Intel Pentium 4 Processor: Features, Testing and Feedback

The line of Intel Pentium 4 processors is considered the most successful in comparison with other modifications of the manufacturer, because during many years of work it proved the right to exist. In this article, the reader will be able to find out what is so good about these processors, learn their technical characteristics, and testing and feedback will help a potential buyer determine the choice in the market of computer components.

Race for frequencies

As history shows, generations of processors were replaced one by one thanks to the manufacturers' race at frequencies. Naturally, new technologies were also introduced, but they were not in the forefront. Both users and manufacturers realized that the day would come when the effective frequency of the processor would be reached, and this happened after the appearance of the fourth generation Intel Pentium. 4 GHz - the operating frequency of one core - has become the limit. To work too much energy for the work. Accordingly, and the dissipated power in the form of colossal heat release called into question the operation of the entire system.

All subsequent modifications of Intel processors, as well as competitors' analogues, were made within 4 GHz. They already remembered about the technology with the use of several cores and the introduction of special instructions that can optimize the processing of data in general.

The first pancake is lumpy

In the sphere of high technologies, the monopoly in the market can not lead to anything good, many electronics manufacturers have already seen this from their own experience (DVD-R discs have been replaced with DVD + R, and the ZIP drive has completely gone into oblivion). However, Intel and Rambus decided to still make good money and released a joint promising product. So in the market there was the first processor Intel Pentium 4 which worked on Socket 423 and on very high speed communicated with RAM memory Rambus. Naturally, many users wanted to become owners of the fastest computer in the world.

To become monopolists in the market, two companies were prevented from opening a dual-channel memory mode. The tests carried out have shown a huge increase in productivity. A new technology immediately interested all manufacturers of computer components. And the first Pentium 4 processor along with socket 423 became history, because the manufacturer did not provide the platform with the possibility of upgrading. At the moment, components for this platform are in demand, as it turned out, a number of state enterprises managed to buy superfast computers. Naturally, replacing components is much cheaper than a full upgrade.

Step in the right direction

Many owners of personal computers that do not play games, but prefer to work with documentation and view multimedia content, still have Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 478) installed. Millions of tests conducted by professionals and enthusiasts show that the capacity of this platform is sufficient for all tasks of the average user.

This platform uses two modifications of the cores: Willamette and Prescott. Judging by the characteristics, the differences between the two processors are insignificant; in the last modification, support for 13 new instructions for optimizing the data, which was shortly called SSE3, was added. The frequency range of the crystals is in the range of 1.4-3.4 GHz, which, in fact, meets the market requirements. The manufacturer ventured to introduce an additional branch of the processors for socket 478, which should attract the attention of gamers and overclockers. The new line was called Intel Pentium 4 CPU Extreme Edition.

Advantages and disadvantages of socket 478

Judging by the feedback of IT specialists, the Intel Pentium 4 processor running on the 478 socket platform is still quite in demand. Not every computer owner can afford to upgrade, which requires the purchase of three basic components (motherboard, processor and RAM). After all, for most problems, to improve the performance of the entire system, it is sufficient to install a more powerful crystal. Benefit the secondary market they are full, because the processor is much more durable than the same motherboard.

And if you make an upgrade, the attention should be paid to the most powerful representatives in this category of Extreme Edition, which still show decent results in performance tests. The drawback of powerful processors for Socket 478 is the large dissipated power, which requires good cooling. Therefore, the cost of the user will be added and the need to purchase a decent cooler.

Processors at a low price

The reader unambiguously faced on the market with models of processors Intel Pentium 4, having in the labeling inscription Celeron. In fact - this is the younger line of devices, which has lower power due to the reduction of instructions and disconnection of the internal memory blocks of the microprocessor (cache). The market of Intel Celeron is aimed at users who are primarily interested in the price of the computer, rather than its performance.

Among the users there is an opinion that the younger line of processors is a rejection in the process of manufacturing of Intel Pentium 4 crystals. The source of this assumption is the excitement in the market in 1999, when a group of enthusiasts proved to the public that the Pentium 2 and its younger Celeron model are the same Processor. However, over the years the situation has radically changed, and the manufacturer has a separate line for the production of an inexpensive device for undemanding buyers. In addition, we must not forget about the competitor AMD, which claims to displace Intel from the market. Accordingly, all price niches should be occupied with worthy products.

A new stage of evolution

Many experts in the field of computer technology believe that it was the appearance of the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott processor that opened the era of devices with several cores and completed the race for gigahertz. With the advent of new technologies, the manufacturer had to switch to socket 775, which helped to reveal the potential of all personal computers in working with resource-intensive programs and dynamic games. According to statistics, more than 50% of all computers on the planet work on the legendary Socket 775 connector from Intel.

The appearance of the Intel Pentium D processor led to an agiotage in the market, because the manufacturer on one core managed to run two streams of instructions, creating a prototype of a dual-core device. The technology is called Hyper-threading and today is an advanced solution for the production of the most powerful crystals in the world. Without dwelling on what has been achieved, Intel presented Dual Core, Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad technologies that had several microprocessors on a single chip at the hardware level.

