Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool Help
Table of Contents
What does the Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility
Tool do?
The Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool provides
three ways of getting compatibility information on Intel products:
- Enter an Intel board name and get a list of Intel
processors that are compatible with the board,
- Enter an Intel processors number and get a list of Intel
Boards that are compatible with the processor, or
- Enter both an Intel board name and an Intel processors
number, and find out whether the combination is compatible.
The results indicate which products are compatible, and provide details on
specific board, processor, or BIOS revisions that may be required for
compatibility.
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How do I identify my Intel product to find its compatibility results in the
tool?
- Identifying your Intel board name
The tool requires you to enter a board name to get a list of processors
compatible with the board. It will automatically provide you with a list of
matching board names as you begin to type in the "Board Name" field.
The board name
is a combination of letters and numbers indicating the board platform,
the chipset on the board, and an identifying code for the board product.
See below for an example of the board name format.
The board
name is listed on the front and side of an Intel board box, and
it is printed on the board. See below for an example of the format of a
board name and where it appears on the box.
- Identifying your Intel processor number
The tool requires you to enter a processor number to get a list of boards
compatible with the processor. It will automatically provide you with a list
of matching processor numbers as you begin to type in the "Processor Number"
field.
Intel
processor numbers allow you to quickly differentiate among processors
within a product family. As shown in the example below, this number plus
the processor family comprise the overall “processor name”.
The processor
number is listed on a label on the front of an Intel boxed processor
box. It is also provided on the top of the heat spreader on Intel
desktop processors. See examples below.
For more
information about Intel processor numbers, visit
http://www.intel.com/products/processor_number/index.htm.
To identify an Intel processor that is already installed in a computer, use
the Intel Processor Identification Utility found here:
http://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/.
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How do I interpret the
compatibility results in the tool?
Use the Intel processors and boards
Compatibility Tool results as a guide for which Intel products should work
together. The compatibility results represent one of the following evaluations:
-
The Intel processor and Intel board have been tested
for compatibility by Intel, or
-
The Intel processor and Intel board have been
determined to be compatible by extending Intel test results on a similar
motherboard, or
-
The Intel processor and Intel board have been
assessed via a system-generated compatibility result based on processor and
board attributes.
Due to potential changes in products, BIOS, software, and the
like, Intel is unable to warrant that the processors and motherboards listed in
the results are compatible. Please check with the motherboard and/or barebones
PC vendor for current and compatibility information regarding specific product
models. The motherboard and/or barebones PC vendor remains solely responsible
for the design, sale and functionality of its product, including, without
limitation, any liability arising from product infringement or product warranty.
What are the Minimum BIOS, Processor
Spec #, and Board Revision details
in the compatibility results?
-
Minimum BIOS
The system BIOS on an Intel board contains
information for specific Intel processors. The BIOS that was originally
installed on the board may be sufficient for compatibility with the
processor, or an update to a newer version of the BIOS may be required.
The Minimum BIOS information in the Intel processors
and Boards Compatibility Tool provides the minimum version of the
BIOS for the Intel board that is required for compatibility with the
Intel processor.
The 4 digit version number in the compatibility tool is part
of the overall BIOS product code; you must use a BIOS that is designed for
the specific board. For help in identifying the correct BIOS for your board,
go to
http://support.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/CS-010687.htm.
To download a BIOS update for your Intel board, go
to
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx.
-
Processor Spec #
The Intel processors and boards
Compatibility Tool includes details about which revisions of an Intel
processor are compatible with an Intel board. Processor revisions
are identified by an spec number. Some processor revisions may include
changes to the maximum power (Thermal Design Power) requirements of the
processor, which can affect the compatibility with certain boards. Processor
revisions may also require different BIOS versions to be compatible.
Also known as specification number, the spec number is a
five character string (SL7AA, SL8VN, etc.) that is printed on the processor.
It is used to identify the processor. By knowing the processor's spec
number, you can find out the processor's core speed, cache size and speed,
core voltage, maximum operating temperature and so on.
The processor
spec number is listed on a label on the front of an Intel boxed processor
box. It is also provided on the top of the heat spreader on Intel
desktop processors. See examples below.
