.13 microns...... huh?!?

[Opticreep]

I apologize in advance for such a newbie-ish question, but...

I'm trying to figure out if my ECS K7VTA3 (v3.1a) motherboard could
support an Athlon XP 2400 processor. So I went to the ECS website.
In the CPU chart, it said that the motherboard could support up to
2100+ at "133MHz", or 2400+ at "133MHz (.13 microns)".

What does that mean?

I remember trying to put my brother's Athlon 2400 XP CPU on this same
motherboard about 6 months ago. Bios was 3.0d. As I recall, during
the boot-up sequence the computer reported the CPU as only 2000 MHz.
I simply assumed the motherboard was not capable of supporting 2400
MHz. But the chart from the ECS website I mentioned makes me wonder:

http://www.ecsusa.com/support/table_amd.html

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if someone were to clarify this for me.

 

[R. McCarty]

It's a spacing parameter of the transistors on the silicon that the CPU
is created from. Smaller spacing allows the processor to run at a higher
clock speed. (Shorter distances for signals to travel).
The 133 Mhz is a crystal generated clock signal it's sometimes called
the FSB (Front Side Bus) speed.
Athlon's use an equivalency rating which means the 2100,2400 is a
representation of overall performance. The actual core will run at a lower
clock frequency than it's name implies.

 

[Ed]

I apologize in advance for such a newbie-ish question, but...

I'm trying to figure out if my ECS K7VTA3 (v3.1a) motherboard could
support an Athlon XP 2400 processor. So I went to the ECS website.
In the CPU chart, it said that the motherboard could support up to
2100+ at "133MHz", or 2400+ at "133MHz (.13 microns)".

What does that mean?

I remember trying to put my brother's Athlon 2400 XP CPU on this same
motherboard about 6 months ago. Bios was 3.0d. As I recall, during
the boot-up sequence the computer reported the CPU as only 2000 MHz.
I simply assumed the motherboard was not capable of supporting 2400
MHz. But the chart from the ECS website I mentioned makes me wonder:

http://www.ecsusa.com/support/table_amd.html

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if someone were to clarify this for me.

AMD uses model numbers, MHz is a myth. ;p

__Model Name_______MHz_FSB x Mult
Athlon XP 1500+ - 1333 (133x10.0)
Athlon XP 1600+ - 1400 (133x10.5)
Athlon XP 1700+ - 1467 (133x11.0)
Athlon XP 1800+ - 1533 (133x11.5)
Athlon XP 1900+ - 1600 (133x12.0)
Athlon XP 2000+ - 1667 (133x12.5)
Athlon XP 2100+ - 1733 (133x13.0)
Athlon XP 2200+ - 1800 (133x13.5)
Athlon XP 2400+ - 2000 (133x15.0)
Athlon XP 2600+ - 2133 (133x16.0)

Athlon XP 2600+ - 2083 (166x12.5)
Athlon XP 2700+ - 2167 (166x13.0)
Athlon XP 2800+ - 2250 (166x13.5)

Barton XP 2500+ - 1833 (166x11.0)
Barton XP 2600+ - 1917 (166x11.5)
Barton XP 2800+ - 2083 (166x12.5)
Barton XP 3000+ - 2167 (166x13.0)

Barton XP 3000+ - 2100 (200x10.5)
Barton XP 3200+ - 2200 (200x11.0)

 

[Wes Newell]

I'm trying to figure out if my ECS K7VTA3 (v3.1a) motherboard could
support an Athlon XP 2400 processor. So I went to the ECS website.
In the CPU chart, it said that the motherboard could support up to
2100+ at "133MHz", or 2400+ at "133MHz (.13 microns)".

What does that mean?

What they meant it to mean was that it will support Tbred cores that run
on a default 133MHz FSB. Pay no attention to it. It really has no meaning.
What does mean something is that the board uses the KT266 chipset and is
not capable of a 166MHz FSB. So by default, you can only use CPU's that
have a default 133MHz fsb (266 models) like the 2400+ and some 2600+s,
mobiles, and MP's Now that's by default. In fact you can run any cpu in
it, but if it's multiplier locked, and depends on a FSB of 166MHz or
higher, you won't be able to get the default speed out of it. .13 microns
refers to the manufacturing process and really has no bearing on cpu usage
for your purposes.

I remember trying to put my brother's Athlon 2400 XP CPU on this same
motherboard about 6 months ago. Bios was 3.0d. As I recall, during the
boot-up sequence the computer reported the CPU as only 2000 MHz. I
simply assumed the motherboard was not capable of supporting 2400 MHz.

Then you assumed wrong., and the 2400+XP only runs at 2000MHz, so if
that's what you got, it was running at default speed.

But the chart from the ECS website I mentioned makes me wonder:

Forget any chart you see from any manufacturer. They only put there what
they want. if you know what you are doing they are meaningless. Read the
link below. It should shed some light.