Were the old P2's multiplier locked??? (Keepersof Rare Ancient Processors)

[Wiz]

I have an old LX chipset dual proc server that is remote and it tells me one cpu has died.
I don't want to make the trip to it without more processors in hand, and since it's currently running P2 233's I thought it would be nice to put something a little faster in there.

Here's the question: with a multiplier up to at least 6x on the mobo can I take a pair of p2 400's or p2 450's out there and set the fsb at 66 & mult @ 6x and run them without problems, or are the multipliers locked on those old things?

Did the 66mhz fsb cpu's only go up to 333, or 366 or what?

TIA

 

[AndyHui]

All Intel Pentium II processors produced after week 30, 1998, were multiplier locked.

All Pentium II processors produced prior to week 30, 1998 were multiplier limited: you could run at any multiplier at and below the default, but not above.

The fastest 66MHz FSB Pentium II is the 333MHz Deschutes core. You won't be able to run the P2 400 or P2 450 with a 6X multiplier.

A possible option for a speed boost is to find out if the BIOS for your motherboard supports Celerons. Grab a couple of slotkets and replace your processors with a pair of Celeron 533s.

 

[Wiz]

Thanks, it's an old Supermicro LX mobo so I don't think there's any chance of going with a faster cpu.
I would settle for a pair of 333's that would be better than the 233's (especially with one of them dead now)
Looks like compgeeks has 333's in stock

 

[THUGSROOK]

Originally posted by: AndyHui
All Pentium II processors produced prior to week 30, 1998 were multiplier limited: you could run at any multiplier at and below the default, but not above.

i wish it was still like that

i had one of those running 2.5x133fsb way back when

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: Wiz
Thanks, it's an old Supermicro LX mobo so I don't think there's any chance of going with a faster cpu.
I would settle for a pair of 333's that would be better than the 233's (especially with one of them dead now)
Looks like compgeeks has 333's in stock

Put the word out on the fs/ft forum. I have a 333, not sure the stepping.

 

[oldfart]

I had one of those unlocked PII 333's. I ran it at 4 x 103 = 412!! It was a good overclock for its day. I was also running my PC66 ram @ PC103!! I didn't have a board or ram that would do 133 FSB back then (Abit BX6 with no 1/4 PCI option) :|

 

[oldfart]

Originally posted by: Wiz
Thanks, it's an old Supermicro LX mobo so I don't think there's any chance of going with a faster cpu.
I would settle for a pair of 333's that would be better than the 233's (especially with one of them dead now)
Looks like compgeeks has 333's in stock

I've put C533s in a couple of LX boards and they worked fine. Never tried in a dual setup though. The multiplier is locked on the 533 @ 8X. It doesn't matter what the BIOS is set for.

BTW, I have some slockets kicking around. PM me if you need any.

 

[Wiz]

I really want to stick with 512k cache cpu's - but you have an interesting point there Oldfart.
Putting in a multiplier locked cpu that has like 8x should produce 8x 66.
Leads me to wonder what would happen if you put in a tualetin 1.26 (512k cache)with an adapter. I think that's got a 9.5x multiplier, that would be a pretty expensive upgrade.
I think the fastest the P2's went was 600 so that would be a 6x 66 = 400mhz... nut that much greater than the 333's I can find for about $40 - $45 / pair shipped.

I'm getting a pair of 333's from someone in the FS/T forums here on AT btw. Matched pair for $40 = not bad!

 

[oldfart]

I'm getting a pair of 333's from someone in the FS/T forums here on AT btw. Matched pair for $40 = not bad!

That is a great deal! The Tuallys would not work.

 

[Netopia]

I really want to stick with 512k cache cpu's ...

You may want to think about that, you might be shooting yourself in the foot. The PII's had 512k cache, but it was external and running at 1/2 the CPU speed. So, even though you have 512k cache, it's only running at 166MHz on a PII-333.

The C533 (NOT the "A" version) has 128k "non-crippled" cache (unlike later versions that had built in cache misses every for every other lookup).

So... what you end up with 512k, external cache running at 166MHz or 128k internal cache running at 533MHz. I would guess that between the CPU itself running 200MHz faster and the cache (although smaller) running almost 400MHz faster you may very well get better performance from the Dual Celerons.

For what it's worth... I've still got machines that I'm running as low-end servers with dual C-333's @ 550 on BP6's and they just continue to rock on.

Joe

 

[Netopia]

So what are you going to end up doing?

Joe