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VIA CPU Overview
Intel is once again offering a new CPU
package. While waiting for the official launch of the LGA 775 platform
with its Alderwood and Grantsdale chipsets, THG was given the go-ahead
to present our results two days early.
Indeed, Intel's latest launch is ambitious. For starters, Intel for the
first time has revamped three core components in one fell swoop: DDR
memory, AGP and the Socket 478. Replacing these components are DDR2
SDRAM, PCI Express graphics and Socket LGA 775, also known as Socket T.
Prescott's successor Tejas (here's the ominous T) was purged from the
roadmaps, so this denotation had to disappear, too.
Click here for all types of Barebone Kits including VIA based systems |
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Intel's top processor in this launch is the Pentium 4 560 with a 3.6-GHz
clockspeed. The other new Pentium 4s are distinguished by slower clock speeds
that are slower by 200 MHz increments, designated as the Pentium 4 550, 540, 530
and 520. All are based on 90-nm Prescotts with an 800 MHz front-side bus, Hyper
Threading and SSE3 as well as the known leakage power. In addition, three
low-cost versions will be available: the Celeron D 335, 330 and 325, all running
at FSB 533 (2.8 to 2.53 GHz). Also, the LGA platform inherits the Pentium 4
Extreme Edition at 3.4 GHz.
Four different chipsets are associated with this launch: 925X, 915G, 915P and
915GV. The G stands for integrated graphics, V voids the option to upgrade
discrete graphics, P may represent performance and the X is pretty much the
expensive option, as the performance enhancements to the memory controller do
not make a huge difference.
 
The top lid sits on top of the Intel Pentium 4 CPU
processor holding it in position and the lever arm then comes down and connects
with the lip at the bottom to apply the necessary pressure to the processor to
hold it firmly in place to the LGA-775 socket.
Because there are more pins in the same area you need to be very careful when
fitting your Intel LGA-775 Pentium 4 CPU processor as there is a far greater
risk of bending them if your positioning is off. So exercise a lot of care when
installing your processor.
Intel say that if you bend some pins on the LGA-775 CPU processor socket it is
very much impossible to straighten them out. How true as you look at this
picture.
Intel have also looked at the pressure problem and this new LGA-775 CPU
processor socket design applies the pressure between the processor and the
socket pins to ensure correct pressure contact between the processor and the
socket of the needed ~40 lbs force.
Now the cooler heatsink only has to supply sufficient pressure to ensure
sufficient contact pressure between it and the processor and not supply the
necessary pressure between processor and socket.
From the above and the need to improve processor performance the move to this
Pentium LGA-775 socket with more pins is necessary but to keep the size the same
means that the pins become more delicate and prone to damage. Moving to a
slightly larger and more robust socket design would have been a good idea but
this way Intel can sell more motherboards as we all know the pins will get bent
because they are so thin and small.
This is more of Intel keeping away from what one might call the enthusiast
market and concentrating on the ready made computer market where fitting a new
processor at home is not done but instead a new computer is bought.
These new LGA-755 socket Pentium 4 Prescott CPU processor are the same as the
present day socket-478 Pentium 4 Prescott processor. All that is new today is
the increase in speed to 3.6GHz. Worth considering that the Intel Pentium 4 CPU
processor is now nearing its top speed as for example this increase of only
200MHz.
Worth looking at the rated heat output of these CPU processor.
Pentium 4 3.2GHz 84 watts
Pentium 4 3.4GHz 115 watts.
Pentium 4 3.6GHz 115 watts.
  
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