For more information on how to identify the spec number on your Intel processor, go to
http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/cs-016552.htm.
-
Board Revision
The Intel processors and Boards
Compatibility Tool includes details about which revisions of an Intel
Desktop Board are compatible with an Intel processor. Board revisions are
identified by an Alternate Assembly number (AA#). Over the life of a
board, Intel may release multiple revisions of the board, with different
components and tolerances that can affect the compatibility with certain
processors. A BIOS update may also be required for the combination to be
compatible.
An AA# is a 9-digit Intel part number used to differentiate between board families,
different configurations within a family, as well as revision history of the board.
The AA# can be found on the
component (top) side of an Intel board, on a small barcode label. It
is also printed on the label on a Intel board box.
The Board
Revision number is listed on a label on the front of an Intel boxed board
box. It is also provided on the Motherboard. See examples below.
For more information on how to identify the AA# on your
board, go to
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/cs-009008.htm.
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What products are covered by the
tool?
The Intel processors and Boards Compatibility
Tool covers the following products:
-
Motherboards: Intel boards supporting Intel Core™2
Duo processors and later processors, with processor socket 775 and later.
-
Processors: Intel Core 2 Duo processors and later Intel
desktop processors.
The tool retains data on a product from its public launch
through the end of interactive support on the product.
For information on products not covered by the tool, browse for
the product at
http://www.intel.com/support/product.htm. Find compatibility information on
Intel boards not covered by this tool by using the "Supported
Processors" link in the System Resources for each board support web page.
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Clink on the Print icon to print the compatibility search
results.
If you are having trouble with the print results getting cut off
to the right in portrait mode then change the page setup to landscape mode. To
do this go to File --> Page Setup and change the Orientation from Portrait to
Landscape. Click Ok. And then Go to File--> Print to print the search results in
landscape mode.
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Glossary of terms in the tool
| Term |
Definition |
| AA# |
An Altered Assembly number (AA#) is a 9-digit Intel part number
used to differentiate between board families, different
configurations within a family, as well as revision history of the
desktop board. |
| BIOS |
The BIOS (basic input/output system) is the program a
microprocessor uses to get the computer started after you turn it
on. It also manages the data flow between the computer's operating
system and attached peripheral devices. |
| Board Name |
The board name
is a combination of letters and numbers indicating the board
platform, the chipset on the board, and an identifying code for the
board product. |
| Board Revisions |
Over the life of aboard, Intel may release multiple
revisions of the board. Revisions are identified by an AA#. |
| Chipset |
The chipset is one or more chips on the Intel board that
provide the interfaces between the computer subsystems, e.g.
communication between the processor, main memory, and input/output
devices. |
| Compatible |
The tool provides information on Intel boards and Intel
processors that are compatible, i.e. the combination should work
together when installed in a computer system. A BIOS update may also
be required for compatibility. |
| FSB Frequency |
The FSB frequency is the speed (in MHz) of the processor
front-side bus, with which the processor communicates to the chipset
in the system. |
| L2 Cache |
L2 Cache is the size (in MB) of the level two cache inside the
processor. Cache is fast, short-term memory used by the processor to
store frequently or recently-used instructions and data. |
| Processor Frequency |
The processor frequency is the speed (in GHz) of the internal
clock operations inside the processor. |
| Processor Number |
Intel
processor numbers allow you to quickly differentiate among processors
within a product family. This number plus
the processor family comprise the overall “processor name”. |
| Processor Specs |
This column in the tool lists the processor spec #s that are
required for compatibility. |
| Series |
The Series information groups the Intel boards to
provide an easy way to find a board that fits your intended usage. |
| Spec # |
Also known as specification number, the spec number is a five
character string (SL7AA, SL8VN, etc.) that is printed on the
processor. It is used to identify the processor. By knowing the
processor's spec number, you can find out the processor's core
speed, cache size and speed, core voltage, maximum operating
temperature and so on. |
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Release notes
Intel processors and boards Compatibility Tool
Copyright © 2008, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Celeron, Intel, Intel logo, Intel Core, Pentium, and Xeon are trademarks of
Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
IN THE SOFTWARE.