Intel has released Pentium processors since 1992, with versions of the Pentium 3 processor debuting in 1999 and 2000, and the Pentium 4 in 2001, 2002 and 2004. Processors process instructions for the computer in the computer's architecture.
Capabilities
The Pentium 3 processor broke the 1 GHz barrier in 2000 and the final models had a speed of 1.4 GHz. Pentium 3 processors used the SSE instruction set and the P6 microarchitecture. Pentium 4 processors reached speeds of 3.8 GHz, used the SSE 2 and SSE 3 instruction sets, and could handle 64-bit instructions.
Features
The Pentium 4 processor featured a new socket design due to a change to its NetBurst microarchitecture, which greatly improved the technique the processor used to pipeline instructions. Pentium 3 processors upgraded multimedia capabilities with new instructions. The Pentium 3 processor also provided backwards compatibility with the Pentium 2 so that users could add the it without needing a new motherboard.
Problems
The Pentium 3 processor had problems with encryption and security due to a pre-programmed electronic serial number. Major concerns involved what would happen in the event that the serial numbers were compromised. The Pentium 4 processor had overheating issues. It created too much heat for the power it offered and required too many resources to cool itself.
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