The Pentium three and Pentium four processor families are two separate generations of Intel processors. The Pentium three line was released in February 1999, and the Pentium 4 family of processors was introduced in November 2000. These product families support a variety of processors, including mobile and desktop versions. Pentium 4 models provide significantly better performance and more features than their obsolete P3 predecessors.
P3 Mobile
The Pentium three family includes eight separate models, including a variety of desktop and mobile processors. The mobile processors available from the P3 family include the Pentium III Mobile, and the Mobile Pentium III and III-M processors. The Pentium III Mobile processors consist of a separate module that integrates the processor, host bridge controller and voltage regulator on a single board. These processors were available in eight models, rated between 450 and 850 megahertz. Intel's Mobile Pentium III processors are a discrete processor soldered to a Socket 495 compatible motherboard. These processors are rated at speeds up to one gigahertz with 256 kilobyte L2 data caches. The M version processors have larger L2 caches -- up to 512 KB -- with speeds up to 1.33 GHz.
P4 Mobile
The Mobile Pentium processors include the 4 and 4-M models. These processors feature significantly faster front side bus speeds and larger L2 caches than the previous generations of Mobile P3 processors. The fastest mobile P4 M processors have a 400 MHz front side bus, compared to the 100 MHz bus used on most P3 models. This model also has much faster clock speeds of up to 2.6 GHz. The second generation Mobile Pentium 4 processors feature 533 MHz front side bus speeds, L2 caches of up to 1 MB, and core clock speeds between 2.3 and 3.46 GHz.
P3 Desktop
The Pentium three family includes five models of desktop processors. These families include the Coppermine, Katmai, Xeon and Tualatin processors. The Katmai processors are the earliest desktop model of P3. They feature a 133 MHz front side bus and a core clock speed between 450 and 600 MHz. The following generation of P3 desktops is the Coppermine series. These processors are available in speeds from 500 to 1133 MHz, with an integrated L2 cache up to 256 KB. Some early Coppermine processors used the slot 1 cartridge socket, however, most utilize the 370 pin PGA socket. This socket is also used by the more powerful Tulatin models. These processors support speeds up to 1,400 MHz, with an L2 cache up to 512 KB with support for single or dual-processor systems.
P3 Server
The Xeon line of processors is intended for use in server systems. The Xeon models include some of the most powerful models of P3 processors. These processors include several revisions similar to the Coppermine and Katmai processors. Later editions supported more clock speeds up to 1 GHz, a two megabyte L2 cache and support for four processor systems. The Xeon processors use a cartridge style processor socket, known as slot 2.
P4 Desktop
The Pentium 4 desktop processors include five different models, known as Willamette, Northwood, Prescott, Cedar Mill and Extreme Edition. These processors range in capability from the 1 GHz Willamette models to the 3 GHz Extreme Edition processors. The earlier models of P4 include features similar to the more powerful P3 processors. However, later editions to the P4 family completely supplanted the outdated P3 desktop processors. P4 processors completely abandon the cartridge system used on early P3 processors -- in favor of the Socket 423, 478 and 775 Micro PGA and Land Grid Array processor sockets. The most powerful P4 desktop models also include support for 64-bit processing and hyper-threading, providing them with superior bandwidth and multi-tasking power compared to P3 processors.
Tags: These processors, Mobile Pentium, front side, Pentium three, clock speeds, desktop processors