What does FSB mean in motherboard and processor?

[mysticdream]

I have Asus P5KPL-AM/PS motherboard with fsb 1600(o.c).I have 3 gb ddr2 ram and i am planning to buy a new processor.Should i go for 800mhz or 1066 processor.Thanks

 

[Cerb]

Is there any reason you aren't looking at getting a 1333MHz FSB CPU?

Are you going to overclock it?

What speed is your RAM?

Is your RAM 2x1GB and 2x512MB (ideal for 3GB)?

 

[sandorski]

Front Side Bus

 

[mysticdream]

Is there any reason you aren't looking at getting a 1333MHz FSB CPU?

Are you going to overclock it?

What speed is your RAM?

Is your RAM 2x1GB and 2x512MB (ideal for 3GB)?

1333MHz cost a little than 800MHz cpu

I'm not overclocking

3gb ddr2 800MHz

 

[Cerb]

With DDR2-800, you can use up 1333MHz FSB CPUs (technically 1600, but that would involve OCing).

From what I can find, the 800MHz FSB CPUs aren't much cheaper, but tend to be lesser in other ways than slower FSB (the FSB speed difference alone wouldn't limit them too much). If you are looking at CPUs like Pentium Ds, then yes, they are cheaper, but for good reason. Even just web browsing and such, you can easily feel the difference between any P4 and a Core 2, even a cut-down Pentium Dual-core.

Try to get a Core 2 Duo, or Pentium Dual-core. A Core 2 Duo, with 3MB+ L2 cache, will generally be a little faster than a Pentium Dual-core of similar speed.

If looking at $125+ CPUs, consider ditching that mobo and going to a DDR2-supporting AMD board. It could be cheaper than a more expensive Intel CPU.

 

[mysticdream]

I'm looking at Pentium Dual Core E5800 which is 800MHz and my mobo fsb is 1600(o.c)

 

[Cerb]

Of course you come back wanting one of only two 800MHz C2D CPUs that are worthwhile (E5700 being the other) . It's a nice CPU for the money, since you already have the mobo and RAM.

If you want to take care of potential situations where extra memory bandwidth could hinder it, reducing the multiplier while raising the FSB (400*8, instead of the default 200*16--the base clock is 1/4 the stated bus speed) should work quite well, I imagine. It may technically be overclocking, but any of them newer than Conroe aught to hit 400MHz+ FSB no sweat (almost all Conroes could, too), and you wouldn't be trying to increase the rest of the CPU. I can't be 100% certain they didn't mess with the available lower multipliers on Wolfdales, though.

 

[mysticdream]

Thanks Cerb but one last question.How is Pentium Dual Core E5800 compared to Core 2 duo E7500 in games?.I don't mind playing in low resolution or mid settings.Thanks

 

[Cerb]

I haven't been able to find any real review. From numbers I can find from a few people OCing them about the web, it looks to be around 10-20% behind, in a few synthetic tests, and is more like behind by 5-10% in games and such. It's definitely a better value than a E7500 (~$75 v. ~$125). If they were the same price, I'd get the E7500.

 

[mysticdream]

Thanks a lot Cerb.I'm going with E5800

 

[evilspoons]

As an aside, many new processors do not actually have a front side bus, they just call it that because it's a name people remember from when they did.

Some newer Intel CPUs have QPI, most AMD chips have HyperTransport.

When I started typing this reply I was under the impression that C2D didn't have a FSB either but it would seem that it does, so never mind.