Difference between P4 2.4A and 2.4B?

[bill1971]

Please tell me the difference between a P4 2.4A and a 2.4B chip?
Is it the 400/533 bus thing?

Someone mentioned it in a past thread, but I forgot(no big news
there!).

Also, I'm getting ready to install a P4 2.0A into a Gigabyte GA-8IEXP,(or is it a Gee-OU812 ? Ha!) Sorry, couldn't resist. . .

I'm tempted to buy a 2.4B for this board, to take advantage of the
533MHz FSB. Will I see much of a performance increase over the
2.0A that I already have? My conscious tells me "no." I'm counting
on you folks to help me save a couple hundred bucks, here.
Thanks for the input.

- Bill

[thekingofpain]

Yep---"B" = 533


OH HEY!----GA-8IHXP? The rambus board?
I used 2 of these awhile back---your gonna love the dual bios---but try the easy tune utility, you may be surprised at the performance increase you can get from the 2.0...

(If its not the GA-8IHXP im sure their other new boards have similar features)

I see now it is a ddr board---has the same features, should be pretty cool!

[bill1971]

Thanks,Tim.

Unfortunately, it is the DDR board - that Rambus is a little out of the budget, which is why I decided to go with DDR. The board does have the Dual BIOS and Easy Tune features, though.

This CPU/board combo will be going into that Clear-view Tech
case. Picked up UV fans a UV sensitive PSU cover also, and twin light Sunbeam UV cold cathode lighting. Should provide good eye candy, coupled with a 17.4" Planar clear/translucent LCD.

So, you're saying, skip the 2.4B and just OC the 2.0A? Thanks.

- Bill

[MrLuigi]

I think that the "A" chip has 512 cache and the "B" chip has 256.
I may be wrong but that is what I recall. I also hear that the "A" chip OC's well to the 533 fsb where as the "B" chip will not.

[xcrunner51]

thats cuz the 'A' chip isn't at the 533mhz FSB yet, the 'B' is, and i think all of the new p4's past 1.8A have the 512k level 2 cache, not sure though

[xcrunner51]

and i have the 8IEXP, and its SWEET

[thekingofpain]

Yep---at this point id prefer ddr mem for a P4
And id use the chip you have at this point---can always sell and repurchase later...

***Now that I re-read---im unsure if you already had the 2.0a? or was deciding on a B chip over the 2.0a?***

Buy the B if possible, especially with that board...

[FalcomPSX]

the A means northwood, only important up to 2.0ghz. 2.2 and above are all northwood cores, and therefor "A" chips. B designates 533mhz fsb. for an upgrade though I'd suggest waiting for a 2.8ghz part to drop in price, that would be a better then the 2.4 now. reason being, the 3ghz and above parts will require a new motherboard alltogether, so that's out as an option. I'd wait for the fastest chip your board can take becomes cheap if you upgrade at all. even still a 2gig chip is sweet.