Noob question re CPU

[Miller233]

Hi all, the CPU in my system is a P4 3.2Ghz with HT.

Recently I have been running 3dMark03 to see how my system compares to similar setups and was dissapointed at the results I was getting. Then I noticed the FSB of my chip is 200 compared to 266 for almost all the other P4's rated at 3.2Ghz.

My question is, is there some way to alter mine up to 266 (I presume it will be done in the bios settings but after having a look at mine I cant find a setting changer for this!) Or do I have an earlier chip that only operates at 200? My system is 9 months old if this is any help.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[sobelizard]

If you want helpful replies, you should include what mb you are using with that cpu.

<font color=green><b><i>Lizards</font color=green></b> do <b>not</b> taste like <b><font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b>,<b> <font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b> tastes like <font color=green><b>lizard.</b></font color=green></i>

 

[Miller233]

Motherboard is an ASUS P4P800...

 

[jammydodger]

I believe that is a socket478 motherboard, no socket478 motherboard supports 266Mhz P4's they are only supported by LGA775 motherboards.

You could be thinking about your RAM, the ideal RAM for your setup is PC3200 set up in dual channel mode. PC3200 runs at 200Mhz (effectivly 400Mhz because it is DDR) in dual channel makes 800Mhz = to you P4 bus.

 

[sobelizard]

The speed or frequency of a CPU is calculated by a simple formula:

Front Side Bus x Multiplier = CPU Frequency

In your case, your Intel Pentium 4 3.2Ghz CPU operates at a 200MHz (800Mhz quad-pumped) front side bus:
200Mhz FSB x 16 = 3.2Ghz

In the case of a 266 fsb, the formula would be 266Mhz FSB x 12 = 3192 or 3.2Ghz

Calculating CPU Speed

The CPU speed is based on two measurements, the Front Side Bus speed (FSB) and the clock multiplier. The CPU speed is set by taking the clock multiplier and multiplying it to the speed of the FSB.

Today most CPUs are processor locked (look carefully at exactly what chip/core you are buying). Meaning that the clock multiplier settings are built into the chip so the clock multiplier cannot be changed (even if you specify a different multiplier on your motherboard, it remains fixed on the CPU). This leaves you with one other way to overclock your computer, you can just increase your FSB
speed.

The FSB speed is not just the speed in which the CPU and motherboard communicate, it is the speed in which the whole motherboard will run. It also increases the speed for the PCI bus and memory access.

I suspect the difference in the fsb of 200 versus 266 has to do with the cpu model. Intel has three classes of P4 chips that are available in the 3.2Ghz speed (to see all the cpus and their corresponding steps-

<http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/default.asp?CHRID=483>

Pentium® 4 Processor 540 Supporting HT Technology†
Processor Number 540
Architecture 90 nanometer technology
L2 Cache 1M
L3 Cache N/A
Clock Speed 3.20 GHz
Front Side Bus Speed 800 MHz
Other Intel Technologies HT† Enabled
Package FC-LGA
Chipset Intel® 925X, 915 Chipsets
Memory Type Dual Channel DDR2 400,
DDR 400/333
Boards Compatible Boards (AttrID=131)
Slot/Socket Type SOCKET
Operating Voltage N/A
Min-Max Voltage 1.25-1.40
Pin Count 775-land
sSpec Number SL7J7

Pentium® 4 Processor Supporting HT Technology†
Processor Number N/A
Architecture 90 nanometer technology
L2 Cache 1M
L3 Cache N/A
Clock Speed 3.20E GHz
Front Side Bus Speed 800 MHz
Other Intel Technologies HT† Enabled
Package FC-PGA4
Chipset 865PE,
865G,
875P
Memory Type Dual Channel DDR, DDR
Boards Compatible Boards (AttrID=117)
Slot/Socket Type SOCKET
Operating Voltage N/A
Min-Max Voltage 1.25-1.40
Pin Count 478-pin
sSpec Number SL7B8


Pentium® 4 Processor Supporting HT Technology†
Processor Number N/A
Architecture 0.13 micron technology
L2 Cache 512 KB
L3 Cache N/A
Clock Speed 3.20 GHz
Front Side Bus Speed 800 MHz
Other Intel Technologies HT† Enabled
Package FC-PGA2
Chipset 865PE,
865G,
875P
Memory Type Dual Channel DDR, DDR
Boards Compatible Boards (AttrID=101)
Slot/Socket Type SOCKET
Operating Voltage N/A
Min-Max Voltage 1.475-1.55
Pin Count 478-pin
sSpec Number SL6WG

<font color=green><b><i>Lizards</font color=green></b> do <b>not</b> taste like <b><font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b>,<b> <font color=yellow>chicken</font color=yellow></b> tastes like <font color=green><b>lizard.</b></font color=green></i>

 

[Unolocogringo]

You are comparing your system to an overclocked system at the same processor speed.You will always score lower.

A P4 2.4@ 266fsb= approximately 3.2 my 2.6@250 fsb=3.25gig.

So even though our processors are running the same speed(approximately) our motherboards, memory, northbridge etc. are all running much faster.

I aint signing nothing!!!

 

[endyen]

Dont try comparing bungholio marks with people at the futuremark site. The jack up the speed of thier chip, and graphics card. We are talking people whose whole existance is getting the most bungholio marks possible.

 

[Crashman]

No need to "dumb down" just because a few editors did, the P4 bus is Quad Data Rate (QDR), which is easily understood as having a data rate 4x the clock rate, as opposed to the dumbed down and simply wrong term "quad-pumped", where there are no pumps and the term means nothing.

<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]

I don't know where you're getting your faulty information, but the P4 3.2GHz (both Northwood and Prescott cores) have an 800 bus (quad data rate) with a 200MHz actual clock speed. It's perfectly matched with PC3200, which is DDR 400 (clock rate of 200MHz with a data rate 2x that) in dual channel mode (which again doubles the data transfer to equal that of the P4).

<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>