Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz - RK80532PE056512 (BX80532PE2400D)

A little anecdote--seriously outclassed these days, but still going strong after four years

I have one of these as part of an old OEM system (a vpr Matrix, which is a now defunct brand). Its motherboard is an Intel D845PEBT2. At the time (years ago), it was pretty cutting edge for a domestic OEM rig. Of course nowadays the cheapest Celeron processors outstrip the 2.40 GHz Northwood Pentium 4 considerably, but such it is with technology.

But there is an actual point to this post. This was the Northwood core, and NetBurst had just taken off. The heat issues that would eventually kill the Pentium 4 (think Prescott) were far in the future still, so this chip actually idles around 38 degrees Celsius. I've had it for years, and it still runs stable.

But what's amazing about this chip is its endurance. In my ignorance, I let dust collect on the heat sink for about four years. When I finally investigated the matter, I realized that the temperature frequently broke 72 degrees Celsius and peaked at about 81 degrees C. The built in thermal diode would then kick in and throttle back the clock so that the chip wouldn't get any hotter. During the summer it was even worse because the (uncooled upstairs) room was boiling. The throttling back was so severe in this instance that I thought the computer was defunct. I even bought a new machine (it was about time, anyway), and only when the room temperature was normal again did I discover that there was nothing wrong with the old P4 computer.

I guess that pretty much stands as testament to the endurance of this model. Like I said before, passing butterflies can outrun this processor, but it's amazing what this chip has been through, and yet it's still running well. Say what you will about Intel; they designed the Northwood P4s very well. With its newly cleaned heat sink and fan (and kept in a nice, cool environment), the CPU temperature never goes beyond 49 degrees Celsius at peak load. Keep in mind this is with stock cooling and without any overclocking.

Denial

This processor is not that fast as it could take.. for instnace, running a warcraft3 in low quality and a media player will be its limit. Other than that? Sayonara

Power consuption

I have this CPU and I use pin voltage mode to 1.3V, In this rate have this CPU only TDP 45W :-) nice to max 45°C. This remake voltage can use on other Northwood CPU, like mobile Northwood's