Build a better user experience. Want to provide a powerful, responsive PC that encourages user creativity, enhances the most demanding games, and delivers brilliant sound and graphics??? An Intel® Pentium® 4 600 series processor, supported by an Intel® Express Chipset (925XE, 915P, 915G), is a smart solution. Not only will users benefit from exceptional performance and the multi-tasking benefits of HT Technology, but they’ll also be poised for the future with a more robust, more secure and potentially quieter computing environment. This past month Intel released their Pentium® 4 600 series of desktop processors. This series of desktop processors is the first to implement 4 of Intel's new "T's" or technologies as a way of increasing performance and functionality without raising the clock frequencies. The main differentiator when compared to the 500 series of processors is the addition of a 2MB L2 cache that drastically improves your computing power, the addition of EM64T technology for 64-bit OS and application support, and the inclusion of a power-saving mobile technology that is found in the current Pentium M processor (part of Centrino Mobile Technology) called Enhanced Intel SpeedStep technology or EIST. Below you will see the ASI SKUs for these 600 series processors and some more detail on the new Intel "T" technologies included in them.

2MB of L2 Cache: Get smart about performance.

Memory cache is temporary storage for frequently accessed and recently used data. A larger cache size means it can store more information for faster access, making the CPU more efficient. This means that the processor can process data more efficiently for running applications, improving overall performance and responsiveness, and creating a richer experience for digital content, entertainment and gaming.

Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T):  Brace yourself for 64-bit.

With Enhanced Intel® SpeedStep® Technology, the speed of the processor is dependent on the intensity of the workload, resulting in power efficiency that can help to generate less heat, as well as decrease the amount of cooling technology needed on a constant basis. This lets manufacturers focus less on cooling components, like fans, and more on developing innovative form factors. For users, depending on system implementation and usage, this could mean quieter systems that look as cool as they run. When coupled with the new BTX platform, you will see very unique and thin system designs perfect for the Digital Home & Digital Office environments.

Execute Disable Bit (XD Bit):  Fight outside intrusions.

Both at home and at the office, system security remains a major user concern. The Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 6xx sequence has enabled support for XD Bit, which, when combined with Windows XP SP2 and anti-virus software, can improve protection against malicious “buffer overflow” attacks. XD Bit provides additional security at the hardware level, by allowing the processor to classify areas in memory by where application code can execute and where it cannot. When a malicious worm attempts to insert code in the buffer, the processor disables code execution, preventing damage or worm propagation.