CPU compatability

T

teshurtz

New Member
I have two old desktops:
A Dell precision 340 with
CPU:
Pentium 4 2.20 GHz
Bus speed 100 MHz
L2 Cache 512 KB

Memory:
2048 MB ECC RDRAM
AGP 64 MB

and the bios version is listed as A07

A Dell Dimension 3000 with
CPU:
Pentium 4 2.80 GHz
Bus speed 533 MHz
L2 Cache 1024 KB

Memory:
1024 MB DDR SDRAM
AGP 256 MB

and the bios version is listed as A02

I only have need /desire for 1 old computer
I like the case for the Precision better and the 2 gigs of ram seems superior. Also from my very limited understanding it seems that the CPU on the Dimension is better.
My question is three fold.
first, Is the dimension's CPU better?
second, can this CPU be used in the Precision with its other hardware?
and third, If the answer to the first two questions is yes, what must I do to swap the CPUs (I know from a physical side of things with removing the heat-sink and replacing it with new thermal grease once the swap is complete and all of that, my question is more if anything like the bios will need to be changed and how to do that.
Thanks
 
1 - Yes, the Dimension's CPU is better.

2 - Physically the CPU will fit. A CPU is the brains of the system, the MoBo is what enables the hardware to work with each other, so you won't have any issues. You could also swap the video card if you so desired.

3 - My biggest concern would be getting the heat sink off the CPU - after all these years, the thermal compound will likely act like a cement. You could try unhinging the heat sink and gently try to twist if off. Take care not to "rock it", as you risk putting pressure on part of the CPU and pulling it from the socket, most likely damaging the pins and rendering it useless. You might get lucky and instead of 'cement' you have 'brittle dry rot' instead - could go either way.
 
i took the heatsink off a athlon xp from ~2000 and it was fine, so it should come off fine. But you may want to spend like 5 bucks and get some new thermal paste
 
Thanks for the replies. I Have removed the heat sinks and thermal paste with no trouble (in fact is was the easiest I have ever removed).

Do I need to do anything on the firmware side of things or just physically switch the CPUs and re-seat the heat sink with new thermal paste?

Thanks again.
 
Ahhh, brittle dry rot, good to know. :good:

Just drop in the new CPU, apply TC, put on HSF and enjoy the newish build. ;)
 
Well I seem to have run into a snag. The dimension (from which I an stealing the CPU) has a built in video card with no AGP slot (I am not sure what the AGP value in the setup menu was referring to). The Precision (Who's mother case and motherboard I am keeping) has a separate video card plugged into an AGP slot (one of the reasons I want this motherboard) but no VGA built in.
After installing the "new" CPU I am getting nothing out of the vga on the video card.
The computer seems to turn on. All of the fans start going and they shut off if I hold in the power button for a few seconds. I don't hear any beeps or sounds (like a windows start-up) either.
I am guessing that this is related to the difference between the two machines and not something I may have screwed up (although that is entirely possible). When there is a built in video on the motherboard, does the CPU operate as the GPU as well or is there a separate GPU?

Anyway any help would be greatly apreachiated
 
A couple of follow up notes. There are 4 leds on the back of the machine that normally come on ti indicated if things are working or not. These do not with the new cpu. Also I let it sit long enough that it would have fully booted and tried to log into windows to trigger the startup noise with no luck. so either it is not booting or the sound also does not work with this CPU. I am using the onboard speakers by the way.

I switched the CPUs back and the old one worked perfectly. so if there is a hardware malfunction it is on the "new" cpu only. but again I suspect an incompatibility of some sort but have no idea how to fix or diagnose it further.
 
Most likely the precision won't accept the 533 bus of the better processor. will only work with 400mhz bus processors.
 
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