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Pentium 4 Requires New Case And Power Supply

An unnamed correspondent writes: "It turns out that, for the Pentium 4, we're all going to need to buy a new case and power supply. The standard heatsink will weigh 450g (about 1 pound) and will therefore need four supports below the CPU, supports that require a new motherboard tray. Also, the Pentium 4 will need a new power supply with a new four-connector plug. This means that, if you want a Pentium 4, your old case and power supply will have to go. :( SE has more on it in their IDF Report." A little like AT / ATX and all the cousins; it's not that surprising that something has to give, but a shame that some of today's very nice cases will have to be tossed or modified to fit the P4.

18 of 320 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No Biggie by Azog · · Score: 5

    A Pentium IV is not the same as a Pentium III.

    It has a 20 stage pipeline instead of 10 stage, a 400 MHz system bus instead of 133 Mhz, SSE2 with 144 new instructions, an "advanced transfer cache", and other changes.

    There's an article describing some of the differences here.

    On the other hand the PIII 1.13 GHz really is just an overclocked PIII 1 Ghz. That's probably the source of your confusion.


    Torrey Hoffman (Azog)

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  2. Re:Geez, what up? by uebernewby · · Score: 3

    Yeah, but the trouble is that this time around it's because Intel has gone knockers over trying to outdo AMD as far as clock speed is concerned. Yes, you can run an "ordinary" P3 750 at 1,3 GHz, but only if you stress it to the point of being able to cook your dinner on it. It's not exactly breakthrough engineering, though, so why bother requiring different cases because you've just thought up the corporate answer to millions of people overclocking their CPU's "just for the hell of it"?

    What this new move shows is that Intel is growing increasingly desperate because they apparently can't seem to get the Itanium (or what's it called today) out fast enough and there's this little company called AMD whipping their ass by releasing overclocked versions of their *slightly* surperior design (Athlon). It also shows that Intel is afraid AMD will eat up their marketshare if they don't come up with some kludge to make it seem at least as if they're keeping up. A company more secure about its prospects would simply shrug and continue to work on their superior (maybe) next generation design. Witness how Microsoft has, for years, simply ignored the threat of Linux because they didn't *perceive* it as a threat. In the same way Intel used to ignore AMD back in the K6 days. Now that there's an Athlon, they start to resort to idiocy such as enforcing the special brew heatsinks made by OverClockers Inc. as a new *standard*.

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  3. Re:No Biggie by Rumble · · Score: 4

    If any processor needs the kind of power that only this new type of motherboard can accomidate, and then needs to radiate it away with a one pound(!) heatsink, the processor has problems, not the case/motherboard/power supply technology.

    Who are you to say that the processor has problems simply because it has a large heat sink? Do people question putting in side impact beams in cars? "There must be something wrong with the car if it needs side impact beams, the doors must be flimsy". Do people question the fact that in order to drive your old Pinto with it's brand new Ferarri engine installed, you will probably have to upgrade the tires to drive at full speed?

    You and me may not agree with Intel's design philosophy, but that doesn't mean that they are manufacturing a faulty processor... it just means that their design goals do not include cheaper, more efficient, cooler, lower power consumption for their main stream processors. They want to make the fastest x86 chip possible and because of many reasons, the solutions they come up with to create newer and "better" chips are not exactly going to be elegant.

  4. Re:Anti-theft measure by biohazard99 · · Score: 3
    from the IBM 5636 midrange server operators guide

    The case unit with 1 Hard disk drive installed weighs ~139 pounds. IBM does not recomend moving this unit without assitance to prevent injuries

    That is theft deterence!

  5. Re:Reeeeeaaaaallllyyy? by John+Jorsett · · Score: 3

    You have to take your chances on SlashDot, not to mention the sources people use in their postings. I recall the recent Mac Cube episode. Someone leaked what turned out to be accurate photos of the the thing, yet one guy did an elaborate analysis of how it had to be a hoax faked in Photoshop. You never know until you know.

    On the bright side, where else can you see such a collection of flamers and trolls every single day of the week, every hour of the day? :)

    news:alt.revenge
    For stupidity, histrionics, flames, trolls, and studied viciousness even SlashDot can't hold a candle to it.

  6. Re:Oh well by norton_I · · Score: 5

    Don't discount the value of a nice case. Especially for people who *do* do a lot of upgrading, having a case that makes such things easy is a Good Thing. Cheap cases may have poor circulation, causing overheating, or be too flimsy, causing high-RPM drives to vibrate and eventually damage themselves. Stamped edges that haven't been finsished can cut you, and inadequite motherboard support can cause PCI cards to not seat well. Inferior power supplies may drop out under load or heat, and damage peripherals (I have had this happen 3 times with cheap cases--that is a major reason I get high quality stuff, too).

    Like my monitor, I consider a high quality case to be an investment that will last through several CPU generations. Having to go buy a new one (If I weren't going to switch to AMD) would not kill me, but it is rather annoying.

  7. Reeeeeaaaaallllyyy? by MWoody · · Score: 3

    Now, are we _sure_ that this report is real? I've not been on Slashdot too long, but I've seen more retracted/inaccurate stories listed here than I feel comfortable to admit. Don't get me wrong, love the site, but I'm afraid I need to take it with a whole grain of salt - make that a whole shaker.

