Socket A will be around for a while (NOT REALLY)

[erub]

First off, I use AMD stuff, and I like it fine except for the incompatibilities with my motherboard (Asus K7M) and Kingston Value RAM and NVidia Riva TNT2 Ultra under win2k. (regular Slot A Athlon 650). But I keep reading on this board how Socket A will be around for a while. That is true. However, there's one problem with this assumption. The multiplier on Socket A only goes up to 12.5. Therefore, don't be assuming you will be able to drop a Palomino into your system. It will require 133FSB to get its full potential, otherwise you will be limiting its performance severly (I can guess that one could drop a 1.6 GHz chip (133 x 12)) and run it at (100x12) or 1.2 GHz, but why would you do that?!?) so your going to have to buy a new motherboard for that new CPU, just like you would for a faster P4 (Northwood, for example, will require a totally different socket).Therefore the fastest you can go with an AMD without upgrading your motherboard or FSB OC on current gen. motherboards is 1250 MHz. So quit ranting about how you will need a new motherboard to get a new P4 when they come out!

Just my rant, thanks for reading it.

 

[odog]

a bios flash can fix that rather easily the shift to 133mhz fsb is more of a problem for current KT133 mobos(assuming AMD doesn't release 100mhz fsb type palomino, ala P3e)

 

[sandorski]

Though you are essentially correct, it should be noted that if one has a SocketA processor now, they can upgrade to a newer Socket A mobo later and still use their current SocketA processor in the new mobo. Not exactly the perfect situation, but with new features in upcoming SocketA mobos, not really a bad situation.

 

[erub]

I doubt they will be so eager to issue a BIOS flash - remember these companys are in the business of making $ - and they want to sell you another motherboard to run your high speed chip in. AMD will look to VIA, and VIA will look at the motherboard manufacturers - and VIA and the motherboard manufacturers will both say not possible, and AMD will say not our problem, buy another motherboard for increased performance at high speeds (if they are even able to get the chip running that fast at 100FSB). I'm referring to the current batch of KT133 motherboards obviously. sandorski your right, but unless you really need a new feature of a motherboard, its probably not worth blowing $110+ - espically when your current motherboard is supposed to last forever.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

since the chips come locked they could have a 509x multiplier if they wished.

 

[Budman]

<< since the chips come locked they could have a 509x multiplier if they wished. >>



Maybe the chips can have a 509 multiplier but the chip &amp; board must both support that setting.

Putting a 509 multiplier chip in our current boards would result in a no boot situation,because the board would not even detect such a cpu.

 

[Rand]

It's the current stepping of the processors that doesnt support above a 12.5x multiplier, there is nothing stopping a future Athlon from running at 13x100 or somethin on current boards.

 

[XMan]

It's simple thing to remap a lower multiplier pin to a higher multiplier. The motherboard then only requires a BIOS upgrade so that it can properly recognize the CPU. I upgraded a machine using a K6-2 400, and it used the 2.0 multiplier for 6.0(66MHz board). Until I upgraded the BIOS it reported as a 133 MHz, but CPUID correctly ID'd it.

The advantage with AMD keeping the Socket A format is that motherboards are relatively cheap compared to CPUs. Early adopters of say, 1GHz T-birds, can easily ditch their KT-chipset boards and upgrade to a DDR solution if they choose.

 

[Dark4ng3l]

The cpu's come locked so if you put it at 10x multiplier but the multi that is locked on the cip is 9x it will boot at 9x anyways. The same is true for higher mutipliers.