Pentium4 and AMD Processors on SAME MOBO

[AndrewJ]

SOURCE http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp...?storyid=66472

Is this the Holygrail of computers?

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) has showcased a motherboard - PF 88 - that is designed to run both, an AMD K8 and Pentium 4 processor on the same motherboard. The dual-processor combo has been made possible with the introduction of a converter card for the AMD K8 processor and DDR400 memory module, which makes it compatible with the Intel LGA775 chipsets.

[Paul K]

Saw this on Neowin yesterday and it wasn't really greeted with a lot of enthusiasm there. Seems the design and getting it to fit nicely into a case were cheif complaints. Oh and moans about the fact that only one processor would be accessible at a time along with the number of ram slots on the board were voiced.

More comments Here too.

seems a little pointless to me, surely people dont buy a PC and then decide to change processor from one manufacturer to the other?

[AndrewJ]

Would be handy if you wished for a p4 for work around windows such as video editing where benchmarks show it runs better then AMD, and then the AMD for gaming?

[paulyoung666]

but getting back to the real world , would ppl really notice the difference or care about a few extra seconds here and there or a couple of less fps in a game ????

[Halcyon]

Yeah having just read that the two cant be used together is absolutely pointless !!!
If you want to have dual processors then stick with the same CPU and go for a dual processor board.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

but getting back to the real world , would ppl really notice the difference or care about a few extra seconds here and there or a couple of less fps in a game ????

Or would they save themselves some cash by not buying two processors, and spend that cash on one, higher spec processor, which is more likely to give a noticeable difference in performance.

[ZrByte]

It would make a good transition computer, very handy for those AMD users who want to make the switch to intel but can only afford one part at a time and vice versa.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by ZrByte

It would make a good transition computer, very handy for those AMD users who want to make the switch to intel but can only afford one part at a time and vice versa.

Yeah, but unless they thought "Hang on, I might need to switch to an Intel at some point" when they initially bought their motherboard, they would have to replace the motherboard anyway.

[AndrewJ]

There is a variety of uses, I can see this being a sucess in some respects, some users may like to have a xeon processor for video editing and a fx55 for gaming, now I aint sure this board supports that, but with development it could.

Imagine a Xeon for your video work etc, and then a fx55 for gaming with hl2 etc?

And not having too have two rigs in your room, and the missus going nuts at how much space your computer use up.

[Caspar]

There's also the thought of this being a concept of what might be developed in the future. Plus some geeks as some company somewhere proving it can be done...purely, at least initially, on a academic level.

[jtwn]

Ah, myself, I'm waiting for a dual agp and pci express board to come out...anybody know about anything in the pipeline?

I mean, I've had mobos with isa and pci slots, ddr and sdram slots, so why not AGP and PCIe?

[Caspar]

The company plans to launch the PF88 in April and the motherboard is expected to hit stores by May. The estimated price for the P4 motherboard will be $60-$70 and the AMD K8 converter card will cost $25-$30.

There's also the idea that people could by the cheaper mobo (intel based) and then use the cheap converter to use an AMD chip! ...seems extreme to save a few quid tho

[AndrewJ]

I would not mind one where with some form of modification you could use both a Xeon and a Fx55 at the same time, giving you best of both worlds..but that likely will never happen

[keithwalton]

I'd say the board is a useless concept but is a good pr stunt!
ecs are known for making unconventional boards or at least taking the gamble on them.
jtwn - pci-e boards do exist with an agp slot on them, but its for pure transition really as the agp slot is wired through the pci-e bus and isnt that quick

I dont think anyone who has any inkcling of sense would buy this board its simply not cost effective since the differences between each cpu is so marginal these days. Somthing far more interesting is the asus s478 -> 479 converter. If other manufacturers make this adapter or it works in my epox board, i'll certainly give it some serious thought as it will allow me to cheaply use a dothan in a desktop