Intel Pentium 4

Last guide, we were impressed that Intel managed to release their “ Prescott 2M” Pentium 4 [RTPE: “Pentium 4” 2MB] processors ahead of schedule. Intel CPU pricing is fairly stringently controlled, and so after the initial fluctuations while shipments were coming in, prices have pretty much leveled out at where they will remain until the next pre-determined price cuts. A new Prescott 2M, clocking at 3.8GHz, is also in Intel’s near future. We are under NDA for those sorts of topics, but in completely unrelated news, May 26 th looks like it will be a wonderful day for a picnic.


For those of us not ready to move up to the larger cached chips, Intel is still breathing life into the 5xx series with some new SKU announcements. Several months ago, all Pentium 4 5xx ( Prescott) processors received a revision bump as Intel enabled XD protection on their chips. These new processors received the “J” suffix although most merchants didn’t really differentiate the “J” processors from their non-XD predecessors. Sometime this month, Intel will start shipping the XD processor successors, which end in a “1”. These new processors are identical to the “J” revisions, but now also have EM64T. For those of you following at home, you may recall that EM64T instructions are already on the Prescott core, and enabling the extensions doesn’t require any new fabrication techniques on Intel’s behalf. Expect the “5x1” processors to replace the “5x0” processors quickly.


The 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550s are the most popular Pentium on the market right now, but prices aren’t moving:


Intel Pentium 4 (775) 550 800FSB 1MB

To hint a little bit at the upcoming Intel schedule, sometime in Q4 this year, the higher echelon Prescott 2M processors will also receive a similar revision bump. All of the 6xx chips already have EM64T, but Intel’s virtualization instructions – VT – are not present yet. Processors with VT will end in a “2” in their product name.

The dual core “ Smithfield” Pentium D processors are starting to show up for preorder on several vendors. Pricing seems extremely competitive, but we will have more details once the chips are actually available.


Index Intel Celeron D
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  • g33k - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - link

    johnsonx,

    Thanks for your reply. I can see how this proc would confuse things a bit. Axiom Technologies even lists the proc as a skt754.
  • johnsonx - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - link

    BTW, for anyone who doubts the rare P4 I mentioned:

    http://www.powerleap.com/Processors.html

    Intel P4 2.8GHz 400MHz 478pin 512K CPU OEM $161.99

    Core: Northwood Operating Frequency: 2.8GHz FSB: 400MHz Cache: L1/12K+8K; L2/512K Voltage: 1.525V Process: 0.13Micron Socket: Socket 478 Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2 Warranty: 30 Day DOA Packaging: OEM(Processor Only)

    Apparently Intel made these for one or more OEM's who wanted to offer 2.8Ghz CPUs on an existing platform validated for 400Mhz FSB only. Powerleap got ahold of some and sell them for upgraders, particularly for use with their socket-423 to 478 adapter (socket-423 boards of course support 400Mhz FSB only).
  • johnsonx - Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - link

    g33k,

    There actually is such a thing as a socket 939 A64 3400+. It is a 2.2Ghz cpu with 512k cache (same as the 3500+), but it is limited to an 800Mhz hypertransport link instead of 1000Mhz HT like all other socket 939 CPU's. The 800Mhz HT limit is the reason the performance rating is 100 points lower, though I doubt it really makes much difference at all.

    These CPU's were in fact sold by NewEgg about 9 months or so ago, but I've not seen them since. Many other vendors had them as well, and there was quite a bit of speculation and confusion about them both then and now. AMD doesn't even list the CPU in their online database now; I'm not at all sure AMD ever 'officially' acknowledged the existence of these CPUs. Sort of like the 2.8Ghz Pentium 4 with a 400Mhz FSB: Intel doesn't admit such a thing exists, but they do, and can be purchased if you know where to get them (though that P4 probably even more rare and obscure than the S939 A64 3400+).
  • g33k - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    KristopherKubicki, I have never seen a skt939 3400+. I have only seen them in skt754. Even the link in the price guide to "Axion Technologies" says it is a 3400+ skt754. Although, it rates the proc at 2.2ghz and 512k cache. These are 3200+ specs. So something not right there.
  • Tujan - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    The spec.for the EM64 for Intel processors..you stated that 'all Prescott have these enabled,in addition to some new Celerons.

    In the ""Processor Obfuscation And You.."" article,stated that the numeration for the 3.2 Prescott begins with 540J for example,but the E64 would start with the following designation of 541J..542J etc.

    Within the stats for Newegg.com (Hi Newegg.com), the processors they show dont include the feature set of the EM64 along with SSE,SSE2,HT etc. Although the 540J might be seen EM64T is not specified.
    As well,the specific numeration (541j,542J etc) isn't detailed for the information fields there. Is this something for the retailer to further detail,and is there some way to be sure that a Prescott processor can utilize the EM64T.? Since if ordering you cannot usually detail that spec even though it may be available.

    Or Not ? [ ]

    Sidenote: 915s support EM64T with XP64bit..?
  • KristopherKubicki - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    g33k: That is no error. One of these really exists!

    Kristopher
  • johnsonx - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    It'd be useful to add the clock speed to the Intel processor designations. Yes, yes, I know, clock speed isn't everything any more, but I sure can't remember what a 535 or 640 is either.

  • vitamalt - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    mmm venice 3000+ great bargain that's my next buy atm which may change since I'm not upgrading until games become unplayable on my current rig.
  • arswihart - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    it should come as no surprise that there are issues with the msi boards, thats always the case with that garbage company
  • g33k - Monday, May 23, 2005 - link

    Minor error on pg4 AMD (939) proc list. It lists S939 3400+ proc?

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