We get a lot of emails asking which chip is best to buy for overclocking. In general, 100 MHz CPUs are easier to overclock than 133 MHz parts, as the lower bus speed allows you to use 133 MHz; if you start at 133 MHz, you will wind up at 150-160 MHz if your RAM can support these speeds. In addition, from a price/performance standpoint, 500 – 600 MHz parts right now are a better bet.
This is a listing of the Coppermines that are out there and will shortly be out there. The Coppermines out there now are cA2 stepping. The new ones are cB0 stepping. If you want a shot at 900Mhz or better, don’t get the cA2 stepping, you probably won’t make it. Get the cB0 stepping. If 800Mhz is good enough, then the current stepping should be OK.
I realize not all of the processors out there are listed. I have one of them at the moment. I sent a note to Intel, and they said they’d try
to update faster, but this was the most complete list they had.
S-specs for Coppermines with the cA2 stepping:
100Mhz Processors
FC-PGA Processors | |||
S Spec | Speed | Retail/OEM | Dual CPU |
SL3Q9 | 500E | OEM | ??* |
SL3R2 | 500E | Retail | ??* |
SL3QA | 550E | OEM | ??* |
SL3R3 | 550E | Retail | ??* |
SL3VH | 600E | OEM | Yes |
SL3NL | 600E | Retail | Yes |
SL3VJ | 650 | OEM | Yes |
SL3NM | 650 | Retail | Yes |
SL3VL | 700 | OEM | Yes |
SL3T3 | 700 | Retail | Yes |
SL3VN | 750 | OEM | Yes |
SL3VC | 750 | Retail | Yes |
SL3X4 | 800E | OEM | Yes |
SL3VD | 800E | Retail | Yes |
SECC2 Processors | |||
SL3V5 | 550 | Retail | Yes |
SL3H6 | 600 | OEM | Yes |
SL3NA | 600 | Retail | Yes |
SL3KV | 650 | OEM | Yes |
SL3NR | 650 | Retail | Yes |
SL3S9 | 700 | OEM | Yes |
SL3SY | 700 | Retail | Yes |
SL3WC | 750 | OEM | Yes |
SL3V6 | 750 | Retail | Yes |
SL3Z6 | 800E | OEM | Yes |
SL3V7 | 800E | Retail | Yes |
* If the answer is “No.” Intel states “These processors have not been validated in Dual Processor (DP) applications”. This doesn’t mean that they won’t work, but that you may have to finagle with them to do so. Oddly, though, the language is there for the newest FCPGAs, but no longer for the older ones, for which Intel first stated this.
133Mhz Processors
If you want to overclock your Coppermine, DO NOT BUY THESE.
FC-PGA Processors | |||
S Spec | Speed | Retail/OEM | Dual CPU |
SL3VF | 533EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3VA | 533EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3VG | 600EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3VB | 600EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3VK | 667 | OEM | Yes |
SL3T2 | 667 | Retail | Yes |
SL3VM | 733 | OEM | Yes |
SL3T4 | 733 | Retail | Yes |
SL3WB | 800EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3VE | 800EB | Retail | Yes |
SECC2 Processors | |||
SL3N6 | 533EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3SX | 533EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3H7 | 600EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3NB | 600EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3KW | 667 | OEM | Yes |
SL3ND | 667 | Retail | Yes |
SL3SB | 733 | OEM | Yes |
SL3SZ | 733 | Retail | Yes |
SL3WA | 800EB | OEM | Yes |
SL3V8 | 800EB | Retail | Yes |
The real purpose behind this is to tell you what to look for, which is the cB0 stepping. Here are the s-specs for these:
S-specs for Coppermines with the new cB0 stepping:
100Mhz Processors
FC-PGA Processors | |||
S Spec | Speed | Retail/OEM | Dual CPU |
SL444 | 500E | OEM | No* |
SL446 | 500E | OEM | No* |
SL45R | 500E | Retail | No* |
SL44G | 550E | Retail | No* |
SL45T | 550E | Retail | No* |
SL3XU | 600E | OEM | Yes |
SL45U | 600E | Retail | Yes |
SL3XV | 650 | OEM | Yes |
SL45W | 650 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XX | 700 | OEM | Yes |
SL45Y | 700 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XZ | 750 | OEM | Yes |
SL462 | 750 | Retail | Yes |
SL3Y3 | 800E | OEM | Yes |
SL463 | 800E | Retail | Yes |
SL43H | 850E | OEM | Yes |
SL49G | 850E | Retail | Yes |
SECC2 Processors | |||
SL3XH | 550E | OEM | Yes |
SL44X | 550E | Retail | Yes |
SL43E | 600E | OEM | Yes |
SL44Y | 600E | Retail | Yes |
SL3XK | 650 | OEM | Yes |
SL452 | 650 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XM | 700 | OEM | Yes |
SL454 | 700 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XP | 750 | OEM | Yes |
SL456 | 750 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XR | 800E | OEM | Yes |
SL457 | 800E | Retail | Yes |
SL43F | 850E | OEM | Yes |
SL47M | 850E | Retail | Yes |
* Intel states “These processors have not been validated in Dual Processor (DP) applications”. This doesn’t mean that they won’t work, but that you may have to finagle with them to do so.
133Mhz Processors
If you want to overclock your Coppermine, DO NOT BUY THESE.
FC-PGA Processors | |||
S Spec | Speed | Retail/OEM | Dual CPU |
SL3XS | 533EB | OEM | Yes |
SL45S | 533EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3XT | 600EB | OEM | Yes |
SL45B | 600EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3XL | 667 | OEM | Yes |
SL453 | 667 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XY | 733 | OEM | Yes |
SL45Z | 733 | Retail | Yes |
SL3Y2 | 800EB | OEM | Yes |
SL464 | 800EB | Retail | Yes |
SL43J | 866 | OEM | Yes |
SL49H | 866 | Retail | Yes |
SECC2 Processors | |||
SL3XG | 533EB | OEM | Yes |
SL44W | 533EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3XJ | 600EB | OEM | Yes |
SL44Z | 600EB | Retail | Yes |
SL3XL | 667 | OEM | Yes |
SL453 | 667 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XN | 733 | OEM | Yes |
SL455 | 733 | Retail | Yes |
SL3XQ | 800EB | OEM | Yes |
SL458 | 800EB | Retail | Yes |
SL43G | 866 | OEM | Yes |
SL47N | 866 | Retail | Yes |
SL48s | 1,000 | OEM | No** |
**Unlike the low-speed Coppermines described above, Intel flat out states “These processors cannot be used in Dual Processor (DP) applications”.
Intel’s labeling can be very confusing:
- If there is more than one processor type at a certain speed, then Intel uses the “E” and “EB” labels.
- An “E” means it’s a Coppermine running at 100Mhz FSB.
- An “EB” means it’s a Coppermine running at 133Mhz FSB.
- If there is only one processor type at a certain speed, then these labels are not used.
- Every Intel CPU running at 650Mhz or higher is a Coppermine.
- Every Coppermine CPU that is running at less than 650Mhz is designated by Intel with an “E” or “EB” tag, which you should see in any retail ad. If the ad doesn’t say that, don’t assume it’s a Coppermine, it may not be.
- All Coppermines run at 1.6V or 1.65V, and that should be clearly marked on the CPU. Katmais run at 2.0V.
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