On-Die cache??? (Getting a new(old) MB...) URGENT!!!

Yo,

My uncle was gonna sell me an ASUS motherboard, to be precise it is the P4S533-X direct link to its page on the ASUS site.

I have 2 questions... is it "outdated" with only agp 4x support and 533 FSB? Well I don't care that much for the FSB because I probably can't afford that good a processor anyway... What about AGP 4x though? Do you think it will/may be a problem? (Will it cripple a good card?)

Also it sais on the page I linked (please look...) in the CPU row: ... On-Die 512kb/256kb L2 cache with full speed.

What does this "On-Die" mean? Does that mean I can't buy the nice P4 2.4GHz Precott with 1MB of cache I was looking at? (Like will I waste my money because only half the cache will be used/supported?)

Well I really hope that I'm wrong in both cases... becuase I figured it was a steal for 60$ canadian + a pretty nice case + cd-rom + floppy... (Right?... I'm not a harware dude... lol I'm a software dude... )

PS... I put it urgent because my uncle just "needs money" and so he'll sell it to my other cousin who wants it if I don't act quickly... heh...

A 533fsb prescott isn't worth it, imho. Check out the Celeron D or P4 B
They are cheaper and more like what the board was meant for.
The 4x AGP would slow an 8x AGP card a bit, but there shouldn't be a compatibility issue.
If you're thinking of this as a hardcore gaming computer, think again. If, however, you're just looking for a decent everyday computer with modest gaming ability, I would definitely go for it. Its so cheap, you have almost nothing to lose

Hmmmm... well I'm not really a gamer (That's what my PS2's for!!!), I'm more into making games myself or listening to music and stuff.

Well so I guess I'll buy the mobo for sure... heh, now I only need to decide the processor!

What's wrong with the 533FSB prescott? Isn't the Celeron D one? (Or were you only referring to the P4?)

Well here is the list of the store with best prices near me:

Intel Celeron 2.66 Mhz 533 Fsb D 256 k Cache: 138.29 $
Intel Pentium 4 2.26 Ghz: 165.69 $
Intel Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz FSB 533 1 Meg: 169.25 $

As you can see the prescott and other P4 are very close...
Questions though... Isn't the Celeron (very) crippled becase of it's cache? I know the C is cooler because of lower voltage and stuff, but is it a good overclocker? What about the 2 others?


This was on the Intel site for the Celeron D.... What does it mean? (lol) Is it better or comparable to a P4? Or should I stick with the P4 if I want speed?

Thanks.

PS: Don't forget to say why you think the prescott 533FSB ain't worth it! Oh ya, well one question was unanswered... Do you only "not like" the prescott? Or is it incompatible/wasted with my "On-Die" spec thingy...?

Sorry, my mistake on the Celeron. The only thing it has going for it is the price, it would be slower than either of the other options.

The reason the Prescott isn't favored compared to a similarly clocked Northwood (there is a 533 2.4Ghz P4, I think its the 2.4B), is that it has more steps in its pipeline. Each step takes time, so the longer pipeline slows performance. It allows higher clock speeds though, which is why they are making it. The 1mb cache is meant to compensate for the longer pipeline, but doesn't quite at lower speeds. Since your board won't support the larger cache anyway, it would be even more of a disadvantage, if it ran at all. The Prescott also runs warmer than the Northwood.

I would get the 2.26 or 2.4 ghz Northwood core P4 for that board.

Thanks a lot!!! So I guess I'll get the 2.26GHz one... becuase the 2.4 is old andI have to order it... blablabla (That's why the guy said when I called the store)... So I'm too much on budget to get the 2.53 or 2.66. (about 15-25$ more... should I?)

Anyways... I guess I'll OC it since it's my stuff so I can finally do what I want

I was also thinking of getting a Radeon 9600 (not SE...) 256MB card for video... It IS good right?

I would get the fastest you can afford. If you can afford the extra $15-25, go for it. IMHO, its not much additional money. However, you will most likely be able to OC the 2.26 into that area for free. (Of course, you could OC the 2.66 even higher, but anyway...)
You don't need the extra speed. If you want it, thats up to you.

That is a relatively low-middle class card. If its enough depends on what you do with it. http://www20.graphics.tomshardware....-charts-03.html is a comprehensive review, so you can see how different cards compare on the type of games you like.

lol... I just realized something prety dumb on my side! My dad asked my why I was all uptight about not spending all my money... He sort of reminded me that I was only 15 and I didn't have to worry at all about the money I making now in my first job... so I'll just literally get the best I can afford!!!

Well anyways... the video card isn't my biggest concern right now... I just want to get it up and running

• Pentium 4 (Northwood core) 533FSB 2.6GHz 512kb cache - 201.44
• Mother Board case and all that - 60
• Memory 1 stick of PC3200 Kinston DDR SDRAM (512MB) - 128.58
• Western Digital 80GB 7200rpm 8MB cache - 94.06
• ATI Radeon 9600 256MB - about 145
• Total = 714!!! (with tax!!!)

I'll buy another stick another day... and the rest (that you may think I forgot about I already own it... except for thermal grease!)

Oh... and thanks a lot man for helping me with this