    I'm going to have nightmares of a midget being torn from a cylindrical, beeping robot, screaming about one pound heatsinks and producing robot offspring...
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  8. *g* by Chris+Johnson · · Score: 3
    Tell it to my G3 ;)

    I went from a 200mhz 604e with a HUGE HONKIN' HEATSINK (but it didn't need a fan on the heatsink) to a 300mhz G3 that gets easily twice as much done (easily verifiable on, say, renders in POV) and has a tiny purple heatsink the size of an ornate postage stamp. And still no CPU fan. :)

    You are most breathtakingly wrong :)

  9. Re:upgrade path? by AnalogDiehard · · Score: 4

    I'm still using my 486 with VISA buss mobo and it works quite well, thank you.

    Six years ago I invested in that 486 because Intel promised backward compatibility for future Pentium processors. They dropped the ball. The only upgrade then was a new motherboard, and my integrity in Intel was destroyed. That's 1/2 the reason I am leaving the Wintel platform.

    I refuse to keep up with the Joneses by replacing my PC every 1.5 years; I got my own retirement to fund, not theirs. I can get at least ten years out of an automobile, and I expect to get that much out of my PC.

    CPU replacements should be as simple as swapping a chip or subboard, but *don't* make me buy a complete new system. We've already got more than enough disposable non-bidegradable junk sitting in our landfills.

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  10. Re:Sledgehammer keeps looking more attractive... by grumling · · Score: 3
    Actually, I've noticed that the even numbered Intel chips are not the greatest (starting with the '286). Sure, the 486 was an OK chip compared to the 386, but it didn't last very long (and took forever to get into the marketplace). The Pentium was just fantastic, P-II just OK, P-III really cool (broke the 1GHz barrier - even if AMD did it first), and now the P-IV. Big, hot, painful to own.

    Star Trek movies worked the same way, the odd numbered ones sucked.

    --
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  11. Bad news, worse news... by SuperKendall · · Score: 4

    Bad news: It won't fit in an old case.

    Worse news: Here's the new case design!

    --
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  12. The ATX 2.03 specification by Money__ · · Score: 3

    Here's the full spec in PDF format.

  13. Anti-theft measure by Mtgman · · Score: 4

    Just think about it for a second. Intel is designing computers with built-in theft deterrent systems. Who want's to steal a desktop when they're guaranteed a hernia just for picking the damn thing up?

    I'm certainly deterred by the P4, and I guess that's the real proof this is a Theft-Deterrent because according to the RIAA I'm a thief. :p

    Steven
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  14. Re:No Biggie by QuoteMstr · · Score: 5
    New board, new cases, new RAM, new peripherals. It happens. It's expensive. Get over it. Do you really want old technology sticking around just because we're stubborn? (ISA, coff coff).

    Unlike ISA, current case designs, power supplies, etc. are adequate. Unlike ISA, better alternatives do not exist (e.g., PCI). If any processor needs the kind of power that only this new type of motherboard can accomidate, and then needs to radiate it away with a one pound(!) heatsink, the processor has problems, not the case/motherboard/power supply technology.

  15. upgrade path? by Phexro · · Score: 4

    what the living hell are those freaky guys over at intel thinking anyways? this leaves no upgrade path for existing intel customers, unless they can make more "overdrive" processors for slot-1 and -2 mobos. which means that anyone who wants a p4 is going to need a new case & power supply, mobo, and cpu. oh, and probably some rambus rdram.

    meanwhile, back in sunnyvale, amd offers smaller, faster, better cpus which actually provide an upgrade path for existing customers.

    it seems like intel just keeps getting more and more introverted. when will they find a clue?

    perhaps once the low-end celeron-style p4s come out, they will have some sort of upgrade path...
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  16. If this is needed, it's worrisome. by rcw-work · · Score: 3
    Newer Alpha CPU's take almost 100 watts each, and require no modifications to ATX.

    Intel is releasing a chip that will require modifications to ATX.

    Therefore, it would be worthwhile to assume this chip will consume over 100 watts.

  17. Geez, what up? by be-fan · · Score: 3

    Slashdot seems to have anti-Intel mania! Let's see, how may chips HAVEN'T required new cases? Upgrading from socket7 -> Slot 1 usually took a new power supply, 486-> Pentium did too (AT -> ATX) and for my Dell 300MHz, upgrading to an Athlon is going to require a new case and power supply as well. (Dell makes very small power supplies.) Seriously, though, it's not Intel's fault. You're complaining that a 1.5GHz chip takes more power. Well, duh! Most Athlon upgrades take more power too. As for the extra power connecters, at 1.5+GHz, there are probably too many electrical concerns to not put them in. The screws probably can't be helped either. This sucker is going to make a lot of heat, and I don't think Intel wants another Slot1 fiasco (chips flopping out of the slot.) AMD's new Athlons aren't going to be any better, in fact, at .15micron (compared to .13 micron) they're going to make even more heat (Athlon's do anyway) and use more current than the P4.

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  18. but wait, amd's k7 doesn't need this by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3
    so this is yet another reason NOT to go intel.

    sure, the k7 generates lots of heat; but its on socket-A (no special motherboard support needed) and while the power supply is MORE crucial for the k7 than the p3, you can easily find a compatible/recommended PS for your athlon.

    intel seems to intiquate things WAY too soon for my liking. just another nail on the coffin for them...

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