Hi

Please ignore the post title were it states "Intel P2" - it is a P4 which is probably obvious to most users.

I have a query regarding a new computer that I have recently purchased and I would appreciate some help with a question(s) that I have about the speed of the processor/motherboard:

Ok, my motherboard is the Microstar 6533 and it has the SIS 650 Chipset for the Pentium 4 DDR platform. The sytem bus is 400Mhz (please correct me if I'm wrong).

This is what CPUID shows:

Internal Clock: 2489.88Mhz
System Clock: 99.60Mhz
System Bus: 398.38Mhz
Multiplier: 25.00

Q: The processor is an Intel P4 2.5Ghz with 533 Mhz FSB. To the best of my knowledge, the processor will not run at it's full potential of 533Mhz because the motherboard only supports 400Mhz, and a motherboard that supports Intel 533Mhz P4 processors would be needed to do this. Is this correct?

Q: As the P4 proceesor is 533Mhz FSB, is there anywhere on the system or by using another utility, that would show what speed the processor is actually running at? I.e. 533Mhz or ........

I also have a question regarding the motherboard/graphics card on another computer:

Q: My Intel D845HV motherboard is AGP v2.0 compliant with appropriate voltage limitations. My display card (Creative TNT2 M64 AGP) is only AGP v1.0 compliant. Would there be any problems if I install this AGP v1.0 card onto the D845HV mb?

Regards



Last edited by Brave01Heart at Today at 10:02 am

Q1: I suggest to purchase a new motherboard because yes to reach the speed of 533 u need a 533 motherboard... Suggestion is asus or abit if you would like to o verclock.. epox is good too if u prefer the sis controller rather than the intel..

Q2: To my knowledge no.. most other progs are similar and wil read the same thing... maybe check the bios..

Q3:your agp 2.0 compliant will work for your agp 1.0 card not to worry :) Just dont try to put a agp 2.0 in a 1.0 slot..

To my belief thats really all you need... seeing as you have a ddr 2.5 i'd suggest getting one of the new asus boards that have ddr 400 support as well as agp 8x and 533 bus... Gigabyte has this too.. I fyou dont want to switch motherbopards id suggest to stick with what you have... The motherboard can be clcoked i believe to serve the 533 purpose but thats not advisable...

Hope this helps :)

Hi Thantos

Many thanks for your response which gives me some food for thought.

With regard to changing the motherboard, that's not really an option at the moment because I have only just bought the computer and it's two days old. I may consider changing once I have had the computer for a few months but, as you know, doing that would invalidate the warranty.

What puzzles me is that the manufacturer, Microstar, includes a P4 2.5Ghz 533 FSB processor but then they install it on a motherboard with only a 400Mhz CPU bus - obviously a cost cutting exercise.

Regarding overclocking, I'm not really a fan of doing this and again, this would invalidate the warranty.... especially if the CPU died on me.

So, for the time being, I will just use and enjoy the computer I suppose. :o)

BTW: I have a FREECOM CD-RW drive, model CRD-BP1500P and I'm trying to find out if the firmware needs updating or if there are any software updates. I've visited the FREECOM website and you can't get access to any patches etc unless you are registered.

I tried to register and every username/password I used was rejected as already being used. I find this hard to believe because I really entered some very obscured username/passwords like 'supercalifragilistic' and marypoppins etc but they were all rejected.

Can you point me towards any links were I could try and locate possible firmware/software updates for my CRD-BP1500P?

Quick edit is called for. :o)

One more thing, I'm fitting an extra cooling fan at the back of the computer case, should the fan being 'extracting HOT air' from inside the case and out of the back OR, should it be 'blowing COLD air' into the case?

Best regards

Brave01Heart



Last edited by Brave01Heart at Today at 3:34 pm

Thats interesting that it works, I mailed Abit and asked them if I could run it on my 400Mhz board and they said that it was not supported at all and most likely would cause problems. I'm using Rambus with an Intel 850 chipset and they said only the new 850E would work correctly.

I don't see how they can sell a system like that, I would think Intel would get upset at an OEM for doing that cause your not getting full use of the chip and if someone started having problems they might blame it on Intel. Rather large investment to make, could have saved several hundred getting a 2.4 at 400MHz and ended up in almost the same place.

About your fan, if it's near the top have it blow "out" of the box cause heat rises. The fan in the bottom front of the box should blow "in".
Dave

Hi Dave

Thanks for your input regarding my Intel P4 2.5Ghz.

Well, I say that the P4 2.5Ghz processor has a FSB of 533Mhz, but I have not seen that in black & white on any of the paperwork that came with the computer.

The only reason I stated that it has a FSB of 533Mhz was because, in my computer catalogue, it shows in the processor section:

Intel P4 2.4A 400Mhz (FSB)
Intel P4 2.4B 533Mhz (FSB)
Intel P4 2.5B 533Mhz (FSB)

So I'm assuming that my P4 is the 2.5B with 533Mhz FSB.

The motherboard is definitely the MSI-6533 ver 1

I cannot believe that a computer company would install an Intel P4 2.5Ghz processor with 533 FSB and then intsall it onto a motherboard which runs only at 400Mhz. Was there a P4 2.5 processor which runs at 400Mhz?

I' really like to get to the bottom of this.

Best regards to you.

Brave01Heart (aka Dave)