Intel has added to its range of desktop processors with six new Pentium 4 models. The move follows changes in the Pentium 4's underlying circuitry that has helped the company to increase the CPU's performance and scale its clock speeds. Besides the new 90-nanometer (nm) manufacturing process, the new Pentium 4 processors (2.80GHz, 3.0GHz, 3.20GHz and 3.40GHz) retain the multitasking capabilities of Hyper-Threading technology and include new features such as enhanced Intel NetBurst microarchitecture, a larger 1MB L2 cache and 13 new instructions. In addition to these four new Pentium 4 processors (formerly codenamed Prescott), Intel has revved up the speed of its Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and regular Pentium 4 processors to 3.40GHz.
Pros: 1MB of cache; several new instructions
Cons: Slower per-clock and more power-consuming than predecessors
The four new Pentium 4 processors are built on Intel's latest high-volume, 90nm manufacturing technology and will be available at speeds of 2.80GHz (£97.87), 3.0GHz (£119), 3.20GHz (£152) and 3.40GHz (£229). The four new Pentium 4 processors are among six new offerings in Intel's line of desktop chips and will shortly make their way into mainstream desktop PCs. Besides the new 90nm process, the Pentium 4 processors retain the multitasking capabilities of Hyper-Threading technology and include new features such as enhanced Intel NetBurst microarchitecture, a larger 1MB L2 cache and 13 new instructions. They'll be distinguished from regular Pentium processors by being marked with an 'E', such as Pentium 4 3.40EGHz. The chips are also compatible with existing Intel 875P and Intel 865 chipset-based motherboards.
Intel's 90nm (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter) process technology is currently the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process in the industry, built exclusively on 300mm wafers. The new manufacturing process combines low-power transistors, strained silicon, high-speed copper interconnects and a new low-k dielectric material. According to Intel, this is the first time all of these technologies have been integrated into a single manufacturing process.
In addition to the four processors manufactured on the 90nm process, Intel has revved up the speed of its Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processor to 3.40GHz (around £549). This processor is built on Intel's 0.13-micron process technology and is targeted specifically at high-end gamers. The significant features of the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition include 2MB of on-die L3 cache in addition to the Pentium 4's existing 512KB of L2 cache, giving the processor a total of 2.5MB of on-die cache. Current Pentium 4 chips do not have any L3 cache. Users with regular Pentium 4-based systems will be pleased to know that the Pentium 4 CPU is now also available at a speed of 3.40GHz (around £229).
The new Pentium 4's underlying circuitry helps Intel to scale the processor more quickly than the current Pentium 4 model. For instance, the 90nm Pentium 4 will reach a speed of 4GHz by the end of the year, according to Intel. Dell and HP have already announced their support for desktop PCs running the chips, with other manufacturers likely to start shipping models based on the processors soon after.
BIOS, Feb 02, 04 | Print | Send | Comments (0)
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