P4 6xx differences

[MugoMan]

Hi All

Is there any difference between the P4 630,640,650,660,670 aside from their Ghz ratings?
Are there any good articles on the net about the actual differences in design or production?

I have a P4 630 (3.0Ghz) overclocked to 3.6Ghz and was wondering if it really is physically inferior to, say, the 660 running at native 3.6Ghz. No instability problems -- so what's the difference except for the internal CPU id saying it's a 630 and the fact that the 660 costs more?

Thanks

 

[stevty2889]

The only differance is the clock speed. Of course if you throw in the 6x1 series, or is it 6x2? they have vitualization technology enabled, and the 6x3 series is the 65nm cedar mill.

 

[MugoMan]

The only differance is the clock speed.

Thanks for the response. But I've heard that Intel tests CPUs after production for heat to 'bin' them with either higher or lower Ghz ratings. Then if there are not enough lower ratings for the demand, they mark higher ones as lower Ghz to satisfy market demand.

But if the processors are already produced before they test and bin them how do they know to mark the internal id to "630"? That is - do they know its an underperformer? Or are they all really just the same quality and get marked differently? Using CPUz it recognizes the CPU as a P4 630, and not a 660 even when it is overclocked.

Am I confused?

Are they all really the same quality? Even considering production flaws and the fact that some of tehsmae rated CPUs are slightly hotter than others?


Thanks

 

[ND40oz]

Intel bins the entire wafer for a clockspeed. So there may be other cores on that wafer that can run higher then what it has been binned for. Atleast that's the impression I was given the last time I had the process explained to me.

 

[Cooler]

the new cidermills can hit almost 5 ghz on air so they great for oc ing.

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: MugoMan

The only differance is the clock speed.

Thanks for the response. But I've heard that Intel tests CPUs after production for heat to 'bin' them with either higher or lower Ghz ratings. Then if there are not enough lower ratings for the demand, they mark higher ones as lower Ghz to satisfy market demand.

But if the processors are already produced before they test and bin them how do they know to mark the internal id to "630"? That is - do they know its an underperformer? Or are they all really just the same quality and get marked differently? Using CPUz it recognizes the CPU as a P4 630, and not a 660 even when it is overclocked.

Am I confused?

Are they all really the same quality? Even considering production flaws and the fact that some of tehsmae rated CPUs are slightly hotter than others?


Thanks

THey are all made exactly the same way. They are tested and binned, and I believe ND40oz is correct that the entire wafer gets binned the same, meaning some chips are actualy capable of running faster.

Overclocking isn't going to make a 630 show up as a 660, because it's still a 630. The chips identification is fused in to the chip, meaning it will always report it's true name, even if you overclock it. You could put a V8 in a dodge neon, but it's still a dodge neon.

 

[themusgrat]

Besides, you are not OCing the chip as much as the FSB. I would say that he higher rated chips will OC better than lower, since they are binned for speed. These new P4s almost give me a reason to go Intel on my next build, as long as they stay OCong friendly.

 

[BrownTown]

I'm not really as interested in the overclockability of Intels new chips in itslef, more so becasue of what it might way about Conroe's clockspeed.

 

[MugoMan]

Originally posted by: stevty2889

Originally posted by: MugoMan

The only differance is the clock speed.

Thanks for the response. But I've heard that Intel tests CPUs after production for heat to 'bin' them with either higher or lower Ghz ratings. Then if there are not enough lower ratings for the demand, they mark higher ones as lower Ghz to satisfy market demand.

But if the processors are already produced before they test and bin them how do they know to mark the internal id to "630"? That is - do they know its an underperformer? Or are they all really just the same quality and get marked differently? Using CPUz it recognizes the CPU as a P4 630, and not a 660 even when it is overclocked.

Am I confused?

Are they all really the same quality? Even considering production flaws and the fact that some of tehsmae rated CPUs are slightly hotter than others?


Thanks

THey are all made exactly the same way. They are tested and binned, and I believe ND40oz is correct that the entire wafer gets binned the same, meaning some chips are actualy capable of running faster.

Overclocking isn't going to make a 630 show up as a 660, because it's still a 630. The chips identification is fused in to the chip, meaning it will always report it's true name, even if you overclock it. You could put a V8 in a dodge neon, but it's still a dodge neon.

So - if I understand this correctly - a P4 630 is exactly the same as a 660 except they physically labeled it as a 630 while in production. So I can OC it to a 660 and just assume that it is a 660. Right?

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: MugoMan

Originally posted by: stevty2889

Originally posted by: MugoMan

The only differance is the clock speed.

Thanks for the response. But I've heard that Intel tests CPUs after production for heat to 'bin' them with either higher or lower Ghz ratings. Then if there are not enough lower ratings for the demand, they mark higher ones as lower Ghz to satisfy market demand.

But if the processors are already produced before they test and bin them how do they know to mark the internal id to "630"? That is - do they know its an underperformer? Or are they all really just the same quality and get marked differently? Using CPUz it recognizes the CPU as a P4 630, and not a 660 even when it is overclocked.

Am I confused?

Are they all really the same quality? Even considering production flaws and the fact that some of tehsmae rated CPUs are slightly hotter than others?


Thanks

THey are all made exactly the same way. They are tested and binned, and I believe ND40oz is correct that the entire wafer gets binned the same, meaning some chips are actualy capable of running faster.

Overclocking isn't going to make a 630 show up as a 660, because it's still a 630. The chips identification is fused in to the chip, meaning it will always report it's true name, even if you overclock it. You could put a V8 in a dodge neon, but it's still a dodge neon.

So - if I understand this correctly - a P4 630 is exactly the same as a 660 except they physically labeled it as a 630 while in production. So I can OC it to a 660 and just assume that it is a 660. Right?

Not all chips are capable of doing the same speeds, but if you have both CPU's running at 3.6 they are going to perform the same(although the overclocked chip will have a slight advantage from the higher clocked FSB). You also might need to increase the voltage to keep it stable at the higher speed, which also increases temps.