1.2ghz (200fsb) T-Bird, 1.2ghz (266fsb) T-Bird, Whats the difference?

[bdf24]

What is the difference between these 2 chips. I know the FSB's are different. But will they run on the same Board. I was thinking of getting an Abit KT7A Raid. Will the 266mhz fsb chip run on that board?

I know nothing about AMD as I have always bought intel. So any help is appreciated.

[Da Whip]

Yes the KT7A will run 266fsb T-Bird. The difference is how high you will be able to push your ram, this also depends on how good your ram is.

[taz1004]

Difference is the FSB and also the multiplier. For 1.2Ghz 200FSB, it's 12multiplier X 100FSB = 1.2Ghz. For 266FSB counterpart, it's 9multiplier X 133FSB = 1.197Ghz which is close to 1.2Ghz. So you can't do much multiplier overclocking with 200FSB version as well as you can with 266FSB version since 12.5 multiplier is highest most motherboards support.

--BrianC

[Yomama]

The superficial difference is the FSB speed allowing a faster system via faster ram in case of the 266. If unlocked the 200FSB chip can be run at the same multiplier/fsb combination as the 266 chip (i.e. 9x133, instaed of 12x100). In that case the difference boils down to the default multiplier in the microcode of the chip, which is almost insignificant.

If you intend to o/c it does not matter, the most important decicion point is whether this chip is an AXIA stepping.

If you do not want to o/c then get the 266. It builds the faster system.
Yo

[Hoot]

Yo and others, I believe the default speed is not in the microcode, but rather it is set by the coding of the surface bridges, either L3, L4 and L6 or some combination of them. By having all the bridges closed on L1, you can overide the other bridges. I personally believe that for a given certified speed, IE 1.0, 1.2, 1.3/1.33, with the same stepping code, the cores are the same. Just the surface bridges are different.

Hoot

[bdf24]

Thanks for the info guys!

[Jsmooth]

OK here is the big difference a 1.2 ghz Athlon with a 266 mhz FSB is more optimized to run in either a system with PC 133 SDRAM or PC 2100 DDR SDRAM. If you run PC 133 SDRAM on a MOBO with a 100 mhz FSB or with a 200 mhz FSB cpu you are bottlnecking the potential of the memory, hence you are not getting the full potential out of your system. The best combo right now is a Athlon C (266 FSB) with PC 2100 DDR SDRAM, but if you already have good PC 133 a more cost effective solution would just be a KT133A chipset MOBO, otherwise you are looking at upgrading the RAM, MOBO, and CPU instead of just the MOBO and CPU. One other thing to consider is that AMD has just announced the Athlon4 chip and although it is only available for mobile computing right now it is going to debut probably in the 3rd quarter of this year at a speed of 1.5 ghz in a desktop platform. Along with this chip AMD plans on releasing the 760MP chipset (thats right the MP stands for multi processor) which also uses the new Athlon4 (this will be the first official SMP capable chip from AMD) and DDR SDRAM. So with all this upcoming technology you have to ask yourself if what you are running right now is fast enough for a few months or if the upgrade is really worth it right now. Personally I'm gonna hold out for a Dual Athlon 1.5 beast!!!

Asus A7A133
Athlon C 266fsb 1.2 ghz @ 1.4 stable 140 x 10 (until I get better cooling!)
30 GB W.D. ATA 100 7200 RPM HDD
Hercules 3D Prophet 2 Ultra 64 MB DDR
Sound Blaster Live! Platinum 5.1
256 MB Crucial PC 133 SDRAM 2-2-2 turbo settings

[bdf24]

Well I here you there as far as is it worth upgrading now when the new and better hardware is right around the corner. But if you think about it thats the way it always is with computers.

Call me cheap but I never buy a new cpu or chipset right when it comes out. I'd have to be rich! I always hold off for a while and then buy it when the next new thing comes out. Which is usually around a year of so.

I have had this PIII 800 for almost a year and the motherboard over a year. I figure if I get the T-Bird 1200, with a KT7A. Which I'll be running with my Micron PC 133 cas 2 ram, That should hold me for another year or so. Considering a lot of people are getting around 1500mhz out of that chip.