Hand Picked CPU

[XIspiralDownX]

I just got all the parts for my first self-built PC. All Im missing is the CPU and MB. Im going with a Barton 2500+ and a Asus A7N8X-DX (cause its full of built in features) both are Retail. I found them both dirt cheap (about $200 for both after S&h) at an online store.My question is ¿would they know the stepping of the CPU, and/or color of the core without opening the box?(I hear the grey ones are best for OCing)
thanks for your help

¿M O N K E Y?

 

[superpsa]

The boxes are see-thru.

AMD Is An Anagram Of MAD, Intel Is An Anagram Of INLET, Cyrix...Ah Who Cares?

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Just about all Barton XP2500+'s are goona be good, to a lesser or greater extent.

motherboards... make sure you get one that is 400fsb certified (or at least try).
it has the capability of getting to higher fsb speeds more reliably.

<b>Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[br408408]

I would take a good hard look at the Abit NF7-S

 

[jmecor]

tell them to use a magnifying glass.

<i>
"I'll Take A Quiet Life
-Handshake to Carbon Monoxide- Th.Yo."
</i>

 

[XIspiralDownX]

The Asus A7N8X Deluxe ver. 2.0 is certerfied to run at 400FSB. Im gonna put two sticks of 256mg Kingston HyperX CL-2 ram (PC3200). Though the CPU is only suppose to run at a FSB of 333 can I force it to 400? I looked at the Abit and Epox boards along with the Asus, and although the other two boards are cheaper and are considered much more OCing friendly the Asus board has every feature you can think of built in. Im just looking to get some decent performance out of my All In Wonder 9700Pro, and maybe push the CPU a bit when I get bored.
-Thanks for you help

¿M O N K E Y?

 

[pIII_Man]

yes you can overclock it...

You may need to slightly reduce the multiplyer...

For more info on overclocking do a google search

If i put my k6 in a Ferrari it would be faster than your your pentium 4 or Athlon XP :tongue:

 

[lhgpoobaa]

yes you can use 400fsb.
The processor themselves arnt picky at what fsb they run at... you just have to have the right multipliers selectable so they run at the correct Mhz.

If your CPU is unlocked then there is no problem. lower the multipler, raise the FSB and off you go.

if its multiplier locked then to get 400fsb you will have to run with a 20% overclock. May or maynot be possible, depending on the PSU, CPU and cooling method.

<b>Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[endyen]

Get the pc3200, or even pc3500. I have an xp2500 but my ram is pc2700. It is really holding me back. I'm not an oc-er but I have my ram set to 175 ( max stable speed ) and my multiplier at 12.5. I'm pretty sure that when I get some pc3200, it will go to 2.4 gigs using stock fan, and only a slight voltage boost. Just make sure you run your ram at the same speed as your chip, the nforce sucks in async.

 

[hatimh]

Have you tried a higher fsb on a lower mult? Try that if you haven't tried already. I have my pc2700 RAM running at 198 absolutely perfect.

Check this post out Endyen: http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=547898#547898

There's also a question for you.

Thanks.

-----------------------------------
The bigger I am, the harder they fall.

 

[endyen]

No, it's cheap ram that I got about a year ago, and may have overworked a little. As to your question, if your board will not run an xp 3200 you can contact Asus's tech support and they will give you a board that will. This does not mean they will give you a new board, maybe they will change the bridges, or give you a rev.1.06. The key is that your board has to be able to run the advertised chip, no more, no less. You would have to send them your old board for them to test etc.