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P4 understanding

Oyeve

Oyeve

Lifer
I have been out of the loop as to what is now available regarding P4 crap. Here is my understanding on P4 systems, please let me know how accurate or inaccurate I am:

1. Back in the day (last year) a P4 system required a P4 mobo, PSU, HSF that clamped to the chassis, and RDRAM. In other words standard ATX chassis and PSU wouldnt accomodate a P4.

2. Now, P4 systems accomodate regular ATX chassis, standard ATX (but good) PSU, DDR ram or even SDRAM (like my new CPQ desktop at work) and dont require that the HS be clamped to the chassis, right?

3. DDR memory comes in many flavors IE...2700, 2100, 1600 et al, but will basically work on all socket 478 ddr slotted P4 mobos? Right?

4. Being that there are some P4 systems that take standard sdram, is there really a performance hit by not using ddr memory? or is it just compaq being cheap with their Compaq Evo systems? Are other OEM manufacturers making P4 mobos that use non ddr sdram?

 


<< I have been out of the loop as to what is now available regarding P4 crap. Here is my understanding on P4 systems, please let me know how accurate or inaccurate I am:

1. Back in the day (last year) a P4 system required a P4 mobo, PSU, HSF that clamped to the chassis, and RDRAM. In other words standard ATX chassis and PSU wouldnt accomodate a P4. >>



Yes, that's right. Except Asus had work arounds for all that.



<< 2. Now, P4 systems accomodate regular ATX chassis, >>



Yes



<< standard ATX (but good) PSU, >>



No. Only a few Asus boards can use standard ATX connectors. Most still require two extra connectors.



<< DDR ram or even SDRAM (like my new CPQ desktop at work) and dont require that the HS be clamped to the chassis, right? >>



Right on both. However, P4 with SDRAM is like buying a race horse and cutting off it's legs. You'll want DDR or RDRAM. Both are in the same price range now, and RDRAM is about 5% faster overall.



<< 3. DDR memory comes in many flavors IE...2700, 2100, 1600 et al, but will basically work on all socket 478 ddr slotted P4 mobos? Right? >>



Right, but I don't think you want to try 1600.



<< 4. Being that there are some P4 systems that take standard sdram, is there really a performance hit by not using ddr memory? or is it just compaq being cheap with their Compaq Evo systems? Are other OEM manufacturers making P4 mobos that use non ddr sdram? >>



Explained above.

Dell used to sell SDRAM P4 machines, but not anymore.
 


<< I have been out of the loop as to what is now available regarding P4 crap. Here is my understanding on P4 systems, please let me know how accurate or inaccurate I am:

1. Back in the day (last year) a P4 system required a P4 mobo, PSU, HSF that clamped to the chassis, and RDRAM. In other words standard ATX chassis and PSU wouldnt accomodate a P4. >>



The PSU needed to have a 12V connector, which all modern PSU's have. The thing about fitting in the chasses, however, was entirely up to the motherboard. Asus and many (probably most) other motherboard manufacturers, provided a little metal board that would clip on to a normal ATX case and allow full functionality with the P4's clamped on heatsink.



<< 2. Now, P4 systems accomodate regular ATX chassis, standard ATX (but good) PSU, DDR ram or even SDRAM (like my new CPQ desktop at work) and dont require that the HS be clamped to the chassis, right?[q/]

No, it still requires the 12V connector and the clamp on heatsink. However, as I mentioned above, most motherboards provide accomodations to allow you to use their P4 boards in a regular ATX case. Yes, the P4 can use DDR SDRAM or SDR SDRAM but with a performance hit. The dual channel RDRAM's bandwidth is hard to beat and works almost perfectly with the P4's architecture. SiS does provide a P4 chipset that allows it to use 333MHz DDR SDRAM which does beat the RDRAM by a smidgen (<5% at most), however, remember, you're not getting an Intel chipset and quality, compatibility and stability is somewhat questionable (although vastly improved from the days of the Apollo133).



<< 3. DDR memory comes in many flavors IE...2700, 2100, 1600 et al, but will basically work on all socket 478 ddr slotted P4 mobos? Right? >>



The i845 chipset uses SDRAM. The i845-D chipset uses 266MHz (PC2100) DDR SDRAM or less. SiS offers a chipset that uses 333MHz (PC2700) DDR SDRAM with the P4 but keep in mind the disadvantages of using a third party chipset when you don't have to.



<< 4. Being that there are some P4 systems that take standard sdram, is there really a performance hit by not using ddr memory? or is it just compaq being cheap with their Compaq Evo systems? Are other OEM manufacturers making P4 mobos that use non ddr sdram? >>



A dramatic decrease in performance. The P4 is very dependent on memory bandwidth, the more the better, which is why RDRAM works so well with it. Using SDR SDRAM will cut performance significantly with the P4. With DDR SDRAM, there is less of a performance decrease but it still exists.
 
Dont buy a P4 with SDRAM whatever you do, it hinders it big time.
I have a P4 with DDR and have had zero problems with it, I only went DDR because RDRAM was so expensive at the time.
I guess now DDR and RDRAM are about the same price..but you still have to buy 2 sticks of RDRAM when using that type.
Im using a regular case with an Enermax P4 PS, Ive had zero problems with power too.
Rig runs nice and quiet and Im still using the stock Intel HS/Fan
 
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