P4 Socket 478 Solution

[imported_bcbcbc]

Hi--

I've a wonderfully stable P4 Willamette @1.7G on a Gigabyte GA-81RX Mobo for almost 4 years now.

The only reason I need to replace it is because I need 250GB HDDs. Gigabyte says this Mobo flashed to latest BIOS will only recognize 160GB. I also want USB 2.0. I know I could do that with a card but...

So I've decided on a new Mobo Gigabyte GA-8S648FXP-RZ--very similar to existing Mobo--but updated to take 250GB HDDs with both SATA/PATA and has onboard USB2.0--all for $52.50 shipped from NewEgg.

Gigabyte's CPU compatibility sheet for this board shows it will handle any/all P4 Socket 478s Willamette/Northwood/Prescott/Extreme from 1.4G to latest 3.4G. Silent Computer Review recommends the P4(A) Northwood P4 with 512K L2 cache, 1.5V core voltage, and 0.13µ. They especially like this CPU in the under 2.0G versions. I think there were only two made < 2.0. There was a 1.6G and a 1.73G. They had a 533 FSB.

What I'm after is minimum heat so I can make the system as quiet as possible. I'm also working on a strictly limited budget.

Can anyone recommend where I can find the above noted CPU in primo condition? Or are there better/easier/cheaper ways to achieve my goal--perhaps underclocking a faster easier to find Northwood?

TIA for advice...

bc

 

[mechBgon]

Ok.

1) you want a new mobo to allow for 250GB drives

2) you have a working CPU


Why don't you just drop that CPU into your new motherboard, and buy a very quiet CPU cooler for it, instead of spending a lot more money for a new CPU that is not going to be faster? Here's an example: Zalman 7700ALCU.

Or maybe you are looking at the heat production itself, in which case pick up a used Winchester-core or Venice-core Athlon64 3000+ in For Sale & Trade. At idle, they put out something like 13 watts. You can reuse slow DDR with them and I'm sure they'd still run circles around a 1.6GHz Pentium4 anyway, if performance matters. A64 mobos start down around $50 too. Something to think about.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: bcbcbc
The only reason I need to replace it is because I need 250GB HDDs. Gigabyte says this Mobo flashed to latest BIOS will only recognize 160GB. I also want USB 2.0. I know I could do that with a card but...

They especially like this CPU in the under 2.0G versions. I think there were only two made < 2.0. There was a 1.6G and a 1.73G. They had a 533 FSB.

What I'm after is minimum heat so I can make the system as quiet as possible. I'm also working on a strictly limited budget.
Or are there better/easier/cheaper ways to achieve my goal--perhaps underclocking a faster easier to find Northwood?

Gigabyte probably doesn't care if that old a board supports larger HDDs so they didn't test for it. If it supports 160GB, means it supports 48 bit LBA - meaning theoretically it should support 250GB HDDs.

The low end Northwoods are the 1.6A, 1.8A and 2.0A. The "A" was to differentiate it from the other CPU of the same speed. Those all ran at 400MHz FSB, but would often do fine at 533MHz FSB, of course meaning they are overclocked and will produce more heat.

Let me clarify the essential points:
- low budget
- supports new features (48 bit LBA, USB 2.0, SATA)
- low temperature operation
- don't need fastest performance as you are happy with 1.7GHz P4
- willing to replace both CPU and motherboard

mechBgon is on the right track with his suggestion on a new/used A64 setup. My own suggestion would be to get the cheapest .09 micron core AMD processor that has Cool'n'Quiet. Often Fry's Electronics will have socket 754 Sempron deals for about $90 for a retail box CPU (2800-3000+) and motherboard (ECS branded Nforce3 or SiS 755). That combo should do the trick.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

As Zap stated, 48bit LBA support is all that should be required, if it takes 160, it will almost certainly take 250. Worst case senario, use the HDD maker's FDD bootable utility to format and partition it, then install windows on it.

If you are looking to upgrade, as not wanting to grab a USB 2.0 and PCI ATA controller card seems to suggest Build a skt754 64bit Sempr0n combo; Even@2.4ghz 1.5v stock cooling, my kids is fast, cool, and quite, even without C&Q capability.