Pentium 4 No More?

[Steve]

Two sites have caught my attention this week with articles looking at Intel's NetBurst CPU architecture.

First up we have Tom's Hardware, looking at how Dothan cores, which have more in common with the Pentium III then the Pentium 4, are essentially a better processor:

As a result of the miniaturization process from 180 nanometers (problem child Pentium III 1.13 GHz) to 90 nanometers (today's Pentium M Dothan) and the optimizations subsequently made to the die and the silicon itself, the Pentium M now proves to be the better processor overall. The processor generates far less heat and can process more instructions per clock cycle, making it much more efficient.

Next up we have X-Bit Laboratories with a detailed look at NetBurst from Willamite to Prescott.

t has been known for a long time that there are three things a man can watch for ever and ever: running water, burning fire and working people While we don’t dare deny the first two statements, for the IT article readers the third “universal truth” can be transferred into the following: we can endlessly argue whether Pentium 4 is a “good” or a “bad” CPU.