Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Difference between Pentium 4 5xx and 6xx???

Mar 30, 2005 5:53AM PST

What's the differences between the two series of Pentium 4 processors, (the 500 series and the 600 series)???

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Pent4, 5xx & 6xx series
Mar 30, 2005 7:30AM PST

The main difference is that the Pent4 6xx series has the 64-bit support technology (EM64T) and 2MB of L2 cache, whereas the 5xx series does not have the the 64-bit and has up to 1MB of L2 cache.

The 6xx series also has the PCI-Express bus along with introducing the Enhanced Intel

- Collapse -
Support for Windows 64?
Mar 30, 2005 11:59PM PST

So does that mean that the 6xx series is capable of running Windows 64, much like the AMD Athalon 64 processor is? (When and if Windows 64 comes out that is.)

- Collapse -
Yes and XP-64 is here and now.
Mar 31, 2005 12:03AM PST

Many write that 64-bit OS and applications are "future" developments, but here, now I have them. Usually you'll get this from those that have 32-bit only solutions.

Bob

- Collapse -
XP-64 vs. Windows XP?
Apr 4, 2005 10:40AM PDT

This whole Windows 64 thing has confused me a bit. I was thinking of buying a new computer this week, but would it be better (since it's not critical that I get one right away) to wait a couple of months until this Windows 64 version is on the market?

Part of my hesitation is due to the fact that I purchased my current computer just after Windows 98 was introduced. I was able to get Windows 98 included, but soon afterwards, they produced Windows 98, second edition.

Thanks!

- Collapse -
ok...
Apr 7, 2005 1:54PM PDT

well that isn't gonna happen again
WindowsXP has been around for a LONG TIME (by software years, it's old, it's about 3 or 4, Linux is rebuilt monthly...Mac OS is rebuilt quarterly-ish)


Windows 64 isn't going to hit mainstream retial, at least not that I see currently

and you can DL it from MS afaik (i know some people who have it, they got it from MS somehow...)


ok
WinXP 64bit is a professionally targeted OS
their plan is to have

WindowsXP Home Edition, 32-bit
WindowsXP Professional Edition, 32-bit
and WindowsXP Professional x64-Edition

which is the 64-bit version

you used to be able to DL a beta versoin, but that is now closed
i'm guessing you could wait 3 months and it'll hit store shelves

either way
i'd say just grab an Athlon64 and WinXP Home (or Pro if you need mroe networking features (Home isn't bad btw, it's just basic, as in, it's not designed to work in a large office)

it'll work fine


the OS you should be waiting for is Windows Longhorn
which is MS' new OS, slated for next year (2006)

and the computer industry is seeming about 6 months away from having powerful enough parts to run it (it supposedly will eat up system resources like no other)


Intel just released dual core on their high end chips
Intel just added SLI Support
AMD is brining Dual Core probably before mid-summer (or by mid-summer)
nVidia and ATI are working on next gen gfx cores (R520 and nVidia's is probably NV50)
Hitachi broke the disk storage barrier, and created a 500GB HDD (which i have not seen for sale yet...but i know it's out there)

Longhorn was projected to need a multiple TB drive (1TB =1000GB) for storage, like 8GB of RAM or something, and an FX 5900 Ultra just to run the desktop...which is untrue (MS canned Longhorn's "new and innovative" GUI (Avalon) as it was taking forever)


i'd say just buy a system if you need it
or wait until May/June
so Intel can mature dual core a bit more (it works, but once it gets into the market, single core prices will go down...which is an advantage if your trying to save cash)

and AMD should bring dual core out quickly

- Collapse -
EIST, and 6xx series
Mar 31, 2005 7:36AM PST

the 6xx series add 1MB of cache, and 64-bit technolgy as John said


but
Series 5xx are avliable with only 1MB of cache, not up to


ALSO
PCIE is avliable on ANY CPU with a chipset that supports:

that CPU
PCIE


hell
if I could get a Pentium Pro to run with a 915, 925, nForce4 or VIA's PCIE supporting chipset, I could have PCIE and a Pentium Pro, those chipsets don't support Pentium Pro though...


the closest the CPU comes to controlling supported features on the board, is probably Athlon64's onboard memory controller

while Intel relies on the chipset to do such (Which is why you can have DDR/DDR2 hybrid boards, DDR, RDRAM and DDR2 on boards (not all on 1 board, but why you can use a P4 on those various boards)

Athlon64's onboard memory controller optimizes performance, because the CPU is controlling the memory, not the chipset


basically the 6xx is another marketing ploy
it adds more cache, which doesn't help much, and adds EM64T, which again doesn't do much for you

- Collapse -
RE:
Apr 7, 2005 3:06PM PDT

EM64T provides scalibility for future.
Roger

- Collapse -
Athalon 64 and PCI Express?
Apr 8, 2005 12:05AM PDT

Why is it that I haven't seen an Athalon 64 processor mated to a PCIE board? Will it ever happen?

- Collapse -
it's been out for a few months
Apr 9, 2005 2:48PM PDT

idk where you have been living
Athlon64 supports PCI
and is the only CPU currently to support SLI (which is 2 PCIE nVidia cards running in tandem for enhanced power)


Pentium 4 gets SLI support with nVidia's nForce4 Intel Edition, and Intel's 955 chipset

DDR2 and Athlon64 isn't happeneing, as the CPU (Athlon64 only) has onboard memory controller, AMD does not feel DDR2 is yet down to a low enough latency for Athlon64 to get a perforamnce boost, while Pentium 4 gets help merely by the fact that DDR2 allows a higher FSB to be achived, meaning more FSB bandwidth, meaning Pentium 4 can work more efficiently