Mobo/CPU Compatibility Question

[Pez D Spencer]

With Crysis and the slew of other great games on the horizion, I've decided to take the plunge and build a new system. Unfortunately I'm not loaded with cash so building this new system is gonna be a step-by-step process with the goal of getting my video cards at Christmas which is what I plan on doing last. I figure that between Thanksgiving and Christmas I'll be able to find some good deals on an e6750 or q6600 and a couple 8800GTX's.

Anyway, currently I have a 3.0GHz P4 530, 2GB DDR2 533, and an X1950 PRO 512MB. My mobo is an Intel D915GEV. The motherboard I plan to get for my new system is the EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 which has a 1066MHz/1333MHz FSB. Also the spec sheet only shows support for DDR2 800 RAM and up.

My question is this. Can I get this motherboard and throw my 800MHz CPU and DDR2 533 in it and use it that way until I get a better CPU and RAM? The EVGA boards specs say that it supports Pentium CPU's but I don't know if that includes only P4's with a 1066MHz FSB. I downloaded the manual for the EVGA board and it doesn't have a specific list of which CPU's the board supports, it only says what type such as Quad-Core, Dual-Core, Pentium, ETC....

I looked around on the net and I learned that a CPU with a faster FSB than the board it's in will work such as a 1066MHz FSB CPU in an 800MHz FSB board (the CPU will just run underclocked), but I don't know if it works the other way around. It seems like my 800MHz CPU would work in a 1066MHz board because logically it seems to me like the CPU just wouldn't be using the entire available bandwidth of the FSB. But on the other hand I don't know.

EDIT - I did a little more looking and while I didn't get a definitive answer, I don't think it'll work. The reason I say this (and this is only an assumption), is that a 1066MHz or 1333MHz CPU uses a 266MHz base speed (I think) and my 800MHz CPU uses a 200MHz base (again I think) with a 4x multiplier. So going by that I'd say it won't work. But you guys know more than me so let me know.

Any info on this is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[o1die]

If you're not sure of the evga board, I would look at p35 boards such as abit's ip35-e ($75 after rebate at Newegg). Your old 530 cpu will run fine in one of the newer boards. But you can wait until you make the final cpu selection before getting the new board. Newegg already has some rebates on newer boards, and some will get cheaper by the end of the year.

 

[Pez D Spencer]

Thanks for the info. That Abit looks like a decent board (except for the double boot problem the reviews on Newegg talked about), but the Abit doesn't have SLI.

Originally I had planned on waiting to get my board but the first thing I'll be getting next week is my Ultra m998 case. It'll kill me to have such a great case sitting around for 2-3 months and nothing in it, so I figured after the case I'd get the mobo so I could at least throw the new mobo in it and use my other old parts and just change it all out as I go. I suppose I could just put my current mobo in the new case, but I'd rather just put a new mobo in it and forgeddaboudit.

 

[zach0624]

the evga 680i should work with 800 fsb. I have a t1 revision and it works flawlessly with my e4500.