Introducing the new Pentium 4 Processor

On the 20th November 2000, in sunny California, the Intel Corporation introduced its newest edition to the world of microprocessor designed for high performance computers – the Pentium 4 Processor.

At the time, the Pentium 4 was something new and original, boasting featured such as:

• The ability to deliver new performance methods for processing videos and audio files
• Exploiting the order technologies for the world of the internet
• Displaying 3-d graphics

The foundations for the processor were supplied thanks to the new development, Intel NetBurst micro architecture which was a collection of technologies that worked together to provide the brain behind Intel’s most advanced range of 32-bit processors, suitable for both consumer and business use.

The use of NetBurst was a new development, as in previous Pentium releases, P6 was used as the foundation base. However, even though the developers claimed that NetBurst would offer high clock speeds, intensive problems with heat dissipation severely limited the speeds obtainable and the speeds of 10GHz were never quite realised, with users instead getting around 3.8GHz.

As such, the Pentium 4 was met with rather differing reviews, but none of them completely glowing. Developers in particular disliked the Pentium 4, as with it came a brand new set of code rules for optimisation! One developer went as far to say that it was “the fasted CPU – for programs that fit entirely in cache” – we think that says it all! Computer literate buyers also avoided purchasing any computers with it initially due to the far higher price point and rather questionable reliability over other computers and systems.

Following the launch of Pentium 4 and users adding it to a laptop, Intel had to work quickly – the laptops were not able to cope with the program, as it wasn’t designed for mobile, laptop usage. The program was meant for desktops, which were more powerful and were geared to use it. So, the Mobile Intel Pentium 4 Processor was released shortly afterwards following on from the developments with the desktop version of the Pentium 4.

In Jan 2005, NetBurst no longer had a viable future, after Intel released the launch of the well-known Core processors and the last NetBurst products were released in 2007, with all updates and products after that date containing the Core micro architecture.