Help: FC-PGA2 and PPGA, compatible?

[xaphod]

Hello all,

I have an HP Netserver LP1000r, and it has one out of two CPU sockets filled. Of course I don't want to buy an official HP part because that would cost 10x the money, I just want to buy one off ebay.

My question is, in regards to the P3 933EB (133mhz FSB), would the FC-PGA2 and PPGA processors be mutually compatible? Ie. can you stick an FC-PGA2 cpu in the socket a PPGA cpu just came out of? They are both 370 pins, from the diagrams it looks like the only difference is that the die is on either the top or bottom of the plate?

The problem is I don't really have any way of opening up my machine to find out what I already have, and I can't find any docs on the net that say what type of CPUs my machine has.

Here's intel's processor finder showing two different variants of the P3 933EB...

http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/details.asp?sSpec=SL5U3

.. and..

http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/details.asp?sSpec=SL52q

Thanks for the help!

X

 

[Nights_L]

Not compatible, you'll have to find PPGA to FC-PGA2 socket 370 adapter

 

[Crashman]

Listen VERY CAREFULLY!

OK, now you really NEED to know this: There is a lot of confusion in the market about FC-PGA2. Intel released FC-PGA2 with the Tualatin then ADDED IT TO COPPERMINES. What this means is that MOST people ASSUME WRONGLY that FC-PGA2 means Tualatin.

What FC-PGA2 REALLY indicates is that Intel added a heat spreader (metal lid) to the CPU to prevent it from getting chipped during installation. Since the last few batches of Coppermines were FC-PGA2, they will work in your board just as your current FC-PGA processor did.

The ways to tell the Coppermine (compatable with your board) from the Tualatin (probably not compatable) are any of the following:

Coppermine:
.18 micron
1.50-1.75v

Tualatin:
.13 micron
1.45-1.475v

Those things will be advertised when you purchase. It doesn't matter if you get an FC-PGA or FC-PGA2 processor as long as it's Coppemine, don't assume because one is labled FC-PGA2 that it isn't.

Like I said, the only difference was the heat spreader, both are actually the same otherwise. IE, if you took the heat spreader off an FC-PGA2 Coppermine you'd have an FC-PGA Coppermine.


<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Crashman]

Read what I said turd, I owned a PIII 1000EB FC-PGA2 Coppermine, 1.75v, .18 micron, I still have the box to prove it.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Nights_L]

oops..I'm wrong again :redface:
don't have to prove it, I take it with no doubt :lol:

 

[Crashman]

Crap d00d, didn't mean to hurt you, I was just reacting in SHOCK to what you said!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[xaphod]

Thanks very much for your help so far. There's still an issue i'm stuck on though: although you've explainined that FC-PGA and FC-PGA2 are pretty much the same, you haven't mentioned PPGA in your post. Is PPGA also compatible with FC-PGA(2) ?

I undoubtedly need a coppermine not a tualatin, thanks for the micron specifications as that allows me to use Intel's processor spec finder with Ebay-CPU stepping codes.

X

 

[Crashman]

I didn't mention PPGA as it's normally used to refer to old Celerons and Pentium MMX processors for the most part. PPGA means Plastic Pin Grid Array, and while all of Intel's processors have used plastic since the Pentium MMX, they refer to NEWER processors such as the Socket 370 PIII as FC-PGA. FC-PGA means "Flip Chip-Pin Grid Array" and refers to how they flipped the core over so it stuck out the top for better cooling. FC-PGA2 refers to an FC-PGA processor with a heat spreader.

The OLD Celerons (266-500MHz, some 533MHz parts) used a slightly different pin definition than the later Coppermines (bot Celeron and PIII) but both worked on the same board. Then Tualatins had another slight change in pin definitions, which meant that most products supporting Tualatins didn't support early Celerons. So you had the very early Socket 370 boards supporting only early Celerons, slightly revised boards supporting Coppermines AND early Celerons, and newer boards supporting Tualatins and Coppermines. I'm fairly certain no boards supported both Tualatins and early Celerons.

So now that I've explained it, you can see how it doesn't affect you. You either have an FC-PGA or FC-PGA2 processor already. It has a Coppermine core, which is your main restiction when finding a new processor.

And a lot of venders are more confused than you, mistaking Coppermine PIII's with the FC-PGA2 heat spreader and Tualatins.

Now that you know why I didn't answer your question, I have an answer: Your board most likely follows the most common, middle design. Which means it would work with PPGA Celerons and Coppermines. Which would include Coppermines in FC-PGA2 packaging, but would NOT include Tualatins (which always use FC-PGA2 packaging). Therefor you can conclude that MOST boards worked PPGA Celerons and SOME FC-PGA2 processors (the ones with Coppermine cores) but not other FC-PGA2 processos (the ones with Tualatin cores). And at this point FC-PGA and FC-PGA2 becomes irrelavent for motherboard compatability.

I'm going to help you out:
<A HREF="http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=PIII933FC&cat=CPU" target="_new">Coppermine PIII 933EB at Compgeeks for $38</A>

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[xaphod]

Wicked, that clears it all up, thanks!

X