Best motherboard for new chip

[Garet Jax]

Hello all,

I just bought this chip from newegg. I am hoping it works in my current motherboard, but wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.

What would be a good replacement MB if I do need to replace it. I am pretty sure my DDR RAM is rated at 266 Mhz and I would need an AGP slot so I could continue to use my ATI 9800 Pro.

Thanks.

 

[nick1985]

Awesome board that wont break your wallet

 

[sangyup81]

I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: sangyup81
I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

Really the chip format affects performance?

 

[Quentin]

Unfortunately, I have to agree it's not wise to keep pumping money into this configuration. Don't know what your current motherboard and old CPU are but PC2100 RAM and a locked Barton XP2800+ will be problems in even the best Socket A motherboards.

I suspect it would have been better to stay put with what you had and start saving up for an A64 system

But let's run the math anyway. I'm assuming your XP2800+ has a locked multiplier but some of the 55w OEMs are unlocked so find out for sure. See if you can change it from the default 12.5.

Does your current motherboard allow tweaking the FSB? If so, run Memtest86+ and find out how fast your RAM will go at 2.8v. If you can get to PC2700/DDR333 then the XP2800+ will run at its default 2.08GHz (12.5x166MHz).

If you're incredibly lucky and got an unlocked CPU, then you have many other options since you could change the multiplier upward (might take wire or bridge mods or a multiplier changing adapter) and go for 2.2-2.3GHz or so. That's one reason everyone wants the mobile XPs because they are unlocked and overclock better than regular desktop Bartons.

Of course your old CPU could have been overclocked. It probably is unlocked and would surprise you how far it could go.

If you want to list your old CPU and motherboard we could take a look at it. (I clicked on MyRig but it forced me into logging in so I just closed the new window.)

 

[Garet Jax]

I have an MSI KT2 Combo MB with a Thunderbird 1.3 GHz chip. I believe, unfortunately that my RAM is only SDR PC133.

 

[gsparesa]

It doesn't get better than at this price.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: gsparesa
It doesn't get better than at this price.

actually, it does

Text

 

[Dravic]

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: gsparesa
It doesn't get better than at this price.

actually, it does

Text

and for $6 more i'd rather have this

asrock kt880 upgradable to a 754 a64 down the line.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: Dravic

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: gsparesa
It doesn't get better than at this price.

actually, it does

Text

and for $6 more i'd rather have this

asrock kt880 upgradable to a 754 a64 down the line.

why would that be better, since he already bought an athlon chip?

 

[Sentential]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: sangyup81
I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

Really the chip format affects performance?

Yes it does, more than you can possibly imagine. A64s are the genuine article. They are significantally faster than any AthlonXP. It would be well advised to move to it asap.

In addition to 64bit support (for windows64 which will be out very soon) the peformance is anywhere from 25-35% faster @ the same clock frequency compared to the previous AthlonXPs

 

[ddd25]

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: sangyup81
I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

Really the chip format affects performance?

Yes it does, more than you can possibly imagine. A64s are the genuine article. They are significantally faster than any AthlonXP. It would be well advised to move to it asap.

In addition to 64bit support (for windows64 which will be out very soon) the peformance is anywhere from 25-35% faster @ the same clock frequency compared to the previous AthlonXPs

I agree that the A64 are better, however, does a stock s754 Sempron 2600+ perform better than a stock AMD Barton 2800+????

 

[Falloutboy]

Originally posted by: ddd25

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: sangyup81
I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

Really the chip format affects performance?

Yes it does, more than you can possibly imagine. A64s are the genuine article. They are significantally faster than any AthlonXP. It would be well advised to move to it asap.

In addition to 64bit support (for windows64 which will be out very soon) the peformance is anywhere from 25-35% faster @ the same clock frequency compared to the previous AthlonXPs

I agree that the A64 are better, however, does a stock s754 Sempron 2600+ perform better than a stock AMD Barton 2800+????

there going to be pretty close to the same performace in most things. the thing you get going with a 754 chip is upgradeablity the fastest socket A chip is 3200 yet you can get up too a 3700 A64 on 754 and i'm guess this platform will be available for a few more years so I wouldn't be surprised seeing semperons getting up to 2.4-2.6 on this platform

 

[Sentential]

A 3200+ AXP would be hard pressed to beat *anything* on S754. At best it would match it in a few rare cases

 

[Dravic]

why would that be better, since he already bought an athlon chip?

uhhh...

because its a socket A motherboard...

 

[AkumaX]

Originally posted by: Dravic

why would that be better, since he already bought an athlon chip?

uhhh...

because its a socket A motherboard...

its a socket a mobo that also has a socket 754 bridge for upgrading (interesting)

 

[Dravic]

Originally posted by: AkumaX

Originally posted by: Dravic

why would that be better, since he already bought an athlon chip?

uhhh...

because its a socket A motherboard...

its a socket a mobo that also has a socket 754 bridge for upgrading (interesting)

I've had it set up as a linux server, but i'm in the process of paring it with my ti4200 as a secondary gamer. My only issue is that my 2000+@2.3ghz in my MSI board is using my alpha PAL8045 HSF and it doesn't fit the asrock, and I dont think the retail HSF on my 1600+ is going to give me the same head room for the 2000+ overclock..

I figure i'll put in the $35 754 bridge card, and a cheap retail 754 sempron late this year or next year for a nice refresh. The manual says it supports the 939 daughter card also, but i haven't seen that one for sale yet, and wonder if its been cancelled.

 

[sangyup81]

Originally posted by: ddd25

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: sangyup81
I'll second the Biostars.

BUT, that proc is not worth getting a new MB. If it doesn't work, RMA the chip or sell it on ebay and move up to socket 754. It's a world of difference even if you get a s754 Sempron 2600+.

Really the chip format affects performance?

Yes it does, more than you can possibly imagine. A64s are the genuine article. They are significantally faster than any AthlonXP. It would be well advised to move to it asap.

In addition to 64bit support (for windows64 which will be out very soon) the peformance is anywhere from 25-35% faster @ the same clock frequency compared to the previous AthlonXPs

I agree that the A64 are better, however, does a stock s754 Sempron 2600+ perform better than a stock AMD Barton 2800+????

The Sempron 2800+ is only $10 more and the Sempron 3000+ is another $10.

If I weren't overclocking, I'd go for the 3000+ but if you overclock, the 2600+ will do just as well as the 3000+. I'm running my Sempron 2600+ at 2.4ghz (stock is 1.6ghz) 1.55v 52°C max load

The XP 2800+ will not be able to achieve a 50% stable overclock.

The biggest difference between the SocketA and Socket754/939 cpus are that the SocketA memory controllers are on the North Bridge while the Socket 754/939's are directly on the chip. This reduces latencies tremendously and eliminates the performance penalties for using memory asynchronously which you would have to do with your XP2800+.

I wish you coulda asked us before you bought the chip.

If you wanted to keep your mobo, we could have recommended you a chip as well.

 

[sangyup81]

I'm looking at the MSI website to check out your KT2 Combo.

The best CPU it supports are the 133fsb Thoroughbreds. The CPU you bought is a 166fsb Barton. (some call the 133s 266s and some call the 166s 333s)

The fastest Thoroughbred is the 2600+ (133mhzx16 = 2.133ghz)

The cheapest I can find is $149.

PC Progress

You can get an EPOX s754 mobo (which is the cheapest one that overclock decently) and a s754 90nm Sempron 2600+ for less than that plus you can get it from newegg.com.