Intel Northwood 2.0A and 2.2GHz Reviews @ Digit Life

[Athlon4all]

<< no, i'm not forgetting... OC'ing is a great thing... but for what, less than 1% of the general public? I'm comparing the CPU's on their face values... and from AT's review only... i'm not trying to say that one is best or something like that... i'll leave that for the zealots to fight over... i'm just stating the blindly obvious. >>

Ok, I see your point. I agree that for the general public, ocing doesn't matter. But as far as I'm concerned, the ocing is the only reason to go Northwood. I Just need to be more specific.

 

[Pabster]

Why is overclocking capability all of a sudden the rage? AMD's processors have had legendary overclocking capabilities for years now, but I don't see people using that as a basis to recommend them.

If we're going to start talking about 2.5GHz Northwood parts (which don't exist), we need to start looking at 2.0GHz XP parts. I mean, people are hitting that figure and even slightly above -- with air cooling. With water, even higher. I'd like to see a nice little comparison of a 2.0GHz AthlonXP alongside a 2.5GHz Northwood.

It's a little bit laughable for anyone to say "Look, the 2.5GHz Northwood blows away the 2000+ XP". Well, I should hope so. Besides being twice as expensive, it has a clockspeed advantage of 833MHz. It damn well better "kick the pants" off a stock 2000+.

 

[Diable]

Your probably right, less than 1% of the general public overclock their processor but probably 90% of the people on this forum do so the overclockablity of a chip is a valid factor when comparing processors. Pab, I think all the fuss over the overclockablity of the Northwoods is that they can hit 2.5GHz without a 7000rpm Delta screamer strap to them. If an XP can hit 2GHz without a extremly loud fan post some links showing that and people will shut up until then a damn near silent 500mhz overclock is something that will get a lot of people excited.

 

[Pabster]

Ah, the noise issue.

I recall running AXIA Thunderbirds, 1GHz parts at 1400-1500 with ease, often at only 1.8 volts. Sometimes at default. I didn't use, and didn't require, Delta 7000rpm "screamers". I don't recall it being "all the rage" as it appears to be, all of a sudden, with Northwood.

You aren't going to hit 2GHz on an XP with a retail HS/F assembly. No bones about that. But if we're down to discussing decibels as a measure of comparing processors ...

 

[JellyBaby]

<< But if we're down to discussing decibels as a measure of comparing processors ... >>

Setting a goal of having a quiet box is perfectly legit. I'm personally quite tired of Tornado Noise filling my ears. I see more people, typically those who have Athlon systems but some Intel folks too, coming to the realization that noise sucks.

 

[Pabster]

Of course having a silent or "quiet" box is a perfectly legitimate goal. And quite attainable. My XP1900+ @ 2100+ rig is quietier than my 1.8GHz P4 with the retail HS/F assembly. I'm not using any case fans, and Papst 12dB to cool the CPU.

That said, those who desire the maximum overclock always go to extremes. I'll guarantee you the highest Northwood overclocks we see will be using MCX478 with Deltas, just as they are with the speediest of the XP ones. With air, anyway.

 

[Diable]

But if your gunning for 2.5GHz out of your 2Ghz Northwood the retail heatsink and fan should suffice.

 

[JellyBaby]

<< My XP1900+ @ 2100+ rig is quietier than my 1.8GHz P4 with the retail HS/F assembly. I'm not using any case fans, and Papst 12dB to cool the CPU. >>

Anything you're not telling me like you keep it in the icebox? If that's true well then the XPs would be viable for the quiet-seekers among us myself included.

I'd like to see some benchs of some overclocked 2000+ vs. some overclocked 2.0A/2.2. I haven't read Anand's review yet (yeah shame on me) so perhaps he's done it already.

 

[Pabster]

JellyBaby wrote:

"Anything you're not telling me like you keep it in the icebox? If that's true well then the XPs would be viable for the quiet-seekers among us myself included."

Not at all. It's in a plain-jane Enlight 7237 with a 400W Antec. No front intake, no rear exhaust. Like I said, just the Papst on the MCX462 and the power supply fan. And I've even got a super-hot running Radeon 8500DV in it!

 

[x86]

<< JellyBaby wrote:

"Anything you're not telling me like you keep it in the icebox? If that's true well then the XPs would be viable for the quiet-seekers among us myself included."

Not at all. It's in a plain-jane Enlight 7237 with a 400W Antec. No front intake, no rear exhaust. Like I said, just the Papst on the MCX462 and the power supply fan. And I've even got a super-hot running Radeon 8500DV in it! >>



It would be quite disaterous if that fan fell off wouldn't it? Athlons are saftey hazards, has anybody brought that up?

 

[AGodspeed]

It would be quite disaterous if that fan fell off wouldn't it? Athlons are saftey hazards, has anybody brought that up?

That's quite inaccurate. If an Athlon system is properly setup, several "beeping" sounds will occur if the processor fan fails or falls off. After a few minutes, if the computer is not attended to, the system will turn itself off without any damage to the processor.

AMD Athlon Thunderbirds and Athlon XP processors have this capability. The conception that the Athlon is a "safety hazard" is probably as a result of reading Tomshardware's recent article entitled How Modern Processors Cope With Heat Emergencies. That article deals with the entire heatsink falling off, NOT the fan falling off or dying. Of course, the chance of your heatsink just randomly failing or falling off is beyond astronomical (however, the P4 does a tremendous job of protecting itself in this rare situation!).

Unfortunately, Tom doesn't run any tests with just the processor fan failing or falling off. That would have shut a lot of people up.

 

[Pabster]

DocSmarts wrote:

"It would be quite disaterous if that fan fell off wouldn't it? Athlons are saftey hazards, has anybody brought that up?"

