Dimension 4100 CPU compatability

[darkfoon]

I found an old socket 370 Pentium 3 (Celeron, maybe) Tualatin 1.4 GHz, that runs a 100MHz FSB, has 256k L2 cache.

I have an old Dell Dimension 4100 that I use quite a bit, but the CPU is feeling its age, so I was curious if I could put this CPU into this motherboard. I don't want to put it in just in case a voltage mis-match fries the mobo/CPU, which I cannot allow.

Currently the Dell has a socket 370 Pentium 3 Coppermine 800Mhz, runs on a 133 FSB, and has 256K L2 cache.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

For this to work, you'd need an adapter, similar to this one: Text

A quick eBay search suggests that these parts aren't very common nowadays.

 

[darkfoon]

Dang.

What does the adapter do, exactly? Does it just change the voltage, or is the pinout on the Tualatins different than the pinout on the Coppermines?

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Check out this article which compares the Tualatin to the Coppermine.

It looks like the Tualatin has a different pin config to allow for smaller voltage increments. Both CPUs are Socket 370, but the Tualatin is FC-PGA2 and the Coppermine is FC-PGA. Bottom line, Anand clearly states that the Tualatins don't work in Coppermine-only mobos.

The only alternative to the adapter would be a universal Socket 370 mobo (see p. 5 of the article) - again, not sure how easy it would be to obtain one of those.

Good luck!