Which new CPU for my old socket A board?

OK, I got $50 for my birthday from the in-laws. I'd like some advice on which XP to get for my A7V133.

Currently I have an XP1600 AGOIA 0208. Highest I've gotten stable is 1750. Highest FSB I've gotten is 147 stable (not to bad for this old board and cheap ram).

Options that I've thought of:
1) 1700 (Newegg $52 or Gameve $49 ?) limits me to 12.5*147=1837
(unless I can do a wire trick to get the upper multi's?)

2) 1800 (Newegg $50 oem / $56 Retail) I've read some good things lately about the 1800's (I'd pay the $6 for the exta HSF, crappy though it is if the retail might be a better stepping, anybody know?) Same limits as the 1700.

3) 2100 (Newegg $64 oem / $67 retail) This would give me the upper multi's and allow me to hopefully get to around 2200 (or better ) Again $3 for the crappy HSF would be worth it for the better stepping if anyone knows.

Obviously, warranty isn't an issue , wouldn't mind the extra HSF for a couple bucks.

TBreds aren't garunteed to work in my A7V133 (1.04), though neither was my XP1600 and it works just fine.

So - Any thoughts? Please help me decide which one and where from. Thanks in advance.




I'd like to eventually upgrade the whole system, but don't have the money for a mobo and memory right now.

Older chipset motherboards usually don't have options to set multiplyers above 12.5 because no CPU's had multi's that high when the chipset came out. That doesn't mean a 2400+ won't work at the right speed per se, but it is highly likely that a Tbred with high multi's unlocked will still use its default multiplyer, and you'll find no option in the bios to change it to 13 or above.

Check your bios and see what multiplyers are listed before considering a 2100+ or breaking the L3 bridge on a lower speed Tbred.

My current bios has support for the higher multipliers. I think maybe up to 17 or 18, maybe higher. I don't think that that will be an issue. I will check next time I re-boot. I know for sure that it has at least some of the higher ones (13-15).

Will breaking one of the L3's give me the higher multi's?

I've been doing some reading on a7vtroubleshooting and it appears that there is a good chance that a 2100 will work. Definately has 17x133 and 20x100 multi working possibly some others.

Still need advice on which will serve me best in the long run.

Is it better/easier to access the higher multi's with a 1700 now or the lower multi's later on with the 2100?

Two reasons to get a 2100+ are:
1. newegg ships A's quite often if you order below 2100+. They guarantee 2100+ to be a T-Bred B.

2. I have 2100+ hitting higher multis + lower multis and 1700+ hitting only lower multis.
http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=232303

I would get the 2100+

But thats just me.... I am going to pick one up cause I have an older board sitting around, need to get a farm going.