choosing a CPU

[clarnibass]

I'm going to buy a Pentium 4 CPU and need help deciding. Northwoods are only sold in bulk here, so I need to buy a heatsink and fan seperately. Prescotts are sols in box but I understand they are much hotter.
For some reason the stores here don't sell Northwood 3.2 (which is the one I wanted) but only 3.0 or 3.4 so which should I buy? Or I should just go with the 3.2 Prescott?
Will I notice much difference between the 3.0 and 3.4? I'm using the computer only for audio recording and making music with Cubase.
The Northwood 3.0 is about $250 and the Northwood 3.4 is about $370. The prescott 3.2 is $325 (but comes with a heatsink and fan).
Oh, by the way, I know prices on Newegg are different and that it's possible to get Northwood in boxes, but Newegg (and other websites too, I asked) doesn't ship internationally and won't even accept non-American credit cards.
The prices and options I mentioned is what I have to work with.
Thank you very much.

 

[clarkey01]

Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

 

[BitByBit]

I'd have to recommend you get the 3.0GHz Northwood myself, since the increase in performance you'd see in going with the 3.4 is definitely not worth that extra $120.
Also, the two will overclock to about the same speed, with the 3.4 perhaps clocking a little higher. Both Northwoods will of course run cooler than the Prescott, with the 3.2E performing about the same as the 3.0C.

 

[theMan]

do not get a prescott! so many people are making that mistake, if you do, you'll have to waste on water cooling to get it to acceptable temps!

here: 3.2 northwood

 

[clarnibass]

OK thank you very much, I decided to go for the Northwood (now I need ot hope they have it in stock).

Theman, thank you for your help, but maybe you missed this part of my post: "I know prices on Newegg are different and that it's possible to get Northwood in boxes, but Newegg (and other websites too, I asked) doesn't ship internationally and won't even accept non-American credit cards.
The prices and options I mentioned is what I have to work with."

By the way, I'm not going to overclock, should that make me lean towards the 3.4Ghz?

 

[Sentential]

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

I wouldnt say that. E0 Prescott is still a very good chip for the money.

 

[The Pentium Guy]

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

I wouldnt say that. E0 Prescott is still a very good chip for the money.

What's "E0" ?

 

[clarkey01]

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

I wouldnt say that. E0 Prescott is still a very good chip for the money.

Well........I dont want to sound harsh but if he's not overclocking then there's no reason to get a prescott.

 

[Sentential]

Originally posted by: clarkey01

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

I wouldnt say that. E0 Prescott is still a very good chip for the money.

Well........I dont want to sound harsh but if he's not overclocking then there's no reason to get a prescott.

Suit yourself. E0 Prescott really is a very under-rated chip by all accounts. I think people are putting too much faith in the Northwood. If you look at the peformance differences now vs C0 Prescott I think you will see what I am talking about.

 

[theMan]

northwood 3.0 + thermalright xp-90 = northwood 3.4

just a suggestion, since you need to get a cooler anyway, and it will take you 10 minutes (at the most) to clock it up there.

 

[MrC4]

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

:thumbsup:

 

[imported_whatever]

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: clarkey01

Originally posted by: Sentential

Originally posted by: clarkey01
Northwood 3.4. I wouldnt bother with prescott, it's pretty pointless and the danger it may run quite hot. Take a northwood, there is zero performance difference.

I wouldnt say that. E0 Prescott is still a very good chip for the money.

Well........I dont want to sound harsh but if he's not overclocking then there's no reason to get a prescott.

Suit yourself. E0 Prescott really is a very under-rated chip by all accounts. I think people are putting too much faith in the Northwood. If you look at the peformance differences now vs C0 Prescott I think you will see what I am talking about.

Unless you are OCing there is no performance difference between different steppings, although some will run cooler than others

 

[eXx08]

Presscott is very good for overclocking although I don't do it myself. I e-mailed the people at TigerDirect and they said you can get up to 5.6GHz on Prescott 3.2 with a water cooling but on Northwood you may be able to reach a maximum of 3.8 with a 3.2.

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: thekillerjks
Presscott is very good for overclocking although I don't do it myself. I e-mailed the people at TigerDirect and they said you can get up to 5.6GHz on Prescott 3.2 with a water cooling but on Northwood you may be able to reach a maximum of 3.8 with a 3.2.

5.6ghz !!! LMAO!!!, i would reply to them & ask to pre test at that speed & when they get one that is prime95 stable to send it to you right away.


good luck you'll need it.

 

[eXx08]

That what I thought when they saent it to me LOL!!!!!!!!!

 

[clarnibass]

OK since they only have Northwoods in OEM, how do I know what I have is in fact a northwood and not a prescott?
Also the motherboard I was going to buy is Asus P4P800-E Deluxe and it says that motherboard works with Prescott 478, and if I'm not mistaken the Prescott and Northwood are different so how do I know if it works with Noerthwood too?
Thanks.

 

[Matrix21]

" OK since they only have Northwoods in OEM, how do I know what I have is in fact a northwood and not a prescott?
Also the motherboard I was going to buy is Asus P4P800-E Deluxe and it says that motherboard works with Prescott 478, and if I'm not mistaken the Prescott and Northwood are different so how do I know if it works with Noerthwood too?
Thanks."


The Asus P4P800-E Deluxe Is a socket 478 Mobo. It Will Take Both socket 478 Prescotts and Northwoods. Prescott is just a diferent Core That replaced Northwood.
Just Dont Buy A LGA775 Prescott!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: thekillerjks
Presscott is very good for overclocking although I don't do it myself. I e-mailed the people at TigerDirect and they said you can get up to 5.6GHz on Prescott 3.2 with a water cooling but on Northwood you may be able to reach a maximum of 3.8 with a 3.2.

why are you building a a64 based machine when a 5.6GHz Prescott will own a a64 3000 venice?

another reason not to buy from tiger...

 

[clarnibass]

I'm probably gonna go with the Northwood and XP-90 heatsink. For a fan we don't have the Panaflo recommended by Thermalright, but we have fans by Zalman, Enermax, Thermaltake. What is the minimum CFM I need for the 90mm CPU fan to be safe? I don't want to risk it and use a too slow fan just to make it quiet, but I don't want an airport in my room either.

Again, if I buy the OEM version of the Northwood, how do I know (by looking at it) it's the Northwood and not the Prescott?

Thank you very much everyone.

 

[bob4432]

yhpm

 

[Matrix21]

All the Socket 478 Presscots have 1Mb L2 cash
All of the Socket 478 Northwoods have 512Kb L2 cash. And It should be clearly Advertised Which core it is When you Buy.
I Think you can get away with a lower Rpm fan. about 1800 min or just undervolt a normal Fan.

Just my 2cent

 

[Dothan]

go with the Prescott !!!

do not listen to the amd zealots here, they are programmed to race in whenever someone mentions the word "Prescott" with their usual FUD.

 

[Matrix21]

"go with the Prescott !!!

do not listen to the amd zealots here, they are programmed to race in whenever someone mentions the word "Prescott" with their usual FUD."

Do not listen to Dothan Everbody here thinks He is a Stupid Troll!!!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Dothan
go with the Prescott !!!

do not listen to the amd zealots here, they are programmed to race in whenever someone mentions the word "Prescott" with their usual FUD.

you are an idiot, and obviously know nothing as a northwood is a p4 along with a prescott, d!ck

 

[BitByBit]

Originally posted by: Matrix21
All the Socket 478 Presscots have 1Mb L2 cash
All of the Socket 478 Northwoods have 512Kb L2 cash. And It should be clearly Advertised Which core it is When you Buy.
I Think you can get away with a lower Rpm fan. about 1800 min or just undervolt a normal Fan.

Just my 2cent

The amount of L2 cache is really a non-issue when comparing two different processor architectures/revisions, just like you cannot compare the clock speeds of Intel and AMD processors.
That Prescott has twice the L2 of Northwood is not a reason to get it.