• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

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

Gedalia_w

Gedalia_w

Gedalia_w

Associate
Joined
7 May 2003
Posts
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?
 
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?
 
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?
 
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.
 
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?
 
From the item description:

Processor type Intel Pentium 4 Processor core Northwood Part number BX80532PE3066D RK80532PE083512 Package type 478-pin FC-PGA2 Processor speed (GHz) 3.06 Bus speed (MHz) 533 L2 cache size (KB) 512 Qualification sample QWF5 Previous stepping SL6S5 Manufacturing technology (micron) 0.13 Core voltage (V) 1.55 Case temperature (°C) 69 Core Stepping D1 CPUID 0F29h Hyper-Threading Y
Click to expand...

****, on reading that I just noticed he quotes the processor speed as 3.06.....The title of the auction is Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 3.4GZ 533FSB 512 MB L2....and its not 800fsb, does that make a huge difference? My current 2.6 is 800fsb.
 
You know, I saw the auction not long before it ended and the 3.06 in the tiny writing in the description didnt register as the title clearly states 3.4....and is there a big difference between 533fsb and 800fsb? Will a 533fsb cpu work in my dell?
 
I emailed the first guy after the sale telling him I didnt intend on paying as he falsley advertised the cpu and told him to try second chancing it. He replied back saying it was an honest mistake that ebay wouldnt let him change as someone had bid on it already and that he would try second chancing it.

So thats sorted out.

Ive paid for the 3.2 last night and rumaged around and found my arctic silver 5. This upgrade wont be that expensive if I can find someone to buy my 2.6 800fsb northwood. I recon I could probably sell it for around £40 making this upgrade very cheap indeed.

I'll put it in the members market once ive got the 3.2 setup.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom