Friday, May 09, 2003

Introduction

This new version of the Intel Pentium 4 de 3.06Ghz processor with Hyper Threading technology is operating on a 800Mhz bus instead of a 533Mhz bus like the was the former version. In order to support this new bus frequency, Intel has developped a brand new chipset, the Intel 875P that we will test simultaneously with the new processor. Like we've explained in details during our review of the Intel 3.06Ghz Pentium 4 Hyper-Threading processor, this technology allow resources sharing and partitioning while providing a multi-processor environment in a unique CPU.

New 3.06Ghz 800Mhz FSB P4 CPU and 875P chipset features

Like announced earlier, this processor is no longer using a 533Mhz bus but an 800Mhz bus.

Thanks to its new Canterwood 875P chipset, the memory supported now goes from the expensive RDRAM to the much less expensive DDR memory in a Dual Channel mode arrangement. The 875P is able to fully support DDR400.

Furthermore, this chipset as an embeded Serial ATA RAID controler wich is allowing much better disks performances.

Finally, a 1 Gigabit ethernet controler is also part of the Intel D875PBZ mainboard that we will be using on this article. This new ethernet controler has the ability to sustain a bandwith of 2Gb through a CSA bus while this bandwith has always been limited to IGb through the PCI bus.

Test setup characteristics

First of all, like we saud earlier, we used the D857PBZ mainboard that was provided to us along with this CPU by Intel.

Of course, the memory configuration used will favorably enhance this test system performances. In fact, we've never seen before such memory performances should we say. Withn an 800Mhz FSB CPU and the use of DDR400 in Dual Channel configuration, we couldn't have expected any better scores.

On the other hand, we never compared in our past tests against those of a RAID 0 system. Our test setup has certainly demonstrated how much it appreciated the presence of this type of hardware.

Thus, for all the test directly aimed to measure the CPU ppower, only the CPU power will realy will be shown while on other test where other components will be sollicitated, it will vary depending of the way that these components will be sollicitated.

Suite: Tests Setup.

3.06Ghz Intel Pentium 4 HT