Question about ASUS CT-479 and Pentium M Dothan

moed

Distinguished
Feb 11, 2005
17
0
18,510
I recently read the article on the ASUS CT-479 upgrade adapter and the Pentium M Dothan CPU. I was intrigued by the results and am seriously thinking about implementing this configuration to the system that I am building. I recently purchased an ASUS P4C800-E mobo and the questions that I have concern the section of the article that states that the EPROM needs to be changed to a 2mbit one and that the BIOS needs to be flashed to the latest version. My mobo comes stock (according to the specs in the mobo manual and the ASUS website) with a 4mbit EPROM. In order for the CT-479 and Dothan 770 to work on my system, will I have to actually replace the EPROM or can I keep the existing one and just update the BIOS? If I DO need to replace the EPROM, where do I get it? This is only the 3rd time I've ever built a PC and this is going to be my personal high-end game machine so I want the fastest I can get and most importantly, to do it right!

Thanks!
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
2mbit is a minimum size, the added space is probably for the RAID controller and so forth. YOu just download the latest BIOS patch and install it. I hope you didn't pay much for that motherboard.

<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>
 

mozzartusm

Splendid
Sep 17, 2004
4,693
0
22,780
Hey Crashman, what are your thoughts on this Pentium M article?

Intel P4 550(3.4)@<font color=green>5Ghz</font color=green>
Asus P5AD2-E-Premium
Crucial Ballistix DDR2 667@<font color=red>DDR2 800<font color=red> make that <font color=red>DDR2 855 VALIDATED!<font color=red>Owned!
TT 680W PSU
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
I don't think much of the combination, simply because you can't do all the cool things you'd want to do with an M, like adjusting the multiplier and vCore.

I was disappointed not to see any Venice core comparisons, but unlike guys in the other post, doubt there was any intent to exclude them.

<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>
 

K8MAN

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2005
839
0
18,980
People who are interested in a cool running high end Intel without a high end power bill? Enthusiests looking for something different? AMD user's who are bored of their current 2.5GHZ setups who want a similar performing Intel setup without the heat? Curious George?

The know-most-of-it-all formally known as BOBSHACK
 

K8MAN

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2005
839
0
18,980
Compulsive buyers with too much money on their hands. People attempting to set new benchmark records. Intel fanatics who swallow their pride and buy a lower clocked higher performing chip?

The know-most-of-it-all formally known as BOBSHACK
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
I care. When you buy a P4C800-E Deluxe you expect it to be an awesome overclocker. You even cared enough to respond.

<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>
 

darth_farter

Distinguished
Dec 22, 2004
66
0
18,630
I have serious concerns regarding thg style of reviewing. the Dothan is indeniably a good chip, but it has some shortcomings, and THG didn't really show those to the userbase... remember the few tests where the dothan seemed to neglect to run? maybe I need to read it again, but I couldn't see any explanation to what exactly happened...

and in these age where months ago the winchesters where hot, till that passed and now the venice/sandiego/palermo is hot in the overclocking & modding enthusisat community I didn't see thg give any reviews on those... anybody know why those where deemed not important enough for the community, while we see all kinds of weird gadget reviews on the frontpage?

I take everything THG writes with a a 10 pound grain of salt.
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
THG definately has a problem here: As for the test that Dothan didn't run at another review, I think THG's intent was to show the capabilities of the technology...using a current CPU to predict future results, so hopefully in the future programs and the CPU will be improved for compatability. But anyway, THG has another problem!

They wanted to show how the Dothan was a superior basis (compared to Netburst cores) for new processors to be developed later. You've heard code names for the dual core CPU based on Dothan's technology. But if they didn't include some AMD CPU's, they'd be in trouble with a lot of readers. But instead of considering what they needed to do for those readers, it looks like they grabbed whatever was handy, carelessly, without even considering how bad it would make them look. That's just my take on 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>
 

menu_

Distinguished
May 28, 2005
1
0
18,510
The results people get with Dothan is astonishing !

Here is one thread (in Norwegian though - but the pictures is understandable for everoyne ? ) http://www.ocshoot.no/diskuter/showthread.php?t=5950 - the last pages has several links to pictures where one guy Kamerat is running his 1.6ghz Dothan at +3100mhz and achieve under 24 secs in SuperPi 1M !
NilsG is also clocking his 1.6ghz Dothan to 2640mhz without even raising the voltage.
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
Ah, but that doesn't address THG's problem.

If I were creating such an article and didn't have a 90nm A64 in hand, I'd put that in the article, stating "We didn't have 90nm Athlon 64's in hand at this lab before presstime, but look for future articles to detail improvements using Venice and San Diego cores".

<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>
 

Xeon

Distinguished
Feb 21, 2004
1,304
0
19,280
People who are interested in a cool running high end Intel without a high end power bill?
Cool running you make it sound like its a big deal for many steppings the Athlons put out their fare share of heat and it didn’t fiz AMD guys from buying them. As long as you can get rid of the heat effectively then heat isn’t a issue and power consumption is moot. If per say you run 1000 machines, then perhaps it becomes a consideration. Otherwise power user, gamer or anything from the like that would ordinarily run a single machine for usage won’t notice the moderate power increase.

I care. When you buy a P4C800-E Deluxe you expect it to be an awesome overclocker. You even cared enough to respond.
Not sure on the context of the post but the P4C800-E's are garbage droop mods are too much effort in my opinion.

-Jeremy Dach
 

K8MAN

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2005
839
0
18,980
50 extra watts of power is a lot of power if your machine is left on 24/7. If u can get better performance and use less power then it only seems like common sense to me to go for the lower power option. Anyone know what this would do to your power bills? I'm in oil not electricty so i dont have a clue.

The know-most-of-it-all formally known as BOBSHACK
 

K8MAN

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2005
839
0
18,980
yes hes taking them seriously and hes faking his skitzo shitzo to get moula from the gova.

The know-most-of-it-all formally known as BOBSHACK
 

Xeon

Distinguished
Feb 21, 2004
1,304
0
19,280
50 extra watts of power is a lot of power if your machine is left on 24/7. If u can get better performance and use less power then it only seems like common sense to me to go for the lower power option. Anyone know what this would do to your power bills? I'm in oil not electricty so i dont have a clue.
50 watts is not relative, with considerations it’s about 4.9-6.5 cents a kW.h, some states and provinces may differ.

Now I won’t trivialize it since over a year’s period it will add up but it still isn’t something that is "the end of the world" type scenario.

-Jeremy Dach
 

Crashman

Polypheme
Former Staff
I've said the same thing of the P4C800-E, but...

The voltage range at which noticeable droop occurs with Northwoods is 1.60v+

It's possible that droop may occur at lower voltage with a more power-hungry Prescott, but Dothans are miserly.

At low loads and/or lower voltages you don't see droop problems, the Dothan has both, if I had a P4C800-E today and a Dothan, I'd probably buy the adapter and sell my P4 system (complete with its droopless Soyo board).

<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

Polypheme
Former Staff
Well then, reread the last sentence of the second post on this thread!

<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>