Compatible Processor?

[rbautch]

After my mobo died, I ended up buying the ASUS P4P800SE (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131484). Turns out my processor was also fried, so I'm first time shopping for one. Is there anything else besides the socket 478 that I should be looking for in a compatible processor? Can anyone recommend a particular processor or deal? I use the PC mostly for video editing, and considering 3.0-3.6GHz speeds.

[kram 2.0]

Are you sure your processor is also fried?

If you can, I'd suggest looking strongly for a well-priced Northwood Core Pentium 4. As well, look for a 800Mhz Front Side Bus Speed. Northwood 800Mhz FSBs are denoted with a "C" after the clockspeed while Prescott 800Mhz FSBs have a "E" after the clockspeed.

kram

[rbautch]

Tigerdirect tested the processor in another motherboard, and still no POST. What's the difference between a Northwood and a Prescott?

[Gizmo]

I think one has more L1 or L2 cache than the other.

[kram 2.0]

Tigerdirect tested the processor in another motherboard, and still no POST. What's the difference between a Northwood and a Prescott?
If this gets confusing, just skip to the third paragraph.

Well, a few basic things. PNI, level two cache, and therefore heat and performance. Because Intel was reaching a clockspeed barrier with the Northwood Core, they decided to institute a new set of pipeline instructions, "PNI" (Prescott New Instructions) to the already long NetBurst pipelines. As a result, it took more time to process a set of tasks through the processor. To counterbalance the effect, the processor has greater level two cache - a "quick access" on-die memory, where the CPU can access. Northwoods have 512k. Prescotts have 1MB.

Doing so caused two things. One, a general performance difference with the original, and two, and more important, heat. Up to the clockspeed of 3.2Ghz, Prescotts generally tend to give up performance to the Northwood Cores. On top of that, Northwoods run much much cooler - almost no comparison here.


Hope that helps,
kram

[rbautch]

Thanks. Just bought this one! (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116164)

[glc]

Excellent processor, it's just too bad that it's kinda expensive.