[SOLVED] Which CPU is better for my old Motherboard?

[AskenLurom]

Good afternoon. I'm stepping over here after (literally) getting a headache trying to undertand a lot information in a short time about replacing/updating my processor into an old Motherboard (and I mean OLD).

I currently have an almost-dead HP dx2400 Microtower with a replaced motherboard years ago (Lenovo l-ig41m3 v1.1). Currently with issues (all technicians claimed motherboard issues), I'm running to replace the motherboard. Finally found again the original motherboard this tower should have: Foxconn 865G7MF-SH.

Now, accordingly to HP and cpu-upgrade.com, this motherboard only supports:

• Pentium D 900 Dual Core series (P)
• Pentium D 800 Dual Core series (S)
• Pentium 4 601 series (CM)
• Pentium 4 600 series (P)
• Pentium 4 500 & 501 series (P)
• Celeron D (P)

Things started going wrong when the seller tells me the motherboard comes with an Intel Pentium E5300 Processor (AFAIK, unsupported).

I'm almost screaming lound trying to guess if that processor isn't going to give me issues, as it isn't listed on HP website.

Also (and finally coming to the main question) I'm trying to guess which CPU is better to run in that motherboard. I mean: If a 13 years-old store is selling me that motherboard with that processor, I guess there should be even better options than the ones listed by HP, right?

Hope someone out there can help me clarifying all my doubts.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Personally, unless you are aiming for a retro system, I would not bother repairing it.

All of the CPUs above are nearly 15 year old CPUs with few cores. None of them can run Windows 10 smoothly, and even with Linux you are not going to be able to use these CPUs for much. Even basic webpages will be slow and dont even thing about youtube playback.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

If you do want to use this system for whatever reason, the Pentium D CPUs are the most powerful. You may be able to get a C2D to work, but maybe not.

 

[AskenLurom]

If you do want to use this system for whatever reason, the Pentium D CPUs are the most powerful. You may be able to get a C2D to work, but maybe not.

Good evening, and thanks for both answers.

Being honest, given my budget reality + house income (and a lot other considerations, like living in Venezuela working on internet) there isn't such thing as jumping to a "real PC" until further notice for me. Side note: This is the better PC I had in my life, and I'm about to be 22.

Now, coming back to your suggestion:
I exactly got the headache because of that issue. When I was comparing E5300 against D960, the "incompatible" E5300 is better in almost everything than the D960. That's why I'm trying to guess then why that motherboard I'm buying to fix the dx2400 has that "incompatible" CPU.

The comparative: http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Pentium-E5300-vs-Intel-Pentium-D-960

And talking about overall things:
Well, currently using the faulty dx2400 (can't turn it off completely, or unless it's a madness to make it turn on again). I'm on W10 32-bit, and can even play a MMORPG I like haha (sorry, bad joke). Also with a old Nvidia 8400 GS I got time ago from a friend what left Venezuela.

Oh, and the CPU of the Foxconn motherboard being the same than the one I currently have is just coincidence. I swear.

 

[InvalidError]

The Pentium 4/D are Netburst architecture (the worst architectures ever from Intel) while the Pentium E5300 is based on the far superior Core 2 architecture, so it would make sense for Core 2 CPUs to beat the older Netburst-based CPUs in most cases.

As for why someone is showing an incompatible CPU presumably working on a motherboard, Chinese companies sometimes hack hardware and firmware to make stuff that isn't supposed to work together actually work together. Maybe Foxconn applied some similar weirdness here.

 

[Third-Eye]

The Pentium 4/D are Netburst architecture (the worst architectures ever from Intel) while the Pentium E5300 is based on the far superior Core 2 architecture, so it would make sense for Core 2 CPUs to beat the older Netburst-based CPUs in most cases.

As for why someone is showing an incompatible CPU presumably working on a motherboard, Chinese companies sometimes hack hardware and firmware to make stuff that isn't supposed to work together actually work together. Maybe Foxconn applied some similar weirdness here.

In this case it appears there are other brands with the 865G chipset being compatible with early C2D and even C2Q. Here is one example http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/775i65G R3.0/index.asp#Specification . This doesn't automatically mean the board the OP is discussing is actually compatible, but that it's at least a real possibility.

 

[AskenLurom]

The Pentium 4/D are Netburst architecture (the worst architectures ever from Intel) while the Pentium E5300 is based on the far superior Core 2 architecture, so it would make sense for Core 2 CPUs to beat the older Netburst-based CPUs in most cases.

As for why someone is showing an incompatible CPU presumably working on a motherboard, Chinese companies sometimes hack hardware and firmware to make stuff that isn't supposed to work together actually work together. Maybe Foxconn applied some similar weirdness here.

Hello! Coming again after a couple weeks.

At the end, it was exactly this case. Apparently, this Foxconn MoBo has a "tweak" what makes possible to handle exactly the E5300 CPU.

Thanks for this answer!