Two-faced processors

If you focus on the criterion of "price-quality", then the focus will definitely be processors with two cores. Their low cost and excellent performance complement each other. Microprocessors Intel Pentium Dual Core and Core 2 Duo are the most sold in the world. Their main difference between them is that the latter has two physical cores that work independently of each other. But the Dual Core processor is implemented in the form of two controllers, which are installed on a single chip and their joint work is inextricably linked.

The frequency range of devices having two cores is a little understated and fluctuates within 2-2.66 GHz. The whole problem is in the dissipated power of the crystal, which is heated strongly at higher frequencies. An example is the entire eighth line of Intel Pentium D (D820-D840). It was they who got the first two separate cores and operating frequencies over 3 GHz. The power consumption of these processors is on the average 130 watts (in winter time it is quite acceptable room heater for users).

A search with four cores

Novelties with four cores Intel (R) Pentium (R) 4 were clearly designed for users who prefer to purchase components with a large margin for the future. However, the software market suddenly stopped. Development, testing and implementation of applications is performed for devices that have one or two core maximum. But what about systems with 6, 8 or more microprocessors? A typical marketing move aimed at potential buyers who want to buy a super-power computer or laptop.

As with megapixels on the camera - it's better not the one with 20 Mp written, but the device with a larger matrix and focal length. And in the processors, the weather does a set of instructions that process the application's program code and give the result to the user. Accordingly, programmers should optimize this code so that the microprocessor processes it quickly and without errors. Since there are a majority of weak computers on the market, it is advantageous for developers to create non-resource-intensive programs. Accordingly, a large computer power at this stage of evolution is not needed.

Recommendations for modernization

For owners of the Intel Pentium 4 processor (775 socket), who want to upgrade with minimal costs, professionals recommend looking at the secondary market. But first you need to find out the technical characteristics of the motherboard installed in the system. You can do it on the manufacturer's website. Interested in the section "support for processors." Next, in the media, you need to find a table of processor performance and, comparing with the characteristics of the motherboard, choose several worthy options. It does not hurt to examine the feedback of owners and IT professionals in the media on the selected devices. After that you can search for the necessary processor, used.

For many platforms supporting the operation of microprocessors with four cores, it is recommended to install Intel Core Quad 6600. If the system can only work with dual-core chips, then it is worth looking for a server version of Intel Xeon or a tool for the Intel Extreme Edition overclocker (of course, for socket 775). Their cost in the market is in the range of 800-1000 rubles, which is an order of magnitude cheaper than any upgrade.

Market of mobile devices

In addition to stationary computers, Intel Pentium 4 processors were also installed on laptops. For this purpose, the manufacturer created a separate line, which in its marking had the letter "M". The characteristics of mobile processors were identical to stationary computers, but the frequency range was clearly understated. So, the most powerful among the processors for laptops is Pentium 4M 2.66 GHz.

However, with the development of platforms in mobile versions, everything is so messed up that Intel maker itself has not yet provided the development tree for processors on its official website. Using the 478-pin platform in laptops, the company changed only the processing technology of the processor code. As a result, on one socket it was possible to breed a whole "zoo" of processors. The most popular, according to statistics, is considered to be the Intel Pentium Dual Core. The fact is that this is the cheapest device in production, and its dissipated power is negligible compared to analogues.

The race for energy saving

If for computers the power consumed by the processor is not critical for the system, then for the laptop the situation drastically changes. Here, Intel Pentium 4 devices were replaced by less volatile microprocessors. And if the reader gets acquainted with the tests of mobile processors, he will see that the performance of the old Core 2 Quad from the Pentium 4 line does not lag far behind the more modern Core i5 chip, but the latter's power consumption is 3.5 times less. Naturally, this difference affects the autonomy of the laptop.

Tracing the mobile processor market, you can find that the manufacturer again returned to the technology of the past decade and begins to actively install all products of Intel Atom in all notebooks. Just do not need to compare them with low-power processors, installed on netbooks and tablets. These are completely new, technologically advanced and very productive systems with 2 or 4 cores on board and capable of participating in testing applications or games on a par with Core i5 / i7 chips.

Finally

As you can see from the review, the legendary Intel Pentium 4 processor, the characteristics of which have undergone changes over many years, not only has the right to co-exist with the new manufacturer's lines, but also competes successfully in the price-quality segment. And if it is a question of computer upgrade, then before the important step it is worth to understand if it makes sense to change the awl to soap. In most cases, especially when it comes to productive games, professionals recommend upgrading by replacing the video card. Also, many users do not know that the weak link of the computer in dynamic games is a hard magnetic disk. Replacing it with an SSD drive can increase the computer's performance several times.

Concerning mobile devices, the situation is somewhat different. The performance of the entire system is highly dependent on the temperature inside the notebook case. It is clear that a powerful processor in peak loads will lead to braking or complete disconnection of the device (many negative reviews confirm this fact). Naturally, when buying a laptop for games you need to pay attention to the economy of the processor in terms of power consumption and decent cooling of all components.