P4C - Are they unlocked?

[gramboh]

Hi,

I'm sorry to ask this since it's probably been answered but I can't find it.

Are the new P4 2.4C chips multiplier unlocked from the factory? I'm debating between a Barton 2500+ on an A7N8X-Deluxe or a P4 2.4C on a Gigabyte
GA-8IK1100 (the P4C800 is too expensive here in Canada, the Gigabyte is $75 cheaper somehow) and am wondering if I will be able to OC the P4 without
messing around with bridges.

thanks.

 

[ChampionAtTufshop]

there are no bridges on a p4 im almost certain
and no they are not factory unlocked
intel hasnt done that for quite a while now (since like pentium 1 or something maybe..)

i dunno about how that board oc's but serach for some reviews
other ones are abit, and aopen seems to do quite well i think

i see they ahve the 2.4c/2.6c in stock here in canada (a local store had them i think, then pulled them, now have them again lol...wtf)

i just noticed ur in the same city as me too lol cool

 

[kylebisme]

intel overclocking is all in the fsb.

 

[SupermanCK]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
intel overclocking is all in the fsb.

not true if you can get ur hands on an unlocked engineering sample...but other than those...u r right.

 

[SilverBack]

Intel has had the multipliers locked since the P2 333Mhz cpu.
Luckily the chips seem to do well when just increasing the system bus as the others have noted.

The p4 2.4c seems to a much better performer than the 2500+ STOCK.
Get the P4 and don't look back.

 

[pm]

All Intel CPU's (with the rare caveat of an engineering sample) are multiplier locked to prevent fraud.

FWIW, the first multiplier locked CPU's were the Pentium (P54CS cC0) 120, 133, 150 and 166 CPU's. I helped do the circuit design and layout for the lock.

 

[gramboh]

Thanks for the info guys, I haven't read up on Intel stuff for a long time

Champion, nice to see another Calgarian on here, there are a few of us. I noticed Memory Express doing that too, looks like the P4 2.4C is in stock now, for $299.95 (pretty much $100 more than the 2500+).

One more question I have, since you can only push the FSB up, don't you lose a lot of performance when the FSB and memory are running asynchronous? I've read that not having memory/FSB at the same frequency causes lots of wait states on the CPU and bogs it down. How important is this? I would be using Corsair TwinX 512LL PC3200 in dual channel.

 

[lenjack]

It's also well known that there is no way to unlock the multiplier.

 

[sman789]

wll i just ordered a 2.4c with a gig of corsair xms and people put the ratio at 5:4 so it can be 1000FSB(250x4) with the memory at 200(x2)
which is what i'll be doing

 

[Slammy1]

Well, my rig may arrive today (depending on UPS' willingness to leave a package since I'll be at work). I'm running 3500 HyperX, and I thought I'd let the MB decide (at first) how fast it wants to go. I'm curious how far I can push it on a 1:1 ratio (at least 2.6). Yes, this will be quite a change from my PIII-850. Three times the speed, that's my upgrade point.

 

[SilverBack]

I ordered a P4 2.4C and an Abit IC7 as well
Delivery estimated at 3pm today
I have Corsair XMS3200 memory aleady 2x512 can't wait!!@!

Grambo
There is very little performance loss at all on Intel systems running the two differently.
AMD systems is a totally different matter. They run better at a 1:1 ratio.