Socket 478 Switch to Socket 423 ??

[zveruga]

What is the difference between Socket 478 and Socket 423 ? And what does the converter form one to the other do (and not do)?

 

[Lezboy]

Socket 423 is an obsolete socket which only works with the old style willamette P4s. You don't want that. There are some 423to478 converters but they're basically useless. They will not allow you to run a northwood P4 in a 423 board because of the differences with voltages and cache. The northwoods also need aditional pins to function but the converter just provides dummy pins so once again, you cannot use a northwood P4 in a 423 board even with an adapter. The only thing the adapters are useful for is running a 478 willamette instead of a 423 willamette which is just stupid.

 

[zveruga]

So "northwood" means socket 478?

 

[Chadder007]

So "northwood" means socket 478?

No, its just that Northwood CPU's aren't 423 compatible whatsoever, not even with a socket conversion.
Northwoods are based on the .13 micron technology and they also have a larger cache which helps greatly with performance. They also run at a lower voltage I believe and also run a bit cooler.

As for Willamettes, they made 423's and a few 478 socket based versions.

 

[Lezboy]

No, its just that Northwood CPU's aren't 423 compatible whatsoever, not even with a socket conversion.
Northwoods are based on the .13 micron technology and they also have a larger cache which helps greatly with performance. They also run at a lower voltage I believe and also run a bit cooler.
As for Willamettes, they made 423's and a few 478 socket based versions.

Correct on all counts.

 

[CZroe]

The socket 478 version Williamettes were only made when they were not required yet to transition motherboard manufacturers to the 478 format early so that new motherboards wouldn't be required specifically for the P4 Northwood (Which would have driven the price WAY up)