New P4 System

[IsaacInsoll]

Hi, I am thinking of building a new PC and these are the specs i am considering

Intel 2.8 Prescott (in Australia, it's the same price as a northwood 2.8)
Albatron PX865PE Pro V2.0 Motherboard
and 2x Kingmax 256Mb DDR433

I have just a few questions that i havn't been able to figure out

1. Using stock cooling that comes with the processor, can i overclock this easily? Can I just change the FSB from 200(800) to something like 220, or will that stuff up everything and put my timing out for like PCI devices or something? Is it safe to do?

2. With these i865 based motherboards, can I just put in a 512 stick or do i have to install in pairs (EG: 2x256Mb)? If i don't have to, is there an advantage performance wise in doing so (EG: dual channel or something) apart from the fact that it's cheaper and using up more of my slots?

3. I'm currently running a P3 733Mhz system with Windows XP. If i chuck in a new mobo/cpu/ram would I have to format and reinstall, or is it usually pretty stable when you swap these parts and will still work fine.

Thanks guys, it's been a while since i've been into this whole computer scene.

Isaac

 

[myocardia]

Yeah, the Prescott's are the same price as the Northwood's here, too. They're selling them cheap, because nobody wants them. They perform 200-400mhz slower than a Northwood, and run very hot, with no overclocking. You should buy yourself a 2.8C, they overclock very well. If you can get your hands on an M0 stepping 2.8C, alot of them are hitting 3.5ghz on stock voltage! Anyway, don't buy a Prescott unless you're willing to invest in watercooling also. And you always want to run the i865 & i875 chipset-based motherboards in dual-channel memory configuration. Lastly, yes, if you get a new motherboard, you will have to reload Windows. Sometimes you can get away with not doing it, if you know how, but it never comes out quite right, unless you either wipe the hard-drive, or at least do a Windows deltree.

 

[jjyiz28]

yeah get the northwood instead. it performs better. the prescott has to scale to like 3.6, 3.8 to make it better

you don't HAVE to run in dual channel DDR, it will work just fine with 1 stick of ram. but for intel setup, dual channel is very highly recommended.

you might be able to not have to reinstall the OS, but it is highly recommended that you do.

 

[Ozoned]

1.)no not easily

2.)search at for ddr memory article

3.)no you cant just chuck it in, all your new stuff requires different system setup stuff

4.) They have pc in australia??

 

[IsaacInsoll]

Thanks alot guys. I think I might go with the Northwood 2.8 then

 

[Duvie]

I agree the 2.8 version shows the tremendous hit the prescott and the much longer pipeline have on it....It will need to be in the 3.6-3.8ghz range to start showing its muscle in most everything....

NOw there are some areas it s showing some prowess at now but it is few and far between in items and still happening in the 3.2ghz range....


Northwood....

1) Better overclocker
2) About 10c cooler on average
3) Better beformance mhz for mhz
4) MOst compatable across the board of i865/i875 chipsets

 

[smahoney]

Definitely go with the Northwoods right now - Better overclocker, much cooler, won't fry your motherboard if you do OC, Faster in most benchmarks clock for clock.

Moderate voltage increase and a good HSF should get you a great OC.

 

[IsaacInsoll]

What sort of cooling do you guys recommend? I don't want to go crazy and spend heaps on cooling to get that extra tiny bit faster, but if i can make a noticable increase without spending too much then that would be great. Can you also tell me what settings you recommend (EG: voltage, FSB speed). Thanks

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: IsaacInsoll
What sort of cooling do you guys recommend? I don't want to go crazy and spend heaps on cooling to get that extra tiny bit faster, but if i can make a noticable increase without spending too much then that would be great. Can you also tell me what settings you recommend (EG: voltage, FSB speed). Thanks

Zalman CNPS 7000 Cu or Slk900

for the voltage, i NEVER feed my P4 more than 1.65 actual

 

[myocardia]

The 900u is an old heatsink, Shady. The Zalman 7000AlCu is fine for mild to moderate overclocks, but not enough for 3.I would recommend a Thermalright SLK-947u: link, or the slightly better, but more expensive Thermalright SP-94: link, either of those heatsinks with this fan: link will be as quiet as a 7000AlCu, but you'll have a cooler cpu (and an adjustable-speed fan that you can run as fast as you can stand it running, or as slow as you need). Yes, I know you live in Australia, but newegg gives the part numbers, plus pictures, so the links still apply to you.

 

[IsaacInsoll]

So if i was to get one of these fans, what do you reccon I could overclock to? What FSB speed and voltage would i need to achieve this? Thanks

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: IsaacInsoll
So if i was to get one of these fans, what do you reccon I could overclock to? What FSB speed and voltage would i need to achieve this? Thanks

Every cpu and every motherboard are different. You will have no idea what it's going to overclock to, until you buy it and assemble it.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: IsaacInsoll
So if i was to get one of these fans, what do you reccon I could overclock to? What FSB speed and voltage would i need to achieve this? Thanks

With a solid Northwood (and good memory) you could probably get to 3.5Ghz at about 1.6v.