How's this motherboard?

[timboyk12]

The motherboard can be viewed here (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?Sku=M450-1009&sourceid=00357421086767606138&siteid=0035742108). I'm not sure if it is decent or not, but I know it's compatible with my processor, an Intel Pentium 4, 3.15 Ghz, 800Mhz front, HT Tech.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[Mausau2000]

it is ok not top of the line
but good 4 most stuff

[PeOfEo]

Says it is no longer for sale. But we need more information because intel has more than one core for pentium 4, 3 to be exact. One of them does not offer ht (willamette... and willamette sucks), so that narrows your pentium 4 315 to two cores: Northwood and Prescott. The difference between the two is northwood has 512k l2 cache and the prescott has 1mb l2 cache.

Also the title says your motherboard selection is using a via chipset... I am not a fan of via. I would use a via maybe for an amd system (nvidia nforce chipsets would be my obvious preference though), but not for an intel system. I would use a sis chipset before a via. I would go with a motherboard with an intel chipset... probably 845 or 848 +. You can get those at a reasonable price. I have a substantial bias for msi boards myself.

[Mausau2000]

That motherboard dosn't support HT

[DaveSW]

Are you sure?
from the site you linked to:
With Intel’s Hyper Threading Technology, Mach Speed has produced the most versatile integrated P4 motherboard in the industry.


Anyway, I always spec MSI boards too.

[PeOfEo]

Processors Supported Intel Pentium 4 up to 2.60GHz @ 400MHz FSB
Intel Pentium 4 up to 3.06GHz

well that board might not agree with a 3.15ghz p4. It is high by 80hz.

[Mausau2000]

U should be able to overclock a 3.06ghz 2 a 3.15ghz anyway

[PeOfEo]

Yes, but down clocking on the other hand really depends on the board, so that board may or may not support a 3.15... I would tend to think the system would fail to post and give a processor error code.

I know msi boards, well almost all of the newer ones, come with dynamic over clocking, which is sweet. It pumps up the fsb when the clock is needed. There is a short delay but after a few minutes of a game running the bus is incrimented. But I have noticed while running it when I am idleing my clock speed actually drops a bit below the default clock speed. Maybe my board is just trying to save power? I don't know, but it is just something I noticed about dynamic over clocking. I can also physically down clock my processor if I want to (but why would I?).

I wish I had any kind of control on my laptop... the bios is really limited on this, not that I planned on over clocking this thing... that would be way too risky on a laptop.
I know this is an AMD64 and not a regulr AMD proc... but I still say it might be flamable.

[Mausau2000]

MSI is the best motherboard 2 get i will get 1 when i get annother PC
AMD is flammable/spontanically conbustable never overclock and amd or overclock a laptop.