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Summary

This is a basic preview of this product intended for readers who just want a quick look at the new product.  If you are interested in the full review, with all the technical data and benchmarks that you are used to seeing on PC Perspective, please click on this link to get to that article.

If you ask nearly any PC enthusiast today, you'd probably get the impression that Intel is pretty far behind AMD in terms of performance levels that they, the end user, care about.  And while we are not going to argue the fact that up until today AMD did have the advantage, the point is that this issue is usually exaggerated.  AMD has the advantage on gaming benchmarks and Intel has traditionally been better at media and content creation, but with more powerful GPUs the differences in gaming are getting narrower.  Intel should never be counted out.

Today Intel is announcing the introduction of a new Pentium Extreme Edition processor, the Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955.  Based on the Presler core that we original saw mentioned during the Intel Developer Forum in March of this year, this core is more or less just a die shrink of the existing Pentium architecture. 

As is typical with Intel and new processor technologies, the Extreme Edition 955 processor is coupled not with the Intel 955 chipset but instead with a new core logic chipset in the form of the Intel 975X.  This chipset brings several new features and performance options that might help it actually be of interest to enthusiasts and gamers.

We quickly went over the statistics on this baby but here is another quick run down of what we are looking at:

• Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 Processor
• 3.46 GHz
• 1066 MHz FSB
• Dual core
• Codenamed Presler
• 2 x 2 MB L2 cache
• 376 million transistors
• 65 nm process technology
• Intel Hyper Threading support
• Intel Virtualization Technology support
• 64-bit support
• Excecute disable bit support

This 955 processor is a hefty step up from the previous flagship multi-core product, the Pentium XE 840, that ran at 3.2 GHz on an 800 MHz FSB with 1 MB of L2 cache per core.  We should see some good performance increases on the Intel side of things today.

The Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 processor performed extremely well in the majority of our quick benchmark suite out running the first quad-logical core processor, the Intel Pentium XE 840 CPU.  With a faster clock speed, faster front-side bus, twice the L2 cache and just extra mojo, the 955 powered its way through the tests with some impressive numbers.  The results were not ALL roses though, as the still-impressive AMD X2 processors continue to hold the performance crown in some key areas like gaming tests. 

If you are a heavy multi-tasker, and have looked out our multi-tasking benchmark results on the previous three pages, you will doubt see that Intel has a big advantage in this area thanks to Hyper-Threading on dual-cores.  While the performance of the Pentium 955 was impressive in other areas as well, these tests really show us where the Intel architecture can shine and bring performance levels that AMD can't yet touch. 

Final Thoughts

The Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 processor brings a new level of performance to Intel's desktop products and ups the ante on performance in heavily multi-tasked environments.  The technology is mostly a repeat of what we have seen in Intel's Pentium line up before, but with a 1066 MHz FSB, 4 MB of L2 cache and 65nm technology, the Pentium 955 may really add to something greater than the sum of its parts.  

For more detailed information on the overclocking and performance of the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor, please head on over to read our full, detailed review on the next page.

Be sure to use our price checking engine to find the best prices on the Intel Pentium XE 840 CPU, and anything else you may want to buy!

Click here for the Detailed Review