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Hardware: Upgrade your Socket 775 to Xeon-Quadcores!

naquaada

Tue Jun 16, 2015 5:10:25 pm

Hello,

I wanted to build a cheap system from spare parts. I wanted to use a Core 2 Duo E8400 laying around. Then I read that somebody sold a Socket 775 board with a Xeon E5450 - and this is a Quadcore.

Okay, there are Core 2 Quad processors, but they are using a lot of power, 130W TDP. The Core 2 Duo has the half, 65W. The Xeon E5450 has 80W, that's not much more than the Core 2 Duo. But is has everything twice: both have 3 GHz, but the Xeon has two dual-cores, 128k L-1 cache and 12 MB L-2 cache! That's more than on a Core 2 Quad!

So I bought one. Well, two, the seller sold them as bundle. The price was 50 Euro plus shipping. Later I read that the Xeon has Socket 771, not 775. Hm. Why was the somebody selling a 775-Board with a Xeon? I made a little research, and you can get for about 4 Euro small stickers, which has to be placed on the CPU at a special place. It's not too difficult. Then you have to cut out the direction notches from the Socket 775, they are in a different position in Socket 771. Best use a scalpel, not a cutter, and remove them complete, otherwise the CPU may not fit. You still can use Socket 775 CPU's, but remember the direction! If the CPU is in place, finish your system and power it on. It *may* be possible that the BIOS doesn't support the Xeon, but mine does. You also maybe have to change some settings.

The result: Windows 7 system performance CPU test brings a result of 7.3, the Core 2 Duo E8450 has 6.6. In OSx86 Leopard I could play two Full-HD movies via network at the same time, with nearly no CPU consumption.

The rework of a Socket 775 system to a Xeon E5450 is not a bad idea: The CPU and the adapter are less than 35 Euro, the power consumption is not much higher as an Core 2 Duo, but much less than a Core 2 Quad. And it has more CPU cache. If somebody is still using a Socket 775 board and is not afraid to modify the CPU socket - check it out.

Greets, naquaada.

lon0

Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:08:12 pm

Wow, amazing! Is there any documentation on how to do this anywhere?
Modifying a CPU is something I have never considered before!