Best mobo for P42.26 with DDR

[CJ145]

So lets say I will get the BD7-II. How can I run the PC3000 memory that I am going to get in it when it suports only PC2100? Is it like a bios flash? What is the maximum FSB? When do the dividers kick in?

 

[Darryl_D]

it doesn't only support pc2100 the intel 845E chipset only supports pc 2100... the bd7II thanks to abit supports up to ddr400 (pc3200)

 

[CJ145]

I guess that I am going to get the Abit BD7-II with the P42.26.

 

[Darryl_D]

GREAT!!! Let us know how it turns out...

 

[PhobMX]

why not asus p4b533???

DD, i want to do the same thing cjreis, but why do you say abit is more unstable than asus???

im still deciding wich of these mobos to get, i maybe use the cooling combo you mentioned, but is it too difficult to get the 3ghz with the abit? what a bout the asus?

thnx

 

[DMI+RY]

Abit boards are good overclockers but in case of P4 Northwood with DDR I prefer P4S533 from Asus.

SiS645DX much more efficient and outperforms all current DDR chipsets (save VIA's P4X333 wich is not available in US yet).

To compare with RDRAM PC1066 boards P4S533 loses in theoretical memory bandwidth and very little in memory benchmarks while outperforming RDRAM boards in OC flexibility. Yet RDRAM boards and mem sticks will eat up all your budget. Boards are about $30-$100 more expensive, and PC1066 so-so Kingstone 256MB cost about the same as the best 512MB of DDR by Corsair XMS, i.e. for RDRAM mobo w/ 512MB you will pay at least $100 more than for top of the line DDR configuration.

So if Money is no object and no overclocking intended - get P4/2.53B with 1GB of PC1066 (expect total system bill a way over $2000.00)

 

[PhobMX]

ohh ok, but...

to sume it up, do you recommend auss over abit air cooled to get 3ghz p4 2.26??

 

[CJ145]

It would be almost imposible because the maximum FSB on the ASUS with resonable PCI speeds is 150FSB. To get to 3.0GHz with the 2.26 it would be 17x(mutliplier) x 177(FSB) = 3.009GHz. As you see that could only hapen with no PCI cards instaled. Now people Have been hitting 3.0GHz with the Abit BD7-II because of locked PCI or dividers (I can't remember which one).

 

[PhobMX]

vcore

wtf, ive heard lots of ppl doing that, whats your vCore at? have you tried volt mods already?

 

[CJ145]

I don't have it yet but that is why I am getting the Abit BD7-II. Volt mod may be necessary.

 

[PhobMX]

you mean you bought BD7I??? ROFL!!!

sorry man, just be careful next time

 

[CJ145]

No I diden't buy anything yet but I meant the BD7-II that is 2.

 

[PhobMX]

ohh sorry...

Well it seems like the best option for oc, ill also buy it ina couple of weeks

 

[DMI+RY]

It would be almost imposible because the maximum FSB on the ASUS with resonable PCI speeds is 150FSB. To get to 3.0GHz with the 2.26 it would be 17x(mutliplier) x 177(FSB) = 3.009GHz. As you see that could only hapen with no PCI cards instaled. Now people Have been hitting 3.0GHz with the Abit BD7-II because of locked PCI or dividers (I can't remember which one).

On P4S533 you won't reach 177MHz FSB no matter how hard you try. I believe the BIOS limit is 166-170.
Yet I was able to run it quite stabnle @ 150MHz bus with 1.8A, t.e. @ 2.7 GHZ (3DMark2001SE won't work, prolly bekuz of too high AGP bus).

So in theory 2.0A should reach 3GHz at 150MHz system bus.

Yet I had too decrease bus due to 3DMark2001SE certification to 148MHz. And after that OpenGL start complaining. Games such as Medal Of Honor Allied Assault and others written in OpenGL were crushed randomly until I backed up to 146MHz bus.
Note, that I have a lot of peripheral cards/devices installed:
Onboard LAN
Leadtek GeForce4 Ti4400
Broadway Video Capture PCI
USRobotics 56K Modem (for backup dialup, I am on DSL)
SoundBlaster Audigy Platinum Ex

So all of them together might limit PCI/AGP top frequencies.
On P4S533 which imo is simply the best board out there (save for RDRAM PC1066 boards, where you have to put about $300 more for a couple of procentage points advantage in mem benchmars).

Yet, when I experimented with stock fan, at 2.7GHz 150x18 on STOCK FAN I was getting up to 60*C CPU temp (with amb temp about 28*C, or 82*F).

Latest Alpha and (of course) Swiftech will bring it down to 50*C and below.

BTW all of those 3GHz+ system are watercooled, and remember that there is a luck involved in hitting those results. Yet as I know, most of those guys backing up a lot to do the normal computing/gaming.

 

[CJ145]

DMI he asked about a P4 2.26 with a 17x multliplier and not the 2.0 with a 20x multliplier.

 

[sunnydale45402]

A reliable 3ghz solution

If you really want 3ghz get the Asus Pt4533 with 4200 Rdram bundled with a 2.26b or wait for the optically shrunk 2.26b I am waiting till the optically shrunk 2.26b comes out in a month it should be cooler a better overclocker and require less voltage. I want to get to 3ghz without a hassle and keep my system for about a year. I will use the AlphaPal 8942 with a vantec fan and use Artic Silver 3.

 

[Darryl_D]

okay reguarding all the questions on th3e abit bd7ii..... from what i have read from previous people who have gotten it.. it allows for a vcore of 1.6 or 1.7 (i forget which one)... the abit bd7ii is the better buy over the asus because asus uses pci dividers to try and keep the pci and agp cards in spec.... (33mhz pci and 66mhz agp respectively), and so at high fsb and the best dividers for the board... one is forced to run the pci bus at 37mhz (4 mhz above spec)... and a lot of pci cards don't like running at this speed... i know my modem doesn't (it's a creative labs modemblaster)... i also know that the sound blaster audigy's don't like it also.. and so your forced to do away with the things or to lower your overclock... the Abit boards lock the pci bus and the agp bus... so that they can ONLY run at 33mhz and 66mhz no matter how high you put the fsb... ultimately making the system more stable...

as far as getting to 3ghz is concerend so far 88 percent of the people have hit 3ghz with the 2.26.....the rest have come close (i remember seeing one at 2.9mhz and so on... that particular guy was only giving 1.7 volts so he could hit 3ghz... if he did a volt mod)

DMI man give it a rest... do you work for asus????

 

[df1603]

I am acctualy trying to RMA my P4S533 that I have with P4 1.8A and Smasung PC2700 DDR. It is not stable even at stock speeds even though I was able to post on 133/35 with 1.5vcore @2.4. The problem occured after few days when this rig was corrupting my win2k install everytime I tried to boot. Even at stock speeds. Wow. This was too much.
I think I will have Abit IT7 Max. What do you think about that one?

 

[Darryl_D]

the it7max is a good board... i don't forsee having any problems overclocking with it... Only reason why i wouldn't get the it7 is because it doesn't use standard ps2 mouse and keyboard, you'll have to use the newer usb kind (that or get a converter), if you want to know where to get a converter just let me know okay... However i will tell you this, when abit made the board they didn't have converters in mind so if you get the board you should really get native usb keyboard and a native usb mouse (nowadays they have mice and keyboards that they say are "usb compatible" but really all they have is a converter! try to not use these)

 

[df1603]

I planning to use it with logitech freedom optical that is acctualy USB/PS2 compatible. Would that one work with IT7 or shall I look for some other native USB model?