I have a dell 4600 desktop and want to upgrade the processor. On the Dell site I got my specs for the compatible processors:

Microprocessor type
Intel® Pentium® 4 that runs at 2.26, 2.4, 2.533, 2.66, 2.8, or 3.06 GHz internally and 533 MHz externally, or 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, or 3.4 GHz internally and 800 MHz externally

Level 1 (L1) cache
8 KB first-level

Level 2 (L2) cache
512-KB or 1-MB pipelined-burst, eight-way set associative, write-back SRAM

I'm looking at a P4 Prescott 650 3.4 (really cheap, I know they're supposed to run hot but I thought I could get a good heatsink and fan). It's specs are:


FSB: 800MHz
L1 Cache: 12KB+16KB
L2 Cache: 2MB
Manufacturing Tech: 90 nm
Multi-Core: Single-Core
Processors Type: Desktop
Series: Pentium 4
Model #: BX80547PG3400F

I see the only thing that might not be compatible is the Prescott has a 2mb L2 cache and it seems I'm compatible with up to 1Mb, also the L1 cache I'm compatible with is 8kb and the Prescott is 12Kb+16Kb.

There is also an option of a Prescott 541 3.2 that does have 1Mb L2 cache, but the same L1 cache of 12KB+16KB.

Will either or both of these processors be compatible in theory with my motherboard? - Thanks

I think it should be alright, but did you by chance notice the socket type? I bet your computers right now has socket 478. The newer pentium 4 processors usually use socket LGA 775. Check that, but everything else seems alright .