PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Sixth-generation Intel and Intel-compatible chipset characteristics

Intel has produced numerous sixth-generation chipsets in the 4-series and 8-series lines. Table 3-2 lists the characteristics of Intel 4-series desktop chipsets. These chipsets are obsolescent, although systems built on them may still be used productively and may even be reasonable upgrade candidates. In fact, motherboards based on the 440BX chipset were still produced as recently as late 2002, and motherboards based on i815-series chipsets were in current production as of July 2003. Although systems based on these chipsets lack modern features, they remain useful for some applications.

Warning

Processor support varies between steppings of chipsets, CPUs, and motherboards. For example, early steppings of the 815E chipset do not support Tualatin-core Pentium III and Celeron CPUs, while later steppings do. Similarly, some sixth-generation Intel chipsets support Covington-core and Mendocino-core Celerons, but not CoppermineT-core Celerons. Even if the chipset supports a particular CPU stepping, a motherboard that uses that chipset may not support that CPU. For detailed information about CPU support, see the Intel Specification Update for the chipset (http://developer.intel.com/design/chipsets/) and CPU (http://developer.intel.com/design/processor/) in question.

Table 3-2. Intel 4-series sixth-generation chipset characteristics

	440EX	440LX	440BX	440ZX	440ZX66
	CPU support
Pentium II (66 FSB)