LOL

You're obviously just looking to provoke a flame shoot. I suggest you mosey on to another thread.

 

[x86]

<< DocSmarts wrote:

"It would be quite disaterous if that fan fell off wouldn't it? Athlons are saftey hazards, has anybody brought that up?"

LOL

You're obviously just looking to provoke a flame shoot. I suggest you mosey on to another thread. >>



I am only speaking my opinion What did you think about Jackson Technology?

 

[DSTA]

You're obviously just looking to provoke a flame shoot. I suggest you mosey on to another thread.

Quite the pun .

Although I'd really love to see future AMD processors with something like the P3's thermtrip signal so they can survive a catastrophic cooling failure without relying on mobo design.

IMVHO the P4's on board clock throttling was something Intel implemented only because they knew the big system builders would not be happy with the thermal requirements of a 75W TDP / 95W real world CPU (too expensive to keep cool at all times).

 

[SexyK]

<< Of course having a silent or "quiet" box is a perfectly legitimate goal. And quite attainable. My XP1900+ @ 2100+ rig is quietier than my 1.8GHz P4 with the retail HS/F assembly. I'm not using any case fans, and Papst 12dB to cool the CPU.

That said, those who desire the maximum overclock always go to extremes. I'll guarantee you the highest Northwood overclocks we see will be using MCX478 with Deltas, just as they are with the speediest of the XP ones. With air, anyway. >>



What is this some kind of joke? The retail HSF on the P4 is nearly 100% silent, at least the one that came with my 1.7 is. I'd also really like to see people consistently and widely hitting 2.0GHz with there 2000+'s with "typical" air cooling, please don't embeslish the numbers to try to prove your point. It doesn't contribute anything to the discusison.

Sexy K

 

[NOS440]

Well looks like I'll have to join the fray here. I've left you AMD zealots to your zealotry to long !!!!!!

First off Yes a 300 mhz OC on a Athlon is great. But what you guy's aren't mentioning is what was done to do this OC ! When you say air cooled you should really say Airplane cooled because that's what there systems sound like.

Now I'm typing on a 1.9 willy right now that is running and has been running for 2 months with a stock Intel Heatsink and fan(which spins at a whopping 2600 rpms) and have this CPU clocked at 2242 all day long no reboots, no BSOD's. Just rock stabilty.

Just because all those guy's can post and take a screen shot of CPU ID at 2GHZ means nothing to me and means nothing about Athlon ability to clock higher. OEMs cannot use extreme cooling to run a stock CPU. So AMD cannot release CPU's that are factory clocked at those speeds. I think there pushing it with there 2000+ already.


The only way to tell if a CPU has clock speed headroom is with factory cooling methods !!!!!


My conclusion's from the reviews are..... P4 has regained its speed King statis although by a very small margin. As far as Overclocking as almost alway's Intel is the king ! Gaming almost all intel ! Most apps where people need the performance Intel again ! Heat and reliabilty Intel again ! AMD heat king ! AMD wins few apps ! AMD strongest selling point as alway's Price !!!!

 

[NOS440]

As long as were on the Overheat safety features here. I have a story I'm going to share.

Last month my daughter and a freind were burning candles in here 2nd story bedroom and left one lit when we left to go Xmas shopping for 3 hours. The candle was on her Sony shelf stereo unit and caught on fire. The room was shut with no air getting to it so the fire didn't cause much damage mostly smoke damage. It got hot enough up there to melt plastic it actually melted the smoke detector !! Well her Compaq PC was running during the fire !! When I went up there after the Fire dept. left. The PC was off but after futher investigation it wasn't off the fans were so full of plastic soot that the CPU shut itself off. The motherboard was a VIA based motherboard with no shut off features the Pentuim 3 550 slot 1 shut itself down and is still working fine. Although the rest off the PC is junk.

I would much rather have a CPU that shuts itself off then one that has to have the Motherboard do the work !!!

 

[NOS440]

Hey Pabster i'm curious your XP1900+ @ 2100+ is a athon 1600 OCed to ?? The way your quoting your OC makes people think your achieving a 200 mhz OC when its really a 100 mhz isn't it ??

 

[Sugadaddy]

Oh boy, here comes Nos440, the righteous one...

 

[NOS440]

I am righteous ain't I

 

[Texmaster]

<< Of course having a silent or "quiet" box is a perfectly legitimate goal. And quite attainable. My XP1900+ @ 2100+ rig is quietier than my 1.8GHz P4 with the retail HS/F assembly. I'm not using any case fans, and Papst 12dB to cool the CPU. >>



You must have a lot of extra fans in that P4 Box. Either that or you have been too close to the glue bottle again




<< That said, those who desire the maximum overclock always go to extremes. I'll guarantee you the highest Northwood overclocks we see will be using MCX478 with Deltas, just as they are with the speediest of the XP ones. With air, anyway. >>



Bought mine last week

 

[MadRat]

<<Hey Pabster i'm curious your XP1900+ @ 2100+ is a athon 1600 OCed to ?? The way your quoting your OC makes people think your achieving a 200 mhz OC when its really a 100 mhz isn't it ??>>

Its a 133MHz O/C more likely.

 

[Pabster]

I'm running an XP 1900+ (1600) at 2100++, you could say. 1764MHz. (147x12).

So it is 164MHz over stock speed.

Now all you zealots calm down, clean the crap outta yer pants, etc.

 

[NOS440]

While that's a descent overclock. I still wouldn't call it earth shattering. So why would anyone need to clean there pants out ??

 

[MadRat]

I clean my pants 1-2 times a week on average. Don't you ever clean your pants?