Intel launches 3.2GHz P4 – h'ware sites launch reviews

Fastest x86 CPU yet, but Athlon cheaper

Reg Review Roundup Intel today launched its 3.2GHz Pentium 4, as anticipated, and the reviews are already beginning to appear on the web.

The new chip contains 512KB of on-die L2 cache and operates over 400, 533 and 800MHz frontside bus frequencies. It is fabbed using a 0.13 micron process.

The new chip just leads fellow Pentium 4 stable mates in performance. Surprise, surprise, says Hexus,, and adds: "Testing and reviewing this processor was something of an anti-climax. We knew it was going to be faster than anything we'd had before. It duly obliged us with the fastest set of stock benchmarks we've seen thus far. There's little need for us to discuss its performance potential; it's fast; it's very fast."

But how fast? Testing the new chip, PC World.com reports that the new chip scored 132 when tested to the magazine's internal benchmark suite, PC WorldBench 4. "That's a largely imperceptible four per cent faster than the average score of 126 achieved by three previously tested and comparably configured 3GHz P4 systems," the site says. All test systems include Intel's recently introduced 800MHz frontside bus.

"Two previously tested and comparably configured systems using AMD's new Athlon XP 3200+ processor (which runs at 2.2GHz using a 400MHz frontside bus) netted an average score of 137. That's an equally imperceptible four per cent faster than the new Intel-based system," says PCWorld.com (our italics).

The Athlons performed less well in Return to Wolfenstein frame-rate tests, but match the 3.2GHz P4 in Unreal Tournament.

Hardware Extreme noted a far greater disparity, in favour of the Intel chip, with the 3.2GHz P4 beating the 3200+ by between five and 50 per cent in tests such as SETI@home ten-workunit averages and SysMark 2002 office productivity and Internet content creation tests.

"From all the benchmark[s] we've conducted, the new 3.2GHz Pentium 4 clearly outperform[s] the fastest 3200+ Athlon XP. Thus, with no hesitation, we're glad to say that the 3.2GHz Pentium 4 is the fastest processor that money can buy," the site concludes. "However, the price can be very steep," it also admits.

Tom's Hardware offers a similar conclusion: "The P4 is always in the lead." The site grudgingly admits that "AMD offers a good performance/ price ratio with its Athlon processors", but "it still cannot quite keep up with the Intel CPUs."

"Clearly, Intel has the upper hand right now in desktop processors, and the situation doesn't seem likely to change until AMD delivers its new Athlon 64 processor this fall," says Tech Report. "As always, the top-of-the-line Pentium 4 3.2GHz is going to be very expensive for a little while, and the slower variants will be more affordable. AMD may be able to remain competitive for the next few months by undercutting Intel's prices.

"Preliminary listings at online vendors currently show the P4 3.2GHz somewhere north of $700. By contrast, the Pentium 4 3.0GHz is hovering around $400, and the Athlon XP 3200+ show up at about $440. I'll let you decide whether having the absolute fastest chip available is worth paying the premium.

"I also reserve the right to mock you for paying $300 for an extra 200MHz.

"Those prices indicate a bit of trouble for AMD. The Pentium 4 2.8GHz generally matches or outperforms the Athlon XP 3200+, and the P4 2.8GHz is selling for around $275, or over $160 less than the 3200+. Unless AMD recognizes that its ratings system has been blown up by advances in Pentium 4 clock-for-clock performance and lowers prices accordingly, the question for many PC enthusiasts may no longer be whether to buy an Intel or AMD, but simply which Pentium 4 chip to buy." ®

Related Links

PCWorld.com: first Tests - 3.2GHz Pentium 4

Hardware Extreme: Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz vs. AMD Athlon XP 3200+
Tom's Hardware: bidding adieu - P4 3.2 vs. Athlon XP 3200+
Tech Report: Intel's Pentium 4 3.2GHz processor
Hexus: Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz 800FSB CPU

Other 3.2GHz P4 reviews

A HREF="http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/cpus/intel/p4_3.2/001.htm" target="_blank">Gamers Depot, Hard Avenue, HardCoreWare, Hot Hardware, MB Review and Sudhian.