Socket Types and Chipsets [Archive] - The PC Guide Discussion Forums

DigitalJ

09-09-2005, 10:49 PM

Theres something that I've been a bit confused about for a while now, but never actually attempted to figure it out. Some motherboards for certain socket types will only boast compatability with a certain type of processor that fits that socket. For instance, I'm looking at a Gigabyte K8NS, which is a socket 754 board. Both of the retail sites I checked a price on listed only the Athlon 64 as a compatable proc. Does this mean that the mobo isn't compatable with a Sempron 64? Is it safe to assume that all CPUs of socket type X are compatable with all mobos that boast the same socket type?

As for chipsets, I was just wondering if there are any negative side effects of using an Nvidia GPU in a mobo that uses an ATI chipset, and vice versa.

Thanks,
J

saphalline

09-10-2005, 03:58 AM

Is it safe to assume that all CPUs of socket type X are compatable with all mobos that boast the same socket type?Well, yes and no...

The chipset is what determines the core components of your PC. The mobo is just the physical structure for the chipset, and also is a place to mount the ports. The chipset (and implementation of it) determine the type and amount of RAM, types of supported CPU's, amount of ATA and SATA channels, number of USB 2.0 ports, etc.

When it comes to CPU support, this is where things get touchy. And complicated. It's almost a full time (secondary) job for me to keep up on this stuff, and even I don't know all of it. But suffice to say that having a chipset support a certain CPU is no guarantee that all of them in that family will also be supported. A lot of it has to do with core revisions, and the implications that go along with it - like voltages, steppings, market aim, etc.

For instance, the i875P chipset from Intel supported their P4 core revisions of Northwood A, B, and C, and also Prescott, as well as the Celeron versions of these - but as long as the FSB for them was 400, 533, or 800 - and of course the extended ones such as Gallatin (based on the Northwood C), but not the later ones such as the 5xx "J" series or 6xx series or any of the other ones that have the XD bit or EM64T, blah blah blah...

There are many many reasons why a particular CPU may or may not be supported by a particular mobo. Hopefully this example has shown you what is involved with all of this. :rolleyes: This is also largely why I ask for someone's chipset rather than "basic system specs". The chipset can tell me a lot more than someone saying "I have an HP 5036R" or whatever.

As for chipsets, I was just wondering if there are any negative side effects of using an Nvidia GPU in a mobo that uses an ATI chipset, and vice versa.Nope. As much as they are rivals, NVidia and ATI actually get along quite well. Definitely more than Intel and AMD...