Answer:
A motherboard will typically support a range of processor speeds within the same family, but the range of speeds can vary quite a bit among systems. The easiest course is to see the system or motherboard manual because it will typically list the supported processors on its specifications page. If you don't have the printed documentation handy, visit the manufacturer's site and locate the system or motherboard manual online. Online documentation can yield a lot of useful information. For example, let's assume you have
a Tyan Tomcat i915 motherboard. Tyan lists compatible CPUs for its motherboards at www.tyan.com. For the i915, Tyan states you could use a 2.8GHz, 3.0GHz, 3.2GHz, or 3.4GHz Pentium 4 processor. Please note that if the motherboard is already running the fastest CPU it can handle, you cannot upgrade the CPU; you'd need to replace the entire motherboard with a model that can support faster CPUs.
(NOTE: Intel and AMD processors are not interchangeable, so you can only upgrade Intel-based motherboards with Intel processors. Similarly, AMD-based motherboards will only accept AMD processors.) |