I'm in the process of upgrading a PXIe-8105 controller since the cost of a new controller is very prohibitive (academic labs have limited funds). I have successfully increased the RAM to 4GB by purchasing compatible Crucial RAM, upgraded to Windows 7 (32 bit) and will be migrating the OS to a KingSpec 128GB PATA SSD once it arrives. I'm now researching the other options available for improving the performance of the controller. It appears the controller is based on an Intel i945GME (rev 03) chipset with a 82801GHM (ICH7-M DH) southbridge. Now, my understanding is as follows:
- The 945GME chipset from Intel has a bug in addressing RAM that restricts the total usable memory to approx 3.2 or 3.3GB. Therefore, there is very little benefit to upgrading to a 64 bit version of Windows 7. Is this a correct assessment?
- One could upgrade the CPU to a faster one. It's clear the chipset supports the Core Duo family, so one could theoretically upgrade the T2500 processor to a T2700 processor. However, one can usually drop in a Core 2 Duo mobile processor into the same socket on most motherboards. Dropping in a T7600 would give a fairly significant performance booste (e.g., up to 20% for single-threaded applications). Is there a reason I might not be able to replace the Core Duo processor with the Core 2 Duo processor? CPU upgrade has a list of compatible CPUs, but apparently it partially depends on whether the BIOS supports it or not. http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Intel_(chipsets)/945GM_Express.html#cs
Edit: Added link to cpu-upgrade website listing compatible CPUs.