Intel Pentium 4 CPU: 423 Pin versus 478 Pin

Merrvyn,

The first-generation Pentium 4 chips had 256KB of full speed cache, were
made on the 0.18micron manufacturing process, and came in the socket 423
formfactor.  This is referred to (codename) as the "Willamette" core.

Later on, the same core was put into the socket 478 package, which of course
required a different socket and motherboard.

Current Pentium 4 processors still use the socket 478 package, but are now
the so-called "Northwood" core - 512KB of full-speed cache, and the 0.13
micron process (meaning that at any given speed, they run cooler than an
equivalent speed 0.18micron part).
There is better information on this at:
http://www.intel.com/support/p rocessors/pentium4/p4compare.h tm

The D850GB motherboard is a great, very reliable board. Full specs are at
http://support.intel.com/suppo rt/motherboards/desktop/d850gb /. I had one
myself once.  The only "major problem" I can think of is that the socket 423
parts topped out at 2GHz - in other words, you won't be able to upgrade the
PC beyond 2GHz without swapping the motherboard.

Feel free to mail me if you have more questions.
Hope this helps..

There are two variants of Northwoods:

The A variant, which has a 400 MHz front-side bus

and the B variant, which requires a 533 MHz front-side bus.

Both have 512K of full-speed cache onboard.

Any motherboard that supports B-series Northwoods will also support
A-series, but in most cases the reverse is *not* true (the only known
motherboard that supports B-series Northwood P4 CPUs and *SDRAM* is
Gigabyte's 8ID533); motherboards that support B-series Northwoods and have
Intel chipsets usual have the later variants of the 845 chipset (G, GV/GE,
PE, PV) 850E, and E7205 chipsets, which require either RDRAM (850E) or DDR
(845 series *except* the original 845, and the E7205).

Christopher L. Estep

www.intel.com   The 478 is a newer chip, with improvements.
The 423 will run, but don't pay too much, it is not current
technology.  I think the 850 chipset mobo requires RDRAM
which is more expensive to add more, be sure you consider
the cost of meeting minimum XP requirements before you buy.
You can buy a basic new Dell for less than $700.

Be sure you get all documentation and media with any used
computer, including key numbers.

I don't think it is worth more than $200-300 dollars for the
computer, keyboard and mouse. The software bundled isn't
worth much if you don't need it.

| Dear friends,
|
| Does anyone know any major problem with the Intel Pentium
4 CPU, 423 pin
| compared to 478 pin?
| Kindly enlighten me asap as I may be buying a 2nd hand PC
with a Pentium 4
| CPU(423 pin) running on Intel motherboard(D850GB).
|
| Thanks alot,
| Merrvyn
|
|

aye 55 pin shy!

:: Dear friends,
::
:: Does anyone know any major problem with the Intel Pentium 4 CPU, 423 pin
:: compared to 478 pin?
:: Kindly enlighten me asap as I may be buying a 2nd hand PC with a Pentium
4
:: CPU(423 pin) running on Intel motherboard(D850GB).
::
:: Thanks alot,
:: Merrvyn