sDual processors ... Can you run different chips?

[Quasar627]

I'm gonna upgrade my P3 box to run dual P3s and i was wondering if i have to get an identicle chip to what i already have.. or can i run a 600EB and a 800?

i realize that this would be a wierd system, but since i mostly run single threaded apps it'd load the more power hungry apps on the faster chip and then they would all run faster since the slower programs would be on the 2nd chip which would be faster since its doing less thean it was...right?

great i think i confuzed myself

 

[shiznut123]

i think you can only run the same spped processors.
i am not sure because i have no experience with dual processors

 

[office boy]

Actually you can run different chips on a dual board (most of the time, and this is BX only (I have no idea with other chipsets)) but they have to use the same front side bus speed. Also it can (and I'm sure it would) cause stability problems.

 

[rbV5]

Go here 2CPU lots of good SMP info there.

 

[Neo_Geo]

Nope... processors should be exaclty the same. Often, people even recommend you buy them together to be certain that they are the same.

For instance, a 600/100 MHz Katmai CANNOT be paired with a 600/100 MHz Coppermine.

 

[office boy]

Neo_Geo, They should be the same, But I have run a Bp6 with a 333 and a 366 and it worked.

It IS NOT recomended, but it will WORK.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

definitely not recommended. I have heard of it working on rare occasions, but never on such an extreme difference as 600 - 800

 

[kombatmud]

officially, you need identical processors with the same core, same clock speed and same stepping. Additionally, you can officially only use cB0 stepping and above PIIIs, since they didn't make them "SMP compatible" until then. Unofficially, it's luck of the draw, cA2 will definately work, unmatched clock speeds don't always work, but if they do they will definately be at the lower speed, I can see how that might cause a problem since intel chips are multiplier locked, so if it tries to clock one lower, it may not boot. It will also be a lot less reliable than it would be otherwise. Good luck with it, and I'd be interested in hearing whether or not it worked.

 

[spamboy]

If it was just a 600E and not a 600EB he could do it by overclocking the 600 to 800...

 

[Whitedog]

Would you run Goodyear tires on one side of your car, and Firestones on the other side???

Probably not a good idea.

 

[MGMorden]

Hey I'm running 3 Goodyears with 1 Firestone . It works fine. Macro-physical world ain't as picky as electronics though.