Member Avatar for owenbear

Hi all,

Another OwenBear question about older technology.

I've just been given a Gigabyte GA-K8vt800 socket 754 motherboard with loads of bits.
Seeing as this is better (I hope) than my P4 1.7 (socket 478) current set-up I'd like to try and optimize all the parts I've got.

So - to start...

Which is the best CPU?
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ or AMD Athlon 3400+.

Currently I've got the system working with 2GB of DDR400 RAM and the 2000Mhz 3000+ CPU.
This is the CPU that came fitted in the motherboard.
Will I see any gains if I install the 3400+ CPU?
The 3000+ is a 'Newcastle' chip with 512kb L2 cache.

I 'think' the 3400+ CPU has a 1024Kb L2 cache with a clock speed of 2200Mhz. But from what I can see on Google there are two versions of this CPU (as there is with the 3000+).

I better add I've never changed a CPU before so I'm a bit shy of trying it unless it's going to be worth it.

So would I see any appreciable difference if I fitted the 3400+ CPU.

Sorry if I'm not too clear on the info.

As usual any help is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

OwenBear

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Short answer: you probably won’t notice much day‑to‑day difference, and and are right that it’s not usually worth the hassle for a modest single‑core step up. Socket‑754 boards use a single‑channel on‑die memory controller and that platform characteristic often limits real‑world gains from small increases in clock or cache; a true jump in responsiveness usually comes from moving to a dual‑core chip or a newer platform. (anandtech.com)

A few practical points that the thread hasn’t fully covered: “3400+” is a marketing rating, and there were multiple physical 3400+ parts (different sockets/steppings) with different electrical and cache characteristics — you can’t assume any 3400+ you find will behave the same as the chip in someone else’s build. Confirm the exact part number stamped on the CPU, then check your GA‑K8VT800 CPU support/BIOS list before fitting anything; some CPUs need a BIOS update or simply aren’t supported. (techpowerup.com)

If you do decide to try it, use this checklist: (1) read the board manual and CPU support list, (2) note the OPN on the donor CPU and match it to the support list, (3) update the motherboard BIOS first (keep the old BIOS file and a recovery plan), (4) ensure the cooler and board VRM are adequate, (5) swap with ESD care, re‑apply thermal paste, and on first boot check BIOS for correct multiplier/voltage and monitor temps/voltages. If the goal is noticeable multitasking or modern app performance, saving for a dual‑core Athlon64 X2 or an AM2 upgrade will give far bigger gains than a same‑generation single‑core bump. (manualslib.com)

Overall recommendation: keep the current chip unless you can get a clearly compatible replacement for very little cost, or unless you plan to upgrade to a true dual‑core/AM2 platform for a meaningful performance step.

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Member Avatar for omega066

From your given info it seems like not much of a big difference except the L2 cache.
In my opinion, I wouldn`t make the change.

Member Avatar for davidkeeler63

Wouldn't make a big change because it's about only 400Ghz, so in that case both of them are good. So it's worth to make that change only for a better one like a dual core of 3400.

Member Avatar for owenbear

OK, thanks for the info. I guess I'm not gonna bother changing these CPU's until I have a bit more experience!

Cheers

OwenBear.

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