 70% increase in its computing power. On the Performance Index the machine tested at 2.1. An apparent 50% increase in its speed. I verified these readings with a different speed test, and to my delight, my old 8 MHz machine was indeed functioning at 12 MHz I further tested this by running other programs. They all operated faster and transitioned smoother between applications.

To install the chip: (1) For safety, first unplug your unit. (2) Discharge any static electricity from your body. (This can be done by touching a grounded metal object at your work space.) (3) Open your machine and locate the 8088 microprocessor. (4) Gently remove it with a chip puller paying Attention its orientation. (There is a notch or a dot on one end of the chip). YOU MUST install the V20 with its notch or dot in the same manner as that of the old processor. If you install the chip backward, you will IMMEDIATELY destroy it when you power up, So be careful. (5) Once the chip has been installed, close your machine and you're done.