Motherboard compatibility with old pentium 4

[snwww]

Hello people,

I plan on upgrading my old computer, preferably parts by parts as I dont want to cash out everything I have at once ^^. I was given an old pentium 4, 3.2GHZ with HT technology and I planned on using this for upgrading slowly. The P4 needs the 775 socket obviously, and a 800mhz FSB. Now, I was wondering if "Pentium 4" had to be in the supported CPU list of the motherboard or if a mobo with the 800mhz FSB and 775 socket requirements would work, which theoritically would. I always thought of the "supported CPU" list as a easier way to see which CPU would work for people that didn't understand the socket and front side bus stuff.

Now enlighten me, am I right, or do I really need the processor to be in that supported CPU list.

Thank you.

 

[greenfield]

Motherboard Support for Pentium 4 Processors with 533-MHz or 800-MHz System Bus:
Ensure that you are using a motherboard that supports the 533-MHz
or 800-MHz system bus respectively. Failure to use an appropriate
motherboard may result in unstable system operation as well as
performance degradation and may result in running your processor
out of specification, which will void your processor warranty.
Consult your motherboard manufacturer for compatibility.To help
search for motherboards that support Intel processors, you may
use the Intel® Motherboard Selector Guide.

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/pentium4/sb/CS-017371.htm

http://mbsg.intel.com/mbsg/

 

[snwww]

Any chance for a more precise answer ?

Taken from the same site :

It is important to verify that the specific motherboard model and revision support the specific Pentium 4 processor speed being used. A BIOS upgrade may be required in order to properly recognize and initialize the latest stepping of the Pentium 4 processor. The BIOS must also incorporate procedures or enhancements to enable multi-threading capability, for Pentium 4 processors supporting Hyper-Threading Technology. A BIOS upgrade may also be required in order to ensure support for Hyper-Threading Technology.

Theres really nothing clear. Anyone else has something to say ?

 

[gbright]

i want to know how to repair the mother board perfectly and to couple the system in a standard form

 

[capt_taco]

It depends. They made Pentium 4 HT chips for both 775 and 478 socket, and the 3.2ghz version came in both:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pentium_4_processors

So make absolutely sure of that first. If you've got a 478 chip, you're pretty much at a dead end.

If it IS a 775 chip, there are a handful of motherboards that can support all 775 chips from P4s to the most recent quad cores -- the ASUS P5B is the one that comes most readily to mind: http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=bswT66IBSb2rEWNa

At that point, might need to upgrade your RAM anyway, since this mobo uses DDR2 and a lot of P4 systems used regular DDR, which won't work. Depending on the graphics card, you may need to upgrade that at the same time as well -- if your old machine was PCI Express x16, it will still work, but if it was the old AGP standard, it won't work in the new motherboard. Then, assuming ALL of this falls into place, when you finally get around to it, you can upgrade your CPU.

See how that works, though? Unless you're really lucky, you're likely to have to replace all or nearly all of your components at once anyway, because the standards keep changing so the old stuff doesn't work on a new motherboard. You are almost certainly better off starting from scratch. Even if you can pull off this step-by-step upgrade and drop in a Q9550 with a decent graphics card, you're still going to be 1) a generation behind the latest RAM standard, DDR3, 2) a generation behind the latest CPUs, the i7/i5, and 3) have a motherboard with a very old chipset. If you can even find that motherboard for sale at all anymore.

 

[snwww]

capt_taco - Let me lay out my plan for you, specifically.

I need a motherboard that has onboard video, with a PCIe 2 lane for future upgrade, and obviously Id have to upgrade my ram. I know about the rest, I know Im one socket behind but thats not to worry about, I dont mind about that. And still, that 775 chipset has ALOT to offer. Core2's aren't going anywhere for a while I know the drill.

My question is really precise and NEEDS a precise answer; can I have my p4, which is socket 775 and has a 800mhz FSB work on a motherboard with a socket 775 that supports the 800mhz FSB (including higher ones) that doesn't have the Pentium 4 processor in its supported CPU list, although the requirements are there ?!

 

[Tel864]

capt_taco - Let me lay out my plan for you, specifically.

I need a motherboard that has onboard video, with a PCIe 2 lane for future upgrade, and obviously Id have to upgrade my ram. I know about the rest, I know Im one socket behind but thats not to worry about, I dont mind about that. And still, that 775 chipset has ALOT to offer. Core2's aren't going anywhere for a while I know the drill.

My question is really precise and NEEDS a precise answer; can I have my p4, which is socket 775 and has a 800mhz FSB work on a motherboard with a socket 775 that supports the 800mhz FSB (including higher ones) that doesn't have the Pentium 4 processor in its supported CPU list, although the requirements are there ?!

I've been researching this problem for the past week myself and probably the best answer you'll get is that it "should" work. Contacting tech support of the maker of the board may be the absolute best option or buy the board from someplace with a liberal return policy. I've had good results with Tiger Direct. I have a P4 (Pentium D 925) processor that I'm thinking about moving over to an Asus P5N-D motherboard myself and wanted to make absolutely sure that it would work with the newer motherboard.

 

[snwww]

Best answer selected by snwww.

 

[De4dSpace]

I also have a spare "Socket 775 P4 3.2 HT." It should work like you said, same socket + FSB = WIN. Which mobo did you end up with? Was Pentium 4 listed on the supported chipsets list?

 

[Metawin_3]

Check out this board I was thinking about getting it to replace the one on my Dell 8400 P4 3.0 HT

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-131-232&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=5&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=2#scrollFullInfo

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey