The line of Intel Pentium 4 processors is considered the most successful in comparison with other modifications of the manufacturer, because for many years it has proved its right to exist. In this article, the reader will be able to find out what these processors are so good for, learn their technical characteristics, and testing and reviews will help a potential buyer decide on the choice of computer components in the market.
Frequency race
As history shows, the generation of processors was replaced one after another thanks to the race of manufacturers for frequencies. Naturally, new technologies were also introduced, but they were not in the foreground. Both users and manufacturers understood that the day would come when the effective processor frequency would be reached, and this happened after the advent of the fourth generation Intel Pentium. 4 GHz - the frequency of one core - has become the limit. The crystal needed too much power to operate. Accordingly, the power dissipation in the form of tremendous heat generation called into question the operation of the entire system.
All subsequent modifications of Intel processors, as well as competitors' analogues, began to be produced within 4 GHz. They have already remembered technologies using several cores and the introduction of special instructions that can optimize data processing in general.
The first pancake is lumpy
In the field of high technology, a monopoly in the market cannot lead to anything good, many electronics manufacturers have already seen this on their own experience (DVD-R discs were replaced with DVD + R, and the ZIP drive generally went into oblivion). However, Intel and Rambus decided to make good money and released a promising joint product. So the first Intel Pentium 4 processor appeared on the market, which worked on Socket 423 and communicated with Rambus RAM at a very high speed. Naturally, many users wanted to become the owners of the fastest computer in the world.
The two companies were prevented from becoming monopolists in the market by the opening of a dual-channel memory mode. The tests conducted new items showed a tremendous increase in productivity. All manufacturers of computer components immediately became interested in new technology. And the first Pentium 4 processor along with socket 423 became history, because the manufacturer did not provide the platform with the ability to upgrade. At the moment, components for this platform are in demand, as it turned out, a number of state-owned enterprises managed to purchase ultrafast computers. Naturally, the replacement of components is much cheaper than a full upgrade.
Step in the right direction
Many owners of personal computers who 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 power of this platform is enough for all the tasks of an ordinary user.
This platform uses two kernel modifications: Willamette and Prescott. Judging by the characteristics, the differences between the two processors are insignificant; in the latest modification, support for 13 new instructions is added to optimize the data, which was briefly called SSE3. The frequency range of the crystals is in the range of 1.4-3.4 GHz, which, in fact, meets the requirements of the market. The manufacturer ventured to introduce an additional processor branch for socket 478, which should have attracted the attention of gamers and overlockers. The new line is called Intel Pentium 4 CPU Extreme Edition.
Advantages and disadvantages of 478 socket
Judging by the reviews of IT specialists, the Intel Pentium 4 processor running on the 478 socket platform is still quite popular. Not every computer owner can afford the modernization, which requires the purchase of three basic components (motherboard, processor and RAM). Indeed, for most tasks, to improve the performance of the entire system, it is enough to install a more powerful crystal. Fortunately, the secondary market is full of them, because the processor is much more durable than the same motherboard.
And if you upgrade, then you need to pay attention to the most powerful representatives in this category Extreme Edition, who still show decent results in performance tests. The disadvantage of powerful processors for Socket 478 is the large power dissipation, which requires good cooling. Therefore, the need to purchase a decent cooler will be added to the user's expenses.
Low cost processors
The reader clearly came across on the market models of Intel Pentium 4 processors, marked Celeron in the marking. In fact, this is the youngest line of devices, which has less power by reducing instructions and disabling microprocessor internal memory blocks (cache). The Intel Celeron market is aimed at users who care about the price of a computer and not its performance.
There is an opinion among users that the youngest line of processors is rejected in the process of manufacturing Intel Pentium 4 crystals. The source of this assumption is the market hype back in 1999, when a group of enthusiasts proved to the public that Pentium 2 and its younger Celeron model are the same the processor. However, over the years, the situation has changed radically, and the manufacturer has a separate line for the production of low-cost devices for undemanding customers. In addition, we must not forget about the competitor AMD, which claims to oust Intel from the market. Accordingly, all price niches should be occupied with decent products.
A new round of evolution
Many experts in the field of computer technology believe that it was the appearance of the Intel Pentium 4 Prescott processor on the market that opened the era of devices with several cores and ended the race for gigahertz. With the advent of new technologies, the manufacturer had to switch to socket 775, which helped to unleash 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 hype in the market, because the manufacturer on one core managed to launch two threads of instructions, creating a prototype of a dual-core device. The technology is called Hyper-threading and today is an advanced solution in the production of the most powerful crystals in the world. Not stopping there, Intel presented Dual Core, Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad technologies, which at the hardware level had several microprocessors on a single chip.
