The Almighty Pentium
The Pentium processors, or 80586 line, were named so due to the fact that Intel wished to trademark its processor family names and that a number could not be trademarked. Thus, Intel named the 586 class the Pentium class. It is in this naming tradition that the Pentium II is a 686, the III a 786, and the IV and 886. It had the following new features:
- 64-bit internal and external (register and data) bus
- 32-bit memory address bus, allowing for 4 gigabytes of RAM to be addressed
- Two separate L1 caches, each 8K
- Can use L2 caching for faster speeds*
- Manufactured on BiCMOS
- SL features – has power management features in the SL line
*The L2 cache can be thought of as a cache to the L1 cache.
The Pentium was also unique in that it was Superscalar, meaning it could process or execute two instructions in one tick. In other words, it could process one instruction in 0.5 MHz, a great accomplishment and step forward. The Pentium was also famous for being introduced with the ATX motherboard.
MMX
Because multimedia apps were becoming increasingly popular, Intel took initiative and created the MMX instruction set, a set of 57 specific multimedia instructions. These instructions were hardware based and had to come with the processor, thus making the MMX Enhanced Pentium Pro the first MMX processor. MMX provided 50 to 100 percent performance gains in multimedia programs, depending on both the method of testing and the relative computing platform.
P2 and Beyond
As the main differentiations between processors after the Pentium are minimal in that the main differences are their clock speeds, there is much less focus on the A+ exam concerning these more modern processors. The Pentium II specifically, however, utilized a different means of mounting the processor in the computer, and thus required a completely specialized motherboard. The Pentium III added substantial performance gains, as well as a larger cache. Some P4 (Pentium IV) processors allow for the use of hyper threading, or the ability to split one processor into two logical coprocessors, in the interest of multitasking.
The Table
Below, you will find a table of all of the major processors and their corresponding important information, including the family/model name, clock speed, internal and external bus widths, memory address width, amount of memory to be addressed, amount of cache, and the presence of an internal FPU. Although I have covered much of this table, it is essential for you to know and understand the contents of this table of processors.
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 8088 5-8 16/8 20 No No |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 80286 6,10,12 16/16 24 No No |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 80386SX 16-33 16/16 24 No No |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 80386DX 16-33 32/32 32 No No |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 80486SX 16-33 32/32 32 16 k No |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | 80486DX 25-50 32/32 32 16 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Pentium 60-166 64/64 32 256-512 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Pentium Pro 233-266 64/64 36 256 k.-1 m Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Pentium II 233-500 64/64 36 512 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Pentium III 450 – 1130 64/64 36 256-512 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Pentium IV 1300 – 3200 64/64 36 256-512 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Itanium 733-833 64/64 44 96 k Yes |
| Family/Name Clock Speed Int/Ext Bus Width Add Width Cache FPU? | Itanium II 900-1000 64/128 44 256 k Yes |
Conclusion
In this installment, I have reviewed motherboard form factors, cases, and processors. Hopefully you will continue reading these guides, as I assure you it will pay off. Next time, we will cover topics concerning Memory and some fundamental computing concepts.
Practice Questions
1. Which of the following features is not inclusive in the Pentium III?
a. Hyperthreading
b. MMX
c. Enhanced Mode Operation
d. A 450 MHz version
e. A 1 GHz version
2. The 80X86 was the first to feature the MMX instruction set
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
e. None of the above
3. Which of the following enclosures might typically be used with an AT motherboard?
a. Laptop
b. Slimline
c. Low-Profile
d. Desktop
e. None of the above
Answers to Guide One’s Questions:
1 B. The client most likely has a non plug-and-play compatible card, and ISA is typically not plug-and-play compatible.
2 B. Parallel is synchronous, and transfers 8 bits at a given interval.
3 A. Serial plugs are always female.
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