Conclusion and rating
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.Moving up to 3.2GHz seemed like a relatively simple thing for Intel to do. We alluded to fact that every 3.0GHz we've tested had the ability to run at 3.2GHz+ at stock voltage. Intel had easily surpassed the 3GHz clock barrier in '02. What the 3.2GHz Pentium 4 feels like is a processor that will ensure Intel's slight performance advantage until either the new Prescott or AMD's new CPUs hit the market later this year. Our sample, an ES, struggled to get much past 3.55GHz with 1.65v voltage. We'd seen that kind of overclocked number from our 6-month-old 3.06GHz sample. Does this suggest the Northwood core is reaching the end of its clock envelope ?. It certainly does seem that way. We'd hazard that running an air-cooled 4GHz Northwood seems to be just a little too far for the core that has served Intel so well.
On a purely subjective basis, would be buy this processor ?. Probably not. We're sure that it will arrive in the retail channel soon after this review is live, but at what cost ?. We've seen numerous instances of 2.4 and 2.6GHz Cs hitting 3.2GHz+ at default voltage, yet to further substantiate our claims about the Northwood's MHz ceiling, we haven't seen that many over 3.6GHz on air. It seems as if most 800FSB Northwoods are hewn from the same production line.
This CPU feels like a stopgap to the inevitable Prescott core. There's little denying that it is the fastest x86 processor around. Whether you're willing to stump up the cash for superlative, default performance is another matter. Recommended for those with fat wallets.
Highs
- Arguably the fastest x86 around
- Excellent default performance on either a Springdale or Canterwood motherboard
- Should pave the way for price cuts on lower P4 Cs
Lows
- Will undoubtedly be pricey
- Will soon be replaced by the more potent Prescott core
- Didn't overclock as well as we'd hoped
