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XP1900+... Good middle of the road processor?

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FuzzNuttz

Member
I plan on buying an XP1900+ (no particular reason, just thought it would be a good middle of the road CPU upgrade i.e. cost, speed,
reliability etc.). I'll be dropping it into either a Gigabyte 7VRXP or an Epox 8K3A+ (8K5A2+????)... I'll decide in a few days. My question is... What's the difference between "OEM" and "Retail". Obviously cost comes to mind, but with OEM will I get a lesser chip? Also, I see LOTS of posts with references made to "stepping", "AGOIA" and "ARIOA"??? Is this important to me? I wouldn't mind being able to OC a bit, but not sure what "stepping", "AGOIA" and "ARIOA" refers to? If it's vitally important, can I indicate my desire for a "AGOIA" or "ARIOA" to seller? One last one.... What's the HSF of choice for AMD XP users who like tweaking?? Many thanks!
 
With OEM you get the same chip. The difference is that retail comes with a heatsink/fan, 3 year warranty, a case sticker, instructions, pretty box, etc. OEM comes with just the chip and the only warranty is what is given to you by the shop you purchased it from - as short as 10-20 days for some shops, as long as 1 year from others. (30 days is common)

The stepping is important to overclockers as some of them are known to overclock better. Some sellers will give you stepping choices, most don't. Newegg for example sometimes lists certain steppings (and charges a little more for them).

HSF is entirely up to you - the retail one is not a good choice if you plan to overclock. My favorite this week is the Thermalright AX-7 paired with a variable speed 80mm fan - that way you can choose a comfortable balance between cooling performance and fan noise. (assuming it will fit on your mobo)

 
Originally posted by: FuzzNuttz
So, when buying a HSF it HAS TO BE specific to MB??? Thanks Bozo!
Click to expand...

Not specific, but some larger ones (like my Alpha 8045) won't fit on some boards (like my Tyan MP in the mail). If you want to overclock, I recommend the 8045. I'll try to dig up a list of boards that it's compatable with.

I have an 1800+ at 1900+. I like it.
 
My opinion..

Buy the retail CPU. The cost difference is minimal, and non-existant if you add the cost of a HSF to the OEM. If you are not going to OC, the stock heat sink / fan is plenty, and the better warrantee is nice to have.
 
If you want to overclock, then you'll need to cool the processor. You can spend a nice sum of money on a high-quality heat sink, and then add a high performance fan to it. However, this will make a lot of noise. Unless you are playing games with loud speakers, the noise is extremely irritating. For a little more than a high-quality air cooling setup, you can build your own water-cooling setup which will have comparable results, along with much less noise. However, unless you are capable of planning every thing right the first time, it will involve much time and many trips to the hardware store. Or, you can spend an exborbitant amount of money on a pre-built kit that will work properly the first time. The choice is yours. However, in my experiences, CPU cooling has been less of a factor than motherboard choice, memory choice, and luck of the draw on the CPU. If you are working on a budget, you should go with a afforable heatsink, such as the Thermalright AX-7, with a fan you can live with, and a good quality motherboard and memory (I have been very happy with the Epox 8k3a and Samsung PC2700). If you overclock your processor as far as possible, and you think it'll go farther by cooling it off, and you're sure that the PSU, memory, motherrboard, or PCI cards aren't limiting you, then it's time to spend money on better cooling, but not until then.
 
If you do plan to overclock, I would consider ordering a 1600+ from Newegg. They have the two best steppings to date in stock right now -- AGOIA and AROIA. What sweetens the deal is that they're like $75 with free shipping.

Of course nothing is guaranteed in OC'ing, but people have been averaging overclocks to, I'd say, 1700-1750 MHz with these chips (a 1600+ defaults at 1400 MHz). I *think* that's a rating of 2100+ (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Several people (myself included) are getting theirs to over 1800+ MHz (2200+) -- and some, over 1900 MHz!

Like the other guys have said though, if you plan to OC, you'll need a good heatsink, or if you prefer, go watercooling. The stock HSF probably will not cut it.
 
A lot of people have mixed results with overclocking and many end up with disappointment. If you plan to have this for a couple years I would personally recommend getting an XP 2100 retail. Its already overclocked by the manufacturer, has the retail heatsink and fan which is guaranteed to work, and is a lot quieter than overclockers use. Then comes in the warranty for 3 years. As someone mentioned it is a small difference in price if you shop around and worth the extra security. You also dont need an overclockers board or the overclockers ram. Resale on a retail processor is also generally better and easier to move.

Now if you are always on the edge of technology and change out processors and ram every few months, then OEM is the way to go as you likely have the funds to risk blowing a processor up. IMHO
 
This/These will be my last major upgrades for awhile. So, I may just have to look into a retail 2100+ if the cost is not too much greater than a 1600 or 1900. Great info... thanks!!
 
From the tests I've seen, the retail hsf is barely up to the task. Of course, there may not be just one "retail hsf", so AMD may supply a better unit for a 2100+ vs 1600+ (for example). My 1600+ is doing fine at 2000+ using a $7.50 Speeze Big Rock II hsf. It's supposed to be quiet, but I'm not satisfied with the noise level. Anyway, my point is this -- go for a 1600+ from newegg for $70-$80, get a recommendation for an inexpensive, quiet hsf, and overclock. If you can't get a recommendation for a hsf, I say go for the Speeze Super Rock if you can find it.

jaybee

PS I'm sure I can go higher with my cpu and hsf. I'm just out of multipliers.
 
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