Processor/Memory Subsystem
3.2Intel Pentium Processors
These systems each feature an Intel processor in a FC-LGA775 package mounted with a heat sink in a zero-insertion force socket. The mounting socket allows the processor to be easily changed for upgrading.
3.2.1 Intel Processor Overview
These models support the latest generation of Intel Pentium processors, including those which feature Intel's NetBurst architecture and Hyper-Threading technology. The processors are designed for handling the intensive multimedia and internet applications of today while maintaining compatibility with software written for earlier x86) micoprocessors.
Key features of supported Intel Pentium processors include:
■Dual-core architecture—Featured on all Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Editions and Pentium D processors, provides full parallel processing .
■Hyper-Threading Technology—Featured in some Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Editions and Pentium 4 Processors, the main processing loop has twice the depth (20 stages) of earlier processors allowing for increased processing frequencies.
■Execution Trace Cache— A new feature supporting the branch prediction mechanism, the trace cache stores translated sequences of branching micro-operations ( ops) and is checked when suspected re-occurring branches are detected in the main processing loop. This feature allows instruction decoding to be removed from the main processing loop.
■Rapid Execution Engine—Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs) run at twice (2x) processing frequency for higher throughput and reduced latency.
■1-/2-/4-MB Advanced transfer L2 cache—Using 32-byte-wide interface at processing speed, the large L2 cache provides a substantial increase.
■Advanced dynamic execution—Using a larger (4K) branch target buffer and improved prediction algorithm, branch mis-predictions are reduced by an average of 33 % over the Pentium III.
■Enhanced Floating Point Processor —With 128-bit integer processing and deeper pipelining the Pentium's FPU provides a 2x performance boost over the Pentium III.
■Additional Streaming SIMD extensions (SSE2 andSSE3)—In addition to the SSE support provided by previous Pentium processors, the Pentium 4 processor includes an additional
144 MMX instructions, further enhancing:
❏Streaming video/audio processing
❏Photo/video editing
❏Speech recognition
❏3D processing
❏Encryption processing
■Quad-pumped Front Side Bus (FSB)—The FSB uses a 200-MHz clock for qualifying the buses' control signals. However, address information is transferred using a 2x strobe while data is transferred with a 4x strobe, providing a maximum data transfer rate that is four times that of earlier processors.