Two-faced processors
If we focus on the criterion of "price-quality", then the processors with two cores will definitely be in focus. Their low cost and excellent performance complement each other. Intel Pentium Dual Core and Core 2 Duo microprocessors are the best selling 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 that are installed on the same chip and their joint work is inextricably linked.
The frequency range of devices with two cores is slightly underestimated and ranges from 2-2.66 GHz. The whole problem is in the dissipated power of the crystal, which is very hot at higher frequencies. An example is the entire eighth line of Intel Pentium D (D820-D840). They were the first to receive two separate cores and operating frequencies above 3 GHz. The power consumption of these processors averages 130 watts (in winter, a quite acceptable room heater for users).
Four-core busting
The novelties with four Intel (R) Pentium (R) 4 cores were clearly designed for users who prefer to purchase components with a large margin for the future. However, the software market has suddenly stopped. Application development, testing and implementation is carried out for devices with one or two cores maximum. But what about systems consisting of 6, 8 or more microprocessors? The usual marketing move, targeted at potential buyers who wish to purchase an ultra-powerful computer or laptop.
As with megapixels on the camera, it’s better not the one where 20 MP is written, but a device with a larger matrix and focal length. And in processors, the weather makes a set of instructions that process the application program code and give the result to the user. Accordingly, programmers must optimize this very code so that the microprocessor processes it quickly and without errors. Since there are most weak computers on the market, it is beneficial for developers to create non-resource-intensive programs. Accordingly, a large computer power at this stage of evolution is not needed.
Upgrade Guidelines
Owners of the Intel Pentium 4 processor (775 socket) who want to upgrade at the lowest cost are recommended by professionals to look towards the secondary market. But first you need to find out the technical characteristics of the motherboard installed in the system. You can do this on the manufacturer’s website. Interested in the "processor support" section. Further in the media it is necessary to find a table of processor performance and, comparing with the characteristics of the motherboard, select several decent options. It does not hurt to study the feedback of owners and IT specialists in the media on the selected devices. Then you can search for the necessary processor that was in use.
For many platforms that support microprocessors with four cores, it is recommended to install Intel Core Quad 6600. If the system can work only with dual-core crystals, then you should look for the server version of Intel Xeon or the Intel Extreme Edition overlocker tool (naturally, for socket 775). Their cost on the market is in the range of 800-1000 rubles, which is an order of magnitude cheaper than any upgrade.
Mobile device market
In addition to desktop computers, Intel Pentium 4 processors were also installed on laptops. For this, the manufacturer created a separate line, which in its labeling had the letter “M”. The characteristics of mobile processors were identical to desktop computers, but the frequency range was clearly underestimated. So, Pentium 4M 2.66 GHz is considered the most powerful among notebook processors.
However, with the development of platforms in mobile versions, everything is so confused that the Intel manufacturer itself has not yet provided the processor development tree on its official website. Using a 478-pin platform in laptops, the company changed only the processor code processing technology. As a result, on one socket it was possible to breed the whole "zoo" of processors. The most popular, according to statistics, is considered to be an Intel Pentium Dual Core crystal. The fact is that this is the cheapest device in production, and its power dissipation is negligible in comparison with analogues.
Energy Saving Race
If for computers the power consumed by the processor is not critical for the system, then for a laptop the situation changes dramatically. 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 crystal, but the power consumption of the latter is 3.5 times less. Naturally, this difference affects the autonomy of the laptop.
Following the market for mobile processors, you can find that the manufacturer has again returned to the technologies of the past decade and is beginning to actively install Intel Atom products in all laptops. 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 that have 2 or 4 cores on board and are able to take part in testing applications or games along with Core i5 / i7 crystals.
Finally
As can be seen from the review, the legendary Intel Pentium 4 processor, the characteristics of which have changed over the years, not only has the right to coexist with the new lines of the manufacturer, but also successfully competes in the price-quality segment. And if we are talking about upgrading a computer, then before taking an important step it is worthwhile to understand whether it makes sense to change the flea. In most cases, especially when it comes to productive games, professionals recommend upgrading by replacing a 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 computer performance several times.
Regarding mobile devices, the situation is somewhat different. The operation of the entire system is highly dependent on the temperature inside the laptop case. It is clear that a powerful processor in peak loads will lead to braking or a complete shutdown of the device (many negative reviews confirm this fact). Naturally, when buying a laptop for games, you need to pay attention to the efficiency of the processor in terms of power consumption and decent cooling of all components.