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What is the best cpu I can fit in my PC?

Gedalia_w

Gedalia_w

Gedalia_w

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Joined
7 May 2003
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668
Location
London
I have a dell 8300 with a 2.6ghz P4 800fsb HT cpu but I have no idea what the best cpu I can source for this pc.

I know its socket 478, but dont know if I need a prescott or northwood p4 and whether it can hold a 3.4ghz cpu and do you guys think there would be a noticable improvement from 2.6 to 3.4?
 
Socket 478 has been used for all of the Northwood Pentium 4s and Celerons, the first Prescott Pentium 4s, and some Willamette Celerons and Pentium 4s. Socket 478 also supports newer Prescott Celeron Ds, and early Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processors with 2MB of L3 cache and some Core Duos.

Processors :
Intel Pentium 4 (1.4 - 3.4 GHz)
Intel Celeron (1.7 - 3.2 GHz)
Celeron D (to 3.2 GHz)
Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition (3.2, 3.4 GHz)

think you should be ok with a northwood P4, prescott produce a lot of heat as far as i know but hey i have never had a Intel cpu since the PIII 700Mhx which is a file server now so am sure ull geta better answer of the Intel users.
 
Should be able to take at least a 3ghz cpu, but I wouldnt bother anyway. 3ghz northwoods (even used) fetch a premium.

What do you plan on using the machine for?
 
Gaming rip really. Ive got a 6800gt in there and wondering if an 800mhz jump in cpu speed will make much of a difference to the speed of gaming.

Could probably get a used 3.4 northwood off ebay for around £60. Worth it?
 
Gedalia_w said:
Gaming rip really. Ive got a 6800gt in there and wondering if an 800mhz jump in cpu speed will make much of a difference to the speed of gaming.

Could probably get a used 3.4 northwood off ebay for around £60. Worth it?
Click to expand...

I guess so, if its only £60.
 
Actually, after looking closer its going to cost quite a bit more than £60. Also as my current cpu is 800fsb, that means its a prescott right? As 533fsb are the northwoods?
 
Yeah not all P4 boards support prescott. There must be some way of finding out though. Got a model number for the board?
 
I'll have a look when I get home from work.

So as this is a gaming pc, is the prescotts 1mb L2 cache going to make much of a difference of a northwoods 512k L2 cache anyway? Also im told the northwoods run cooler.
 
northwoods do run cooler and do more clock for clock i believe due to a slightler smaller pipeline, and i have never in my life noticed any difference between 1Mb and 512K cache, at least not on AMDs, intels may be different so im not sure...
 
If you use CPU-Z http://www.cpuid.com it will tell you whether your current CPU is a Prescott or Northwood.

Do you know if the Dimension model your using has ever been fitted (sold) with a 3.2 / 3.4 Ghz P4? I take it your still using the stock power supply and cooling?
 
Yes, the 8300's were definetly sold with 3.2 and 3.4 cpu's and I think with both prescotts and northwoods.

And yes im still using stock psu and fan. Dell's are all propriotry inside and you would have to do quite a lot of hacking to fit a standard psu or cooling system in there.

I find the cpu cooling system in my dell works very well and is very very quiet. Its the quietest pc I have ever owned. The loudest thing in there is my 6800gt with its arctic cooler.

I'll test cpu-z out when I get home in an hour or so.
 
My cpu is a northwood.

Im only looking at northwoods now anyway. I might be able to get a northwood 3.0 for around £40, used of course if this auction goes the way I want.

Would that be worth an upgrade from my 2.6? Would I notice any real world difference?
 
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