A 4.1 GHz Dual Core at $130 - Can it be True?

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Ready For The 64 Bit Future

A quick look at the functions that the Pentium D 805 supports should convince you that it's not old hardware - it still has a viable future ahead of it:

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Enhanced Instructions
CPU NameRow 0 - Cell 1 VersionLog. CPUsHTNXEM64TVT
Pentium EE965C14XXXX
Pentium EE955B14XXXX
Pentium D900 SeriesB12Row 3 - Cell 4 XXX
Pentium 46x1 SeriesB12XXXRow 4 - Cell 7
Pentium EE840A04XXXRow 5 - Cell 7
Pentium D805B02Row 6 - Cell 4 XXRow 6 - Cell 7
Pentium D800 SeriesB02Row 7 - Cell 4 XXRow 7 - Cell 7
Pentium D800 SeriesA02Row 8 - Cell 4 XXRow 8 - Cell 7
Pentium EE3.72 GHzN02XXXRow 9 - Cell 7
Pentium 46x0 SeriesN02XXXRow 10 - Cell 7
Pentium 45x1 SeriesD0, E02XXXRow 11 - Cell 7
Pentium 45x0J SeriesD0, E02XXRow 12 - Cell 6 Row 12 - Cell 7
Pentium 45x0 SeriesD0, E02XRow 13 - Cell 5 Row 13 - Cell 6 Row 13 - Cell 7
Pentium EE3.46 GHzM02XRow 14 - Cell 5 Row 14 - Cell 6 Row 14 - Cell 7
Pentium EE3.40 GHzM02XRow 15 - Cell 5 Row 15 - Cell 6 Row 15 - Cell 7

When compared with the most current models, this CPU doesn't miss any of the important features. Support for both EM64T (64 bit instructions and execution) and the Execute-Disable function (NX) are both present. The Pentium D 805 is a dual core architecture, so it can do without Hyper Threading and not take too big a penalty. The only new feature that's missing that might be of some concern is Intel's Virtualization Technology (VT). This reflects Intel's well-known practice of building only a single core, but then deactivating various functions to serve different price segments.

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Tom's Hardware News Team

Tom's Hardware's dedicated news crew consists of both freelancers and staff with decades of experience reporting on the latest developments in CPUs, GPUs, super computing, Raspberry Pis and more.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Tnias
    I am quite interested in your post regarding the D 805. Considering that it is now available for around $60.00 (03/20/09), it still sounds like a steal. We just upgraded our Adobe CS2 software to the new CS4 Master Suite, which caused the need for a graphics card upgrade. We have an nVidia GeForce GTX 260, but haven't installed it because our computer is a HP Media Center PCm7350n computers each with a 2.8 GHz CPU on a ASUS P5LP-LE mobo. Your article seemed to imply that there is software available that might adjust the clock from inside windows and we are wondering if it can on that mobo or if we will have to get a different mobo. If so, we are wondering what might be our most cost effective but stable options. We are certainly going to need a new power supply for the GTX 260, which requires 525 Watts. We are looking at just putting in PC Power & Cooling’s, Silencer 610 EPS12V power supplyand letting it go at that, but we are also thinking about upgrading the CPU and mobo if necessary.

    Of course, we would like to keep the cost down as much as possible.

    We have no idea where the best bang for the buck will be. For us a stable system is more important than blazing speed. Thus, the HP's worked fine for what we originally got them for; it’s just that our graphics and video production software are forcing upgrades in speed and power.

    The D850 chip sounds incredible and the power supply we already have to get will handle overclocking that chip. It even sounds like that chip will work in the existing mobo if we can find a way to change the clock speed from inside windows instead of from the BIOS. HP BIOS does not allow adjusting the clock speed in the BIOS but can't BIOS just be changed as well; isn't it just an EPROM?

    Anyway, even if we opt for changing out the mobo for another case compatible Asus mobo, we still have to answer the question of which board and chip combination will give us the most stable service for the least cost.

    Any ideas that might help us plan the most appropriate upgrade and the least cost?
    Reply
  • amnotanoobie
    TniasAny ideas that might help us plan the most appropriate upgrade and the least cost?
    With the price of components that you need to make this run stable, and the amount of electricity that this would use, a cheap Core 2 and motherboard and DDR2 memory would cost you less in the long run.

    Example:

    Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200
    Kingston DDR2 2x2GB 800MHz
    Gigabyte G31M-ES2C

    This should cost less than $200.
    Reply
  • salh
    Sweg.
    Reply
  • smeezekitty
    4 year old thread!
    Reply
  • salh
    11206355 said:
    4 year old thread!

    no hate pl0x
    Reply