Difference in AMD MP and XP processors?

[The_Other_One]

A friend of mine managed to get his hands on an MP1800 processor for a while. After some research, I couldn't find any reason an MP processor wouldn't work in his system, so he risks it all and tried it. It works flawless. So, what exactly is the difference in the MP and XP processors? I mean, they seem to have the same feature, run about the same speed...so whats different? I know they're ment for multi processor workstations, but if I'm not mistaken, XP processors can also be used...

Any ideas?

[BobyJo]

If your friend would go into bios and set the cpu at 166fsb and the multiplier to 10. Exit and save, he would see that his system now is a 1.67 mhz and not a 1.53mhz system.
The MP processors allow you to change the multiplier to whatever you want, IE::You could change the fsb to 166fsb, the memory to 333mhz and change the mulitplier to 10.5, now you have that system running at 1754mhz and still the same components.
The mhz and memory will be running at the same 333 & 333.
This is a option that will be offered to all with the XP2700 when it arrives. Otherwise the MP processors will work in a mulitple processor system, IE Dual processor system.
Or you can use it just like a UNLOCKED XP processor. You could take your XP and unlock it.
It really is a delicate proceedure. It is for me, I am getting up in years and not as stable in the hands as I used to be. Don't see all that well either.
If this is clear as mud, I will try to explain again in a different format.

So he can't change all the bus speeds as high as you said with a MP 1800? I know his MB can only handle 266.

When you say unlocked, I guess you mean where you can overclock the processor. I'd heard where you had to unlock most AMDs if you wanted to overclock, but I never bothered trying.

So is that the only difference? Its unlocked? I mean, I've think I've heard of dual XP systems, and the MP can work solo. Both my friends system and the computer it was taken from(the processor was borrowed from a dual MP system.) work fine...

[Uranium-235]

unlocked is basically going to the physical top of the processor and creating a connection bridge between the a number of the bridges

http://www.amdpower.com/images/trace.jpg

[BobyJo]

This is a little hard to get through to someone that does not understand the way multipilers and fsb is related. Maybe I can draw a picture for you.

Say you have a 1.6ghz processor and it runs on 133x12.
With a regular XP processor you cannot change the x12 at all. Therefore you can OC this processor maybe to 137x12 1.82ghz. This is the best this processor will run if that much.

Take the MP processor you could go 8x200 This way your cpu would still be operating at the same speed as it was.

Maybe you go to 9x200 this is a 200mhz OC. The processor is still operating great.

Then you try 10x200 and the processor still operats, but maybe windows is a little flaky at this setting. You realize this is above the level this cpu would operate and windows will run like it should. Then you could back off and say 10x190, The processor still is great, and windows runs great there is where you would probably want to leave it alone.
Does this help? MP processors are the best. An unlocked XP if done properly is a good processor.
Since the MP processors are quite a bit more expensive than the XP, most people purchase the XP's and unlock them.

[The_Other_One]

Yea. that helped, but you didn't need to go though all that... I have done work with multiplers multipilers and fsb. Mostly on 486's and pentiums, but it's all the same.

But it seems there has to be another difference... I mean, if it's unlocked, the only difference is you can overclock it, correct? And AMD, well, and processor company dosn't support overclocking, correct?

Whatever flicks your bick.
I guess that fits most things.

[Raven]

Don't have much experience on overclocking and such, but just thought I would throw in my 0.02

From what I remember reading, another difference between the XP and MP chip, was that the XP was designed (marketed) for single processor systems, and the MP was for dual processor systems.

The problem was that both chips are nearly identical, so the XP did/do work in dual systems.

Proof for that, is that I'm running 2 XP's in my system. I haven't noticed a single performance flaw or glitch... been running it around a year now.

[Grinnin Reaper]

You can overclock both. But only an unlocked processor can have the FSB increased. That gives you more flexability in you overclocking. Don't forget a lot of this also depends on your motherboard and quality RAM.

[Delta121]

It is really nonsense to do this procedure because you can simply go out and purchase a new cpu with higher FSB speeds and without the risk of damaging hardware components, etc. The benefits to the average PC User is close to null but it may help others? If you tamper with the hardware then you risk trouble on down the road if not immediately... Just a thought to those that are reluctant to use this method and don't know what they are getting into...

[Omega]

AMD XP processors were designed *not* to work in MP systems. However, some revisions of the XP processors were functional in MP systems. I remember there was some way to tell if a particular XP processor would work in an MP setup, by looking closely at something, but I don't know what it is specifically, offhand.

[Jason425]

thanks for that delta amd spokesperson. Overclocking is about getting free performance. I'm sure that if we had the $ to burn, we would go buy better stuff, but since we don't, we oc and get the good stuff free. Risk is assumed :rolleyes: