I don't have the $$$ to build my next system, but could squeeze together a few bones to do a cheap upgrade if it'd make a decent difference and buy me another year or two.
I have a Shuttle AK35GT motherboard with an Athlon 1800+.
According to this page at Shuttle, I am under the impression that my board could support a 2600+ if I just upgrade the BIOS. However, it says "133 FSB" and when I look at this listing at NewEgg, I see only 266 and 333 FSB. I'm confused.
Can anyone clarify for me if 1) my board will support a 2600+ and 2)which chip I'd want to take(266 or 333)?
Blackhawk wrote:See the 'Remarks' at the very bottom of the first page you linked to. Your board supports a 200/266 core bus.
That may be a problem, because I see on the NewEgg page the 266 is a "Mobile" CPU.
Without knowing anything about your situation, I'll chime in. The AMD mobiles are essentially desktop CPU's that pass a higher quality assurance testing. They run at the correct speed but are set at a lower voltage (less heat generated/less power consumed).
That's about it. To the best of my knowledge, nothing is stopping you from putting a mobile chip (make sure the socket types are the same) into your desktop.
A mobile chip will work just fine. Just as GreenGoo said, they are just desktop chips that pass a higher standard. They do work great for overclocking, too. I put one in an Abit A7NS and got it up to 2.5ghz (not a 2500 rating but 2500mhz) at 1.7 volts. The mobiles run at 1.4 volts normally but will run fine at 1.6 volts (and even up to a bit more). They are generally multiplier unlocked as well. You should be okay with the processor being unlocked but it's possible you might have a problem.
If you aren't comfortable overclocking and manipulating the multiplier of your pc, though, you should look for a 266mhz fsb 2600. There are still a few out there to be found. Otherwise, the 2400 comes is more readily available in the 266mhz variety.
Are you sure that supported CPU list is for your motherboard? I googled around for some specs and only see your mulitplier going to 12.5. 12.5 X 133 is only 1.66Ghz, equivalent to a 2000+. There is a AK35GT2 that goes to 16x, is that what you have?
On a multiplier locked cpu, the motherboard multiplier is irrellevant because no matter what you set the multiplier at, the cpu will still run at it's locked multiplier. If the board only goes to 12.5, though, the mobile cpu won't be worth buying.
Thanks for the advice, people. It looks like I'm just going to hold onto my current rig as-is and put my money into a big overhaul sometime late next year.
