This is my first time here, but this forum seems like a good place to ask my question.

At this time I am not up to building a whole new computer (as I usually build my own), but I am thinking about upgrading my current computer with a new CPU.

My current machine is a Pentium 4 3.06ghz machine with 2gigs of dual channel PC2700 DDR (333). My current motherboard, a ASUS P5P800 SE will support up to a Pentium D 960. Looking around I have noticed that there are some pretty decently priced pentium Ds out there so I have been thinking of getting one.

However, my question is that I have noticed that the specs of all of the pentium Ds I have looked at say that the lowest memory supported is DDR 400. Past experience with computers tells me that my dual channel DDR 333 will probably work, but I thought I'd ask around and see what others had to say.

Thanks


KBR
Acts 16:31

I know nothing of the pentium Ds but I thought I would throw out a reply since your post was going to get lost at sea.

Where did you see that info? Was it listed as "supports DDR 400?" If that is the case you need to think the opposite and assume DDR400 is the max level of RAM you can use. BTW, it should be a mobo spec, not a CPU spec...where did you get that info?

Thanks.

I got the information here;

http://compare.intel.com/pcc/default.aspx?familyID=1

You have a selection of most of Intel's CPUs from P4 up to the Core 2 Quads that you can select. Select any of the D series and then click on compare. On the next screen, scroll down until you see the memory catagory for the selected CPUs.

Currently the 3.06 is hard to find (at a good price) as it was the highest speed P4 available for a 533MHz bus (and its the max supported by many older motherboards). Sell it (on Ebay or elsewhere), you should get a good return. Most of the cheap Pentium D processors you're seeing are LGA775 processors (and are NOT compatible with your Socket 478 motherboard).
If you can find a Socket 478 Pentium D processor at a good price, buy it (your motherboard does support 400MHz memory).
However, if you're upgrading the memory, considering the price of the memory and the processor, you might want to upgrade the motherboard as well. Socket 775 motherboards that support DDR2 (which is REALLY cheap) could also offer you the option of a CD2 processor (which would be WAY faster than a Netburst based Pentium).

kbr, you're getting DDR2 RAM confused with DDR RAM. In any case, it's the chipset that determines what memory will work on Intel systems, not the CPU. You'll note that your chipset is not included in the list on the Intel page you mention, so that's not the right page to be looking at.
Ignore iggybeans' post, because you DO have a socket LGA 775 MB. The RAM in your system will work fine with any CPU you use; it might slow things down just a touch, but that's why Intel CPUs have relatively large caches, so it shouldn't be noticeable.

Thanks for the info. Mondoman, your reply was what I thinking, but it's good to hear it confirmed by someone else.

I had bought my motherboard quite some time ago when it was still a pretty decent board. The chipset on the board is Northridge: 865PE/Southbridge: Intel ICH5. According to a document I saved from ASUS's website listing all the CPUs that it will support, it can go up to a up to a Pentium D 960.

However I have been having second thoughts about upgrading to a P D, as I have been reading around and found out that they get very hot. I also haven't been able to determine if the power gain would be worth the high prices that the Ds are going for right now.

I've been thinking it might be better to just save up and start on a Core2 system. But if I do happen across a PD at a reasonable price, I might give it a try to tide me over until I have the new system together.

Thanks again.

That would be my thinking, too.