P4 for Abit TH7-II

[Renegade87]

So I have an Abit TH7-II (i850, RDRAM, socket 478, 400MHz bus max) mobo that i'm going to use in a system i'm going to build for my brother. I have 512MB of Samsung PC800 RDRAM to use with the TH7-II and the CPU of my choice.

My question is, with the TH7-II limitations in mind and considering that I am NOT going to use a different motherboard for this project, what P4 CPU (400 MHz) would you recommend ? As the supply of 400MHz P4's continues to dry up my choices grow fewer as each day passes.

Thanks

"It's not that I don't like people, I just seem to feel better when they're not around"

 

[Crashman]

TH7-II supported 533 bus and used the i850E. TH7 supported 400 bus and used i850. i850E was just the i850 validated for the higher bus speed. The difference between them for speed was that the TH7 used 400MHz DCRG's (Dynamic Rambus Clock Generators) but the TH7-II used 600MHz DCRG's. So the TH7-II supported PC1066 as well as PC800, while the earlier TH7 supported only PC800.

The TH7 can easily and stably use 533 bus processors by "overclocking" and using PC800 at the PC600 speed setting (which gets overclocked back up to PC800 speed when you raise the 400 bus to 533).

The TH7-II can use 533 bus P4's as well.

So I'd pass on the 400 bus P4's with either board and get a P4 2.53, 2.8 "B", or 3.06.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Renegade87]

Thanks for the response Crashman. But, if you look on Abit's site (http://www.abit-usa.com./products/mb/techspec.php?categories=1&model=76) you'll see that actually the TH7II used the i850 and not the i850E. "Processor
- Supports Intel Pentium®4 Socket 478 processor (400MHz System Data Bus)" "Chipset
- Intel® 850 (ICH2) chipset Supports 400MHz (Front Side Bus)" "Memory
- Supports up to Four 184-pin Direct Rambus RIMM modules up to 2GB (PC600/800)"


"Nuke em till they glow, shoot em after dark"

 

[Crashman]

That's really odd, because EVERYONE I've known that owned one had a 533 bus processor on them. So they would have the 400MHz DRCGs as well. We had a member called "fugger" with lots of experience on your board. And it will work with 533 bus CPU's, even if that requires "overclocking", simply by setting the memory bus at PC600 and overclocking the CPU bus to 133MHz (QDR 533, aka 533 bus). When you overclock the CPU from 100 to 133, you overclock the memory from PC600 to PC800, getting you your full PC800 speed using a "533" processor.

Yes, it does work. Like I said, the i850E and i850 were the same chipset, Intel just added the E when they started validating them to run higher bus speeds.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[ChrisPi]

Tiger Direct is advertising a 2.8ghz Pentium 4 with a 400 mhz fsb. I think they've got it wrong though because 2.6 was the highest for a 400mhz fsb p4.

Like was said, a 533mhz fsb p4 should work fine in your board.

 

[FUGGER]

Im still around. You can run 533 FSB processors on the I850 chipset. Like crashman said, you can change the divider for the memory to keep it in spec.

Your can put up to a 3.06 into that mobo.

<b>My sig is better than yours.<b>

 

[Crashman]

There you go, even though your board came out before the i850E, it was designed to run 133MHz bus (533MHz CPU bus data rate) via overclocking. A TH7II expert just varified that for you, so now your options are open on 533 bus processors all the way up to the 3.06B.

Glad we could assist, even if my memory temporarily failed me this time.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Renegade87]

Thanks to all you guys (Crash, Fugger...). It'll be good to squeeze just a little more life out of this mobo (TH7II) after I upgrade to a i865/875 platform.

Now what am I to do, IS7 ? P4C800-E Deluxe ? Or IC7 Max3 perhaps ? Choices, choices. At least when the LGA 775's (i915/925)come out we should see some price breaks eh ?

Anyways, thanks again.

Later,

Dave

"Nuke em till they glow, shoot em after dark"

 

[Crashman]

I still prefer the IS7 to the AI7 that was supposed to replace it. I've owned the P4C800-E, it was a fine board, except that it couldn't maintain stable vCore as I reased it for overclocking. Now I'm on a free Soyo P4I875P Version 1.0 Black Label, which has stable core voltage and excellent performance, but low build quality, short warranty, and limited vCore selections. The IC7 series is rumored to have slightly greater memory stability issues than other boards, cured only by using the best RAM or increasing vDIMM...I'm not hearing about any perfect boards at all, I guess your options are based on what you want to sacrifice:
1.) P4C800-E Deluxe: Poor audio port selection, poor vCore stability when overclocking
2.) IC7 Max 3, possible issues getting memory stable, but those can be solved by manual adjustment
3.) IS7, often only stable to 250MHz FSB
4.) Soyo P4I875P Version 1.0 Black Lable, low build quality, short warranty, limited vCore options

Since the IS7 cost around 1/2 the price of the others, you know what I'd choose.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Renegade87]

Crash,

I've seen numerous threads where you recommend the IS7, (and it is on my short list) and have read many reviews of it. The only drawback I can seem to remember with it was the old AGP/DIMM slot proximity issue.

I'm really leaning towards the P4C800-E Deluxe. But that my still be a few more months off. Which may be good for me as when the i915/925 boards are introduced, the i865/875's will probably see a pricing reduction.

I'll probably throw in a SB Audigy2 ZS or whatever as I've never really been a fan of integrated sound anyways.

Don't know if i'll be trying to OC whatever I build much (unless I get bored....hmmmm, lets see, a Swiftech MCX478-V on a P4 3.4 Northwood with a MCX159-P on the Northbridge...) as I want it to last more than 2 years.

I've built systems (not as many as you undoubtedly) using mobo's from Abit,AOpen,Asus,Biostar,FIC,Soyo, & Supermicro.

Of all the aforementioned brands, I prefer Asus (Abit is a close 2nd.). They're solid and stable out of the box every time (in my experience anyways).

The IC7 Max3 looks good, but no paralell port for my laserjet printer. I'd like to milk everything I can get out of that as HP really soaked me on it a few years ago.

Soyo ? You hit the nail on the head...."low build quality, short warranty". 'Nuff said.

Anyways, thanks for the info and suggestions.

Later

"Nuke em till they glow, shoot em after dark"