Intel Pentium III Xeon 933 2.8V socket: Slot 2

What the Pentium III Xeon 933 2.8V is

The Intel Pentium III Xeon 933 2.8V is a 933 MHz single-core server processor from May 2000. It runs one P6 Cascades core at 933 MHz with no Hyper-Threading, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 256 KB of full-speed L2 with 32 KB of L1 on a 180 nm process. Power is rated at 29.6 W in a Slot 2 SECC cartridge on a 133 MT/s front side bus with a 7x multiplier on the 2.8 V regulator path.

A 7x integer ratio on the fast bus gives the 933 clean timing, which is why it headed performance dual servers in mid 2000. Intel launched the Xeon 933 on May 24, 2000 at $794. The chip supports MMX, SSE and two-way SMP.

High clocks with a fast bus suit Slot 2 performance boards with registered SDRAM. That is why the 933 2.8V shipped in performance workgroup boxes.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 933 2.8V fits Slot 2 performance servers with 2.8 V regulation. It needs a 330-lead SC330 board with a 133 MT/s bus and a BIOS that lists the 2.8 V 933 string. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Performance rack servers are the natural match. Boards listing the string accept cartridges with 29.6 W heatsinks.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is registered ECC SDRAM through the server chipset, matched to the board sockets. The cartridge has no memory controller. Performance boards commonly run ECC pairs.

A 133 MT/s front side bus ties each cartridge to the chipset, while PCI hangs off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the cartridge. Cooling uses SECC heatsinks on the retention cage.

Upgrade paths

On the same slot, a move to a Pentium III Xeon 933 5V-12V such as Intel Pentium III Xeon 933 5V-12V keeps clocks and cache while changing regulator path. A Xeon 866 2.8V such as Intel Pentium III Xeon 866 2.8V drops clocks at equal power.

A move to Foster Xeon needs Socket 603. The Slot 2 page lists the range. Note: the queue row lists 29 W; this page uses the verified 29.6 W.