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.
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 does 'Add-in Graphics Card Required' mean?
Add-in Graphics Card Required means that the combination of
motherboard and processor do not support on-chip or on-board graphics and an
add-in graphic card is required. Some motherboards do not have a video connector
and some processors do not have on-chip graphics. In either case, the user would
need to purchase an add-in graphics card in order to have video output.
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 (Conroe) and later.
For
compatibility information on older parts not listed in the tool see the
following links:
-
For
boards begin at
Desktop Boards, then select your board to view
a list of supported processors.
-
For processors begin at
ARK. Enter the
processor number in the search box located in the upper right section of the
screen. You may also navigate manually by choosing processors, processor family,
then select the processor number. Once you find the processor, look for the
compatible products link in the left navigation. Click compatible products and
review the list of compatible chipsets. Chipsets can then be matched to a board.
Go to
Desktop Boards to see a list of associated
chipsets and boards.
-
For Server boards and processors, begin at
Server Configurator Tool
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Clink on the Print/Download link to print or download the compatibility search
results. Download format is PDF.
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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|
Term |
Definition |
|
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#. |
|
Bus Speed |
The Bus Speed is the speed (in MHz) of the processor bus, with which the processor communicates to the chipset
in the system. |
|
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. |
|
Intel HD Graphics |
Intel HD Graphics supported processor means the graphics engine is on the
processor. Previously, on-board graphics were on the motherboard chipset. Now
on-chip graphics are on the processor. This is indicated on the web page with a
Yes or No value indicating whether that processor has on-chip graphics. |
|
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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