A Look Down the Path: Socket A vs. Socket 478

[BujinZero]

OK guys time to play with your crystal balls...

When I build computers for people, one of the most commonly asked questions I hear is, "is this thing expandable/upgradable?" Of course, as enthusiasts, we know the answer depends on your budget and what you're willing to change. Most of us can do things to a computer in minutes that would leave Joe Six-Pack dumbfounded for hours. Pretend it's eight or so months from now. We'll probably be zipping along on our Hammers and Prescotts, but average consumers will be running the same parts we stuck in their machine eight months ago. All those cool toys like Serial ATA and Dual Channel DDR are fun and useful, but the public doesn't buy computers based on technologies like that. They want speed. Well, more specifically, they want a speed rating. Big numbers must make it good, right? Ignorance is comfortably logical. So when we're asked to consult an upgrade down the road, which CPU platform (Socket A or Socket 478) will have the best choices available? Will Socket A die when Hammer is released? Is Thoroughbred as far as AMD is taking Socket A? Would current 478 mobos support Prescott (if it is indeed a Socket 478 chip)? I'm more curious about Socket A because I almost never build P4 systems. I suppose it's all still speculation, the future hasn't actually happened yet, but thanks anyway for any insight you can provide.

 

[ToBeMe]

Socket "A" IS gone with the "Hammer".............There will still be socket A chips, at least for a while of course, but there will be no "Hammer" chips or "K8's" based on socket A. As far as Socket 478, the P4 Northwoods will continue up until 4Ghz or so according to Intel, and the Prescott will also be Socket 478 according to their recent publications. If so, and Intel keeps Prescott and beyond on socket 478, it could be around and used as Intel main socket for the next 3 years at least...................but, I wouldn't hold my breath................

 

[joe4324]

I think socket A has some time left, (how far they going to push the xp's?) but its reign is nearly over. I applaud AMD for sticking with the same socket for over 2 years (3?) how many times has intel changed there sockets? in the same amount of time PIII slot, socket 370,428? then 478? I think thats 4. I find intels "strategy" extremely disheartening when it comes to upgrade ability. I can put a xp into the same socket a duron 600 sat in with AMD systems. you dont have nearly as much ability with intel, at least not in the past. I would say that for ht enext few months while we all wait for hammer and prescots I would consider the socket 478 the best bet for long term upgradability. Only because its brandnew and amd's socket A is reaching the end of its lifespan.

 

[Athlon4all]

Socket A is on the final leg of its life. Any SocketA board right now should support all future Athlon XP's unless AMD does the unlikely move to 166fsb, I predict that the Athlon XP can reach a model number of 3000+-3400+ (2.33GHz-2.6GHz) provided AMD"s .13um Process matures. Will AMD go that far, who knows. It all depends when they want to move the Athlon XP to the K8, when AMD does that, Socket A will be dead except for the chips that had already been released.

Now as for Socket 478, Prescott will be a Socket 478 CPU, and theoretically, Intel could make it possible for a Prescott to be dropped into the current generation of P4 Boards, but there are 2 things that could prevent this from happening:

1. Intel must make 533fsb versions of Prescott alongside the 667fsb versions. There is a good possibility for this happening (Intel has/will have 400fsb and 533fsb Northwoods for the 2.2, 2.4, 2.53, and 2.6 P4's)
2. This is a more serious problem for Socket 478 compatibility. Prescott will be a .09 micron CPU, and there is a very big possibility that we will see Intel be forced to make Prescott incompatible with previous boards (ie Socket 478P like how we have the Socket 370T for the .13um Tualatin Celeron's). Wingznut PEZ has said that Intel had very good reason for making the Socket 370T platform, and it may be necessary for them to do the same with .09um. Maybe they've had enough foresight to make current boards .09 compatible, but who knows. Only time will tell on this one. Rest assured, There will be Northwood CPU's up to at the very least 3.06GHz.

I hope this info helps Feel free to PM me with any questions u may have.

 

[Peter]

One thing to keep in mind ... AMD changes the socket when they technically have to. Intel do so whenever they feel like selling more mainboards - just look at how often things subtly changed on any given form factor, from 486 (five socket versions), Pentium (five), Slot-1 (four), socket-370 (three) to P4 (three already, still counting). I wouldn't expect Prescott to run on current boards.

regards, Peter

 

[PolPot]

Just because it fits in the socket doesn't mean a 4GHz P4 will work in any of today's motherboards. I remember trying to upgrade my PII-350 (Slot 1) to a PIII Coppermine on an Abit BX7 Rev 1.0 board only to find out that the motherboard wouldn't support the voltage. Who knows what FSB speeds or voltages a P4 4,000MHz will use. So perhaps this thread is kind of missing the point.

 

[mastertech01]

I dont think it would matter what the socket is they use, there will always be SOME reason you will want to upgrade the motherboard. Ram types, chipset capibilities, board stability, Overclocking potential, PCI slot configurations, AGP 8X, USB 2.0, firewire, onboard options, etc etc etc...