http://www.anandtech.com/news/shownews.html?i=20014
After meeting with a manufacturer in Los Angeles yesterday, we were told that the first batch of Prescott processors will not be compatible with any motherboard currently available on the market today. Before Prescott undergoes a complete socket overhaul in Q2 2004, all Prescott processors will be of the Socket 478 variety, shipments of which will start in early Q4 of this year. But due to a mandatory voltage regulation spec change from VIN 1.0 to VIN 1.5, these Socket 478 Prescott processors will not be compatible with any Socket 478 motherboards. Motherboards based on 865PE and 875P chipsets are among those not compatible with the first Prescotts we learned.
We know of many users that are currently purchasing motherboards based on the assumption that, because Prescotts will be Socket 478 until Q2 next year, current Socket 478 motherboards will be compatible until then. However, this assumption is highly unlikely to be true based on the information we were given on Wednesday. Intel and motherboard manufacturers may be able to find a workaround, but we wouldn't count on it.
First Prescott processors not compatible with current motherboards?
Mainboards with Prescott Support to Come in August
It is now confirmed that Intel is playing the same bad socket joke it is known for again and current platforms from a lot of mainboard makers will not be compatible with Intel Prescott processor coming out this Fall. According to roadmaps I have just seen, a huge Taiwanese mainboard maker will start to offer mainboards with appropriate features and capabilities to support Prescott in the second half of August.
All or almost all mainboards based on i865PE and i875P chipsets are not VRM10.0, FMB1.5-compatible, that is why you will not be able to use Intel Prescott chip on those platforms. As a result, mainboard makers have to redesign their products. Beginning from the second half of August, at least one mainboard maker indicates appearance of its mainboards revision 2.x that are compliant to FMB 1.5 of Voltage Regulator-Down (VRD) 10.0 Design Guide. See our July, 11th news-story for more information on the matter.
There is still no information about the nature of changes between FMB 1.0 and FMB 1.5 and what is not enough for current platforms to support the forthcoming Socket 478 chip. I am also not sure about Prescott support by mainboards based on third-party chipsets.
In fact, mainboard makers have known that their current products do not support Prescott chips for weeks now, so, it is a mystery why, for example, ASUS still claims that their i865PE-based mainboard supports Prescott processor. Maybe they can guarantee it?
I wonder what will all those mainboard makers who announced support for Prescott will do now with the products that are now obsolete? Well, that is a game Intel likes to play and some of them may have supposed something of this kind to happen. You’d better wait before making upgrade…
http://www.overclockers.com/tips00424/
It is now confirmed that Intel is playing the same bad socket joke it is known for again and current platforms from a lot of mainboard makers will not be compatible with Intel Prescott processor coming out this Fall. According to roadmaps I have just seen, a huge Taiwanese mainboard maker will start to offer mainboards with appropriate features and capabilities to support Prescott in the second half of August.
All or almost all mainboards based on i865PE and i875P chipsets are not VRM10.0, FMB1.5-compatible, that is why you will not be able to use Intel Prescott chip on those platforms. As a result, mainboard makers have to redesign their products. Beginning from the second half of August, at least one mainboard maker indicates appearance of its mainboards revision 2.x that are compliant to FMB 1.5 of Voltage Regulator-Down (VRD) 10.0 Design Guide. See our July, 11th news-story for more information on the matter.
There is still no information about the nature of changes between FMB 1.0 and FMB 1.5 and what is not enough for current platforms to support the forthcoming Socket 478 chip. I am also not sure about Prescott support by mainboards based on third-party chipsets.
In fact, mainboard makers have known that their current products do not support Prescott chips for weeks now, so, it is a mystery why, for example, ASUS still claims that their i865PE-based mainboard supports Prescott processor. Maybe they can guarantee it?
I wonder what will all those mainboard makers who announced support for Prescott will do now with the products that are now obsolete? Well, that is a game Intel likes to play and some of them may have supposed something of this kind to happen. You’d better wait before making upgrade…
http://www.overclockers.com/tips00424/
