Sempron 2800+ 800MHz FSB in 333 FSB MB

[LiteBright]

I have a Sempron 2800+ 800MHz FSB CPU and want to order a cheap motherboard (PC CHIPS M825G) which has jumper settings only up to FSB of 333.

I don't plan on overclocking and also will use some DDR333 RAM I have.

Should the motherboard boot and run O.K. with this processor?

LiteBright

[malcore]

No it won't. There are two motherboard socket versions for the Sempron cpus. Socket A for 333MHz and 400MHz Semprons (Thoroughbred) and Socket 754, for 800MHz Semprons. Not only will it not boot, but the cpu will not even fit into that board.

You need a socket 754 board for that chip, not socket A.

[LiteBright]

Thanks Malcore. That answer jogged my memory and made me look back at my invoice for the Sempron I bought. It is a Socket-A CPU (333).

It's VERY confusing that there are Sempron 2800+ CPUs that come in both Socket A and Socket 754.

With what I've read here on PCGUIDE, if I had all DDR400 parts instead of the DDR333 system I will have, it seems I'd probably see a 2% performance difference for web surfing, and as much as 5-10% if I hit it heavy with gaming or video editing. I have a Shuttle with an XP3000 (333) CPU and think performance probably won't be too different than it. If this is all true, I'll be very happy.

[saphalline]

You'd see that 5-10% performance gain in intense apps only if you use NVidia's eminent NForce2 chipset, with the oscillating memory controller. Non-NForce2 chipsets don't have quite that good of a memory controller! ;)

I have a Shuttle with an XP3000 (333) CPU and think performance probably won't be too different than it.Should be almost the same. Obviously the Shuttle with the more powerful CPU will pull ahead (especially in games) but the new Sempron's have such a low cost that the performance issue is moot! You can build two Sempron systems now for the same cost as a high-end AthlonXP system cost just 18 months ago! Who's gonna argue with that?

[LiteBright]

NForce has always been good to me, ever since the first motherboards came out. I won't use anything else. I have noticed great performance but wasn't aware of the oscillating memory controller's benefit.

Stability has also been great on all of my NForce motherboards except for the last one (Abit NV7M) which lasted a couple of years, but started freezing 2 minutes after booting, then wouldn't even post until it sat for 10 minutes. Never could figure out what it was causing it but suspected a capacitor near the northbridge. I wish I knew.

You are really right about the price. Instead of ordering one part at a time to figure out what was wrong with my system, it was cheapest & easiest to just order new memory, CPU, and motherboard (---which is why I now have an extra CPU & memory waiting for a new $38 motherboard). I still brag about having to pay several thousand dollars for a 4 Mb memory chip for an IBM 80 PC (386-20) in 1989. Now an ounce of gasoline costs more.

[joea64]

When I built my own new system last month (based on a Socket 754 Sempron 2800+), I ended up getting the MSI K8T Neo-FSR mobo. That board uses the Via K8T800 chipset but I think it's quite good and I got it for a good price ($79). I think $38 is simply too little money to spend on a motherboard, you're certainly not going to get a modern nForce chipset for that price.