CPU Compatibility Differences

[TRBINDER]

Original CPU

Intel '83

3.60GHZ/1M/800

SL7J9 MALAY

L421B160

Replacement CPU

Intel '83

3.40GHZ/1M/800

SL7J8 MALAY

L416B079

Yes, I'm hoping someone can help me answer this question.  I had an old DELL Desktop tower recently stop working for the same reason it did many years back.  I was able to obtain a motherboard as I has gotten originally from DELL, minus the CPU, which I took off the original board and placed it in the socket of that first replacement.  That worked fine and I never gave it a thought.  This replacement board had a CPU already on it.  I'm curious to ask if the 3.4 to the 3.6 (.2) difference, could create a problem for me with the existing system board or the difference in the internal clock speed at this little amount, shouldn't cause any issue with the system board at all since they are so small.  I cannot determine if the board number I have can support the .2 difference.  Both boards are exactly the same except for the few changes at the end on numbering on the boards themselves.  I don't want to create an issue if this is possible for the .2 difference in GHZ.  My best assumption it wouldn't be a problem, but without knowing the differences, I haven't a clue CPU wise.  The original DELL replacement board: AA C56912-304C   DS/N CN-0K3464-48111-467-01DT      The board shipped to me with the 3.4GHZ Intel processor on it is: AA C56912-304   DS/N CN-0K3464-48111-478-00EA.  Thanks very much for any insight or advise on this that can be provided.  Kind regards, Todd.

[AlfredoS_Intel]

Hi Trbinder,

Thank you for posting in Intel Communities.

It is a good idea to still confirm if a certain CPU which was not part of the original configuration of a prebuilt system, would cause any issues with a replacement board.  Although, the best channel for your inquiry is to direct to Dell support, since you posted on our thread, we will see what we can do to answer your question.

It would really help us if we can get more information about your system. Please download and run our Intel® System Support Utility from this page. To run it, please press "Scan". After the scan is finished, click next and there will be a save button, giving you an option to save the logs to a text file, please do so and attach the file on your reply. You can refer to How to get the Intel® System Support Utility Logs on Windows* for instructions.

Best Regards,

Alfred S

Intel® Customer Support Technician

[TRBINDER]

Hi, Alfred.

My apologies for the delayed response.  The last 24 hours have been rough for me.  Too much to do in so little time.

Attached are the pictures I took of the CPUs backs.  I understand that they are both Pentium 4 processors.  The actual numbers are on both are as follows:

Original CPU

Intel '83

3.60GHZ/1M/800

SL7J9 MALAY

L421B160

Replacement CPU

Intel '83

3.40GHZ/1M/800

SL7J8 MALAY

L416B079

I’m curious if the internal architecture of the chips would be any different other than the 3.6 being more energy efficient compared to the 3.4.  I have an old DELL Dimension XPS Gen 3 Tower.  The machines cooling fans just started going wild after the mouse froze the other day and I couldn’t power off the machine without unplugging it.  I tried to plug it back in and press the power button, but nothing happened except I started smells and electrical smell, so I immediately unplugged it.  This same issues happened many years back.  The fix was a mother board replacement from DELL.  The replacement board didn’t come with the CPU on it, so I put my original CPU (3.6) on that board and the memory I had.  That worked and all was good in the world.

That motherboard is (That replacement board or the one that just recently failed.):

AA  C56912-304C

DS/N CN-OK3464-48111-467-01DT

This replacement board I received (Came with the 3.4 GHZ chip already in it.):

AA  C56912-304

DS/N CN-OK3464-48111-478-OOEA

I curious if the chips are so different, that board may see something I don’t and will not handle or support the 3.6 CPU on it (BIOS wise, or other.)  I’m thinking it should be fine, but I really don’t know what the differences are between the two chips are internally other than the .2 GHZ speed.  And is the .2 worth swapping the chips.  I cannot run the machine at all at this point.

Any insight or knowledge on the differences would greatly be appreciated.  Your thoughts on this would be of value to me.  I’m not really a hardware guy.  This board may not handle this .2 difference chip .  Or it may because it’s just a slight chip change internally and will not affect the mother board.

Thanks very much in advance for your help Mr.

Kind regards,

Todd

[TRBINDER]

Alfred, I'm told that these are Pentium 4 processors with HT.  I just need to get the machine working again to get some files off of it.  A long overdue upgrade is in the very near future.

[AlfredoS_Intel]

Hi Trbinder,

Thank you for your response.

Thank you for trusting Intel with your business. As with all good things, your product has reached the end of its interactive technical support life. However, you can find Intel Pentium 4 recommendations at Intel Community forums and additional information at the Discontinued Products website. It is our pleasure to continue to serve you with the next generation of Intel innovation at Intel.com.

With that said, as a one-time courtesy, we will try to answer your question; although, it is still best to consult Dell regarding this concern. Generally, for OEM boards, if there is already a configuration (COU) in place, it is best not to modify it. Kindly reach to Dell if you have more questions, as this thread will be closed and will no longer be monitored, due to the reason above. We hope for your understanding on this one.

Best Regards,

Alfred S

Intel® Customer Support Technician