Upgradeware gives many users what they want. With the command, "Never change a running system!" at the back of their minds, many users are afraid to mess with a technically fault-free system just to up the performance. And for good reason, too, because the only practical upgrades are either a memory expansion or exchanging the processor. As a rule, neither lead to any problems.

The p478 and 370GU adapter sockets allow current processors (Pentium III up to 1.4 GHz and Pentium 4 up to 2.6 GHz) to be run on older motherboards. While upgrading a P4 with 1.5 GHz to 2 GHz may be seen as pretty useless as things stand, upgrading an older Pentium III Coppermine system could prove really worthwhile.

For example, you could really jack up performance by swapping a Pentium III 600 for a Celeron 1300. The boost wouldn't just be from doubling the clock speed - the Tualatin core offers significant improvements in architecture.

Installing the Socket 478 adapter should present no problems at all because all the sockets involved have ZIF mechanisms. That can't be said of the 370GU. The processor has to be pressed into the socket with some force and a great deal of care. Slotting in the processor socket on the motherboard, on the other hand, should be accomplished with minimum effort.

Both adapters cost about $35. In addition, there's the cost of a new processor - in the case of a Celeron 1400, this is a mere $110. That's a more than acceptable sum to help breathe life into an older computer in such an impressive manner.