Misleading info on Processor support of Smart Response Technology

[Andrei Nestorov]

I´ve just completed a new desktop build and found out the hard way that the new Pentium Haswell based processors don't support Intel Smart Response Technology.

My original plan was to go for a core i5 but due to budget restrictions I decided to scale down to a Pentium hoping to still being able to use ISRT caching and eventually upgrading to core i5 in the future. Since ARK specifications on processors don't even mention ISRT I thought the technology was related solely to the chipset and that I would be fine with my h87 / Pentium based build.

Well, after trying to setup the ISRT cache using a 64G SSD I found it`s only supported by core Processors, namely core i3 i5 i7 (I thought Pentium dual core was a core processor).

A possible solution would be to dedicate the SSD to the operating system. I`m stuck here too because the SSD drive originally bought for cache is to small to run Windows 8.1 and the applications.

If it were in the US I could probably turn in the Pentium and get myself a core i3 instead but here in Brazil it`s not that easy. So I guess I will end up with the loss. Both financial and in productivity

Hope this post helps others no run in to a similar situation. And I hope Intel fixes the info in their websites.

Thanks.

 

[Karsten75]

It always suck when one runs into these technology barriers. Intel is not particularly good at disseminating information widely and understandably. I've spent untold hours on Intel's websites scrounging around for information. Things like Intel Integrated Graphics and ISRT (Itself a subset of Intel Rapid Storage) is a nightmare to fully understand.

However, as for the support, that's often not so hard. What's harder is to know that Intel means every word they say on their documents. THey get sued often enough that their lawyers and tech writers are very areful with what they say and every word counts. Making it harder to read and understand as well.

In the case of ISRT, it's pretty clear in this document.

You need an Intel Core processor. Not a Core 2 Dua, not a Pentium, not a Celeron, nor an Atom.

Also, regardless of the fact that the Haswell micro-architecture is used for Intel Core processors, Intel Pentiums and Intel Celerons, it's not thee same and Intel's Pentiums are not Core processors - nor does Intel have a "Core Pentium" or a "Pentium Core".

Ultimately, what you thought is not of so much importance as what Intel actually wrote. I will give you that they didn't write it in places that you thought they would, but they're huge and often-times stuff like this happens. Still, I don't think they set out to deceive.