motherboard questions

[rici1]

Hiya,
I want to buy a gigabyte mobo but before I do there is a few quick questions:
Firstly, I have PC2100 (184 pin DDR SDRAM) but the spec sheet on the mobo says that the supported memory is 184 pin DDR 400/333/266. Will my memory be compatable?
Secondly, as the website does not say for the mobo that I am thinking of buying, are all 400/333 FSB mobos compatable with the Athlon XP 2800+ ?
Lastly I cannot find any info on the NForce2 IGP chipset. I know the 400 ultra has twice the bandwidth of the 400 but I could not see any mention of the IGP. Which is the 'better' chipset the IGP or 400 Ultra?
Anyway thanks for your help.

[BipolarBill]

Motherboard model please? You haven't given us all of the data needed.

PC2100=DDR266
PC2700=DDR333
PC3200=DDR400

It all depends on the CPU front side bus speed. The 2800+ is a 166/333MHz "Barton" CPU. Naturally, it requires a supporting motherboard and PC2700/DDR333 at least.Which is the 'better' chipset the IGP or 400 Ultra? The IGP "northbridge" has graphics (video) built in. The SPP does not. The 400 is designed to accept the rare 200/400MHz Athlon (last of the line). The 2800+ does not require the 400 and the 400 will be no faster (it may be worse!) with a 166/333 Barton CPU in it.

[rici1]

Ok, I have spoken to the company.
The mobo is the GA-7N400 Pro, (note NOT the GA-7N440V pro, we got confused over that!). It will support my memory, and it will support my processor.
When you say the 400 may be worse for the processor I am confused. Did you mean the NForce2 400? The chipset is the NForce2 ULTRA 400, the motherboard is a new product, it is not even on the Gigabyte website yet. It has a 400Mhz FSB so surly my 2800+ will function correctly? Or am I missing the point?

[BipolarBill]

You're buying a half-ton pickup truck where an Izuzu will do fine. Unless the 400 has an MCP-T southbridge, it's an inferior product when you're installing a Barton CPU.

The 400 Athlons will be few - the 3200+ and maybe one more. Getting that motherboard is silly because you'll never use it's full potential. The Athlon64 is coming in the last quarter and we will all be getting another platform then.

[ConfusedAlien]

the other computer froze out on me so i'll do it again here...
lol bill took the cake it looks like lol:t
well, bill first off its an Isuzu lol and it does have MCP-T
(i dont know where you got your info rici1, but the one you want is preeeeety old. you say its not in gigabyte's site, well whats this? http://www.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/Products/Products_Spec_GA-7N400%20Pro.htm
its infact one of those standard boards they use at custom computer corp.)
anyway, dont worry if you cant understand a word that bpb just posted here. he has a tendency to do that. he uses very esoteric terms.
basically, he's implying that you should keep your computer and wait until later when the 64bit processors, i.e. opteron Althlon64 (which is the one you'll get), make the entrance into the market.

otherwise, just get yourself some new ram maybe DDR400, a corsair XMS or crucial, and then get that board.
or hey! if you dont want to wait and are dying to spend some unnecessary cash, get yourself a Gigabyte GA-7NNXP. then, you can get an ATI A-I-W 9800pro, then a thermaltake Xaier II or whatever you call it with an enermax, and a rediculously expensive dvd burner and soundsystem.
i was kidding, if you didnt get that.



so i guess i didnt really say anything there lol. so here
sell it. sell EEVERYTHING AAAAAH seriously. if you can
if not, just get an EPOX RDA for the time and wait until the Athlon 64 comes.

[rici1]

Ok thanks for your help guys. The thing is im on a budget, I don't want anything too fancy!!!!!
With the MCP-T you say it will be ok. So my 2800+ will reach its full potential then?

[BipolarBill]

The 2800+ will "reach it's full potential" on any decent nForce2 motherboard.

[fizur2002]

I have just bought that same mobo that he is looking at, it will support every kind of AMD from the 600 all the way up to the 3200+ and higher, so he dont have to worry about the CPU, or the ram as well.