Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz (800Mhz FSB) Processor

Company: Intel
Product: P4 3.2 GHz
Street Price: ~$unknown
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003
Reviewed By: Joey Chao

Conclusions and Final Thoughts:

As you may have noticed from all of the benchmarks, the results were very linear. The processors all scored right in line making a staircase affect. So what do we think of the last Pentium 4 Northwood? Well in all honesty, this is the fastest CPU available on the market. The processor paired with the faster 800 MHz FSB and Hyperthreading makes for a killer system. Entry level workstations and enthusiasts will definitely want to give this processor a try if their pocket books can afford it.

The results from our testing were expected but we are more amazed by the overall platform than just the CPU. The Intel 875P Canterwood chipset along with the new processor provide the fastest desktop platform available. I know there are probably some AMD fans out there who disagree with this statement but the large cache size, Hyperthreading support, 800 MHz FSB, PAT, Dual Channel memory, and all of the other great features is what keeps Intel on top of things. Perhaps the AMD Opteron will put AMD back in the game but until there is more availability and support, Intel still leads the industry.

Price will probably be one of the main concerns with end-users. We estimate this CPU to be around $650 which is too much for some people. As always, prices do drop with time, and besides that, the new Prescott's will be coming soon. If you already have an 800 MHz FSB processor then you should definitely wait until something much faster is released. If you are using a 533/400 MHz FSB system, then you might as well upgrade to the new 865PE and 875P chipsets and purchase an 800 MHz FSB CPU, depending on how long you can hold out.

For now our attention will turn towards the later Prescotts. The Prescotts will feature more instructions and a 1 MB L2 cache and of course the smaller die. How will Intel fair with the smaller manufacturing process and new platform? How will AMD respond and try to keep the competition up? Only time will tell and we hope to see some really nice advancements in technology. Kudos to Intel and the entire Pentium 4 Northwood line of processors. It was a fun ride.