[WorldIndustries]

From what I've been reading, there are a lot of advantages of getting an Athlon XP-M over a normal XP processor.

Apparently, they have a fixed FSB and a changeable multiplier, which makes them a lot better for overclocking, as well as being a lot more tolerable to different voltages.

So can I just stick one of these into any normal Socket-A motherboards? I know it will probably first show up as like 600MHz, 'cause it will by default use the lowest multiplier setting, as well as the standard VCore being higher than the processor is rated for (still won't hurt it), but are these CPU's thinner? Would I need like a shim or something under the heatsink?


EDIT: Almost forgot! XP-M's run a LOT cooler too. I've done my research. Still can't find out if they will work unmodified in a desktop though...

[talldude123]

Athlon XP-M is a mobile processor for notebooks. Just check Google.

[WorldIndustries]

Haha. Yes, I knew that to begin with. But I've heard you can use them in desktop motherboards, and this has a lot of advantages...

[talldude123]

Alot of new HP's come with Celeron M's in them. But since when are desktops supposed to be compact?

[WorldIndustries]

A laptop CPU and a desktop CPU are the SAME SIZE. The only thing that's compact is the motherboard in a laptop. But it still utilizes the same socket type (in this case, socket A).

Basically the difference between a laptop CPU and a desktop CPU is:
1) Lower voltages (to prevent too much heat in a laptop)
2) Changeable multiplier (to lower clock speed in a laptop when it's not being used to it's full potential)

There aren't many cases where a mobile version of a CPU is physically different. I don't think you really understand how mobile processors compare to desktop processors. Neither do I, or I wouldn't have started this topic, but I've got a general idea and I'd like a little help with it.

[Apokalipse]

they are also pretty overclockable

I think Nubius used to run on an XP-M, ask him