socket 478 still in use?

[mickeddie]

How much of a demand is there nowadays for socket 478 machines? When I visit ewiz they always seem to have a 478 mobo and/or cpu on sale. Other than cost why would someone build a socket 478 machine with newer 775 components that do not cost too much more?

Eddie

 

[Scougs]

There really isn't much of a reason to build a socket 478 system unless you can build it really cheap or already have some of the components.

The last generation of Northwood core P4s and the first generation of Prescott P4s can still put up respectable performance numbers for a single core processor. Unfortunately only a few rare and expensive motherboards support PCI express which is really the only way to go with a new system.

I have a socket 478 system and I am still happy with it's performance but I wouldn't build one from scratch for myself at this point. My system is based on the Intel 865PE chipset with a Pentium 4 2.8C Northwood (800MHz fsb/512k L2 cache/Hyperthreading).
I have the CPU overclocked to 3.5GHz. 8)

 

[Topota_madre]

There ere Nothwood P4 and AGP low power fanless graphic cards. You can build one low power, low cost HTPC with 478.

 

[sailer]

I would guess that there's really little demand for a socket 478 machine. Sure, someone will want it, but its becoming obsolete so fast that soon not much of anything new will run on it. I have one as a spare, just to get onto the internet and do some typing if my main machine is down, but that's all. It will never be upgraded and when it quits, any parts still useable will be transfered into a new build, the rest put in the recycler.

 

[theaxemaster]

Sure you could build a low cost PC, but you may as well just get a pentium d at that point, since they're cheap as hell and also put up respectable performance numbers.

So no, not really any demand for them. Sounds like ewiz is trying to shed them.

 

[wun911]

Here is my 478 specs:

Abit IC7G
P4 3.4 prescot
6800 Ultra
Maxtor 200Gb HD (SATA)
2Gb kingston value ram
Tagan 550 wat PSU

(It can overclock quite well but of course it cant oc like an 805)

Ive had this system for a couple of years now runs fine.... plays games like oblivion quite well.... can even beat some of the older 775 systems (with similar specs)!

IF its CHEAP and it will SURFICE your needs then get it.

I miss the days of CPUs with those pins.... The 775 socket and CPU set up is kinda wacky in my opnion.

 

[Crashman]

Socket 478 is actually popular in emerging markets. Old, cheap boards, and the CPU's these people tend to buy like the Celeron 310 are dirt cheap too.

 

[MOREPOWERPLEASE123]

I am still using my 478, just holding on to it long enough for some heavy AMD price cuts in July. I can play Farcry as long as I turn the graphics WAY down. I built it 2.5 years ago with a somewhat cheaper graphics card, planning on upgrading, but then never got around to it. 3.0 Northwood, 1 gig OCZ ddr400, and 5700 Ultra. Not as good as my o'ced AMD, but it works now. I would not recomend this as a new build, there's just so much out now that's better, and still cheap. If you're going cheap, you'd be better to go AMD 939, at least you could still upgrade later to dual core, no such option with 478. My next venture is AM2, July can't get here quick enough.

 

[djkrypplephite]

There is actually still great demand for it. Intel still hasn't stopped manufacturing the original 486 chip:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/18/intel_cans_386_486_960_cpus/

I don't know who the hell is still buying these things, but they're out there.

 

[Crashman]

embedded 486's are good for stuff that needs very little computational power, tolerates a relatively high-heat environment, etc. A lot of manufacturing equipment is based on 80's tech because there's hasn't been any need to do any major re-designs.