Pentium 4 3.4GHz Extreme Edition

More of the Same

When Intel announced the 3.2GHz Extreme Edition in September of last year, we were astonished at the chip’s specification sheet. Though quite clearly based on the server-oriented Gallatin core, a desktop processor with 2MB of L3 cache was simply unheard of.

Intel’s Pentium 4 Extreme Edition proved to be a pricey piece of work, too. Manufactured on a 130nm process and built of 178 million transistors, the 237 square millimeter core was monstrously expensive to produce. Thus, the processor’s price tag of nearly $1,000 dollars didn’t surprise anyone.

Extreme Edition

The 3.4GHz Extreme Edition being unveiled today is essentially more of the same core. In addition to that massive L3 cache, the Extreme Edition sports a 512KB L2, along with 8 KB of L1 data cache. Like the Northwood core, Extreme Edition’s trace cache holds roughly 12 thousand micro-ops.

Intel designed the chip to work with its existing install base. Therefore, if you already own an 875P or 865-based motherboard, there’s a fair chance that the Extreme Edition will work immediately. And in the instance that it isn’t recognized, most motherboard manufacturers have done a thorough job of delivering BIOS updates for Extreme Edition compatibility.

Of course, Extreme Edition’s downfall is its price, which, due to its exclusive nature, isn’t likely to dip much lower. At launch, Intel is listing the 3.4GHz Extreme Edition for $999. It may show up online for slightly less, and the 3.2GHz version will probably drop a bit, but this is powerful equipment we’re talking about, and it isn’t subject to the price wars that often take place on mainstream parts that sell in volume.

The only question mark hanging over the Extreme Edition is its interface for the future. Once Intel starts the transition to LGA-775, will the Extreme Edition follow suit? Moreover, will the Extreme Edition continue up to 3.6GHz, or will Gallatin run out of headroom first? More than likely, Intel is playing its high-end card on a case-by-case basis. For now, we’ll enjoy the extra performance afforded by the 3.4GHz Extreme Edition.