Behind The Silicon Curtain: Exclusive Test Of The P4/2666 With 533 MHz Rambus – THG.RU

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Breaking In At Intel: P4/2666 With 533 MHz Rambus

Completely unnoticed, the THG spy slips through an open window into the heart of Intel. Most of the company employees have long since gone home for the night. Our spy is shaking with anticipation because there’s a lot at stake tonight. He is able to make his way into the bowels of the CPU giant using his thorough knowledge of the architecture. A few quick moves and suddenly he finds what he’s looking for: the next generation of processors, in the form of the Pentium 4/2666 with 133 MHz FSB. Satisfied, and much relieved, he disappears into the shadows – it was all worth it.

Dramatic license apart, we have the new P4 platform with 533 MHz Rambus memory and can now put it to the test for you. It’s a premiere of sorts, since Intel won’t be introducing this processor or the faster RDRAM (based on PC 1066 specifications) for months.

Pentium 4/2666 with 533 MHz RDRAM in action. The FSB clock: 133 MHz.

Breaking In At Intel: P4/2666 With 533 MHz Rambus, Continued

We expect the agenda for the year 2002 to be as follows: Intel will be progressively extending and expanding the base for the Pentium 4. The top priority goes to adjusting the Front Side Bus clock from 100 MHz to 133 MHz, which is long overdue. In the same breath, this will result in an increase from 400 MHz to 533 MHz.

The goal is clear: more bandwidth for the Pentium 4, which, at the higher speeds, doesn’t perform very well with DDR SDRAM. And 400 MHz Rambus memory hits its limit at 3.2 GB/s, even with its dual-channel technology. In any case, increasing the memory clock to 533 MHz takes this same technology to 4.2 GB/s.

The Pentium 4 that is to be introduced with 2.4 GHz at the beginning of April will need a performance boost that is more substantial than those of the previous models in the P4 series. At mid-year point, it will be followed by the Pentium 4/2533, which will be the first CPU with a 133 MHz FSB. Marketing strategists will be enthusiastically talking about a 533 MHz FSB clock (quad-pumped – 4 x 133 MHz = 533 MHz QDR), and ultimately this should gain a clear edge over the AMD platform with its 266 MHz DDR FSB clock (which is also 133 MHz). Purely from a physical point of view, both the Intel and the AMD platforms run at 133 MHz.

RDRAM module from Samsung for 533 MHz (PC1066 specification).

The label on a 533 MHz RDRAM module (Samsung).

Faster Than P4/3000: P4/2666 with 533 MHz RDRAM

As we’ve already noted in our last article about this topic, an overclocked Pentium 4/3000 cannot reach its full potential when used with DDR SDRAM. The main problem lies with the memory bandwidth limit, which is 2.1 GB/s with normal DDR266 modules. The benchmark results of previous tests have shown that an AMD Athlon XP 2300+ (which we had also overclocked) can be a downright challenge for the Pentium 4/3000 in many of the categories. However, don’t forget that Athlon XP 2300+ actually runs at 1866 MHz.

The picture does change when a Pentium 4/2666 is paired with 533 MHz Rambus memory that has access to a bandwidth of 4.2 GB/s. Then, add to that a Front Side Bus clock that has been increased from 100 MHz to 133 MHz. If you compare the benchmark results of the Pentium 4/3000 from the last test to the scores achieved by the Pentium 4/2666, it quickly becomes clear that performance-scaling at higher clock speeds can only be attained via RDRAM.

Same Price: RDRAM and DDR-SDRAM

The meaning of each element on the labeling for Rambus modules.

Same Price: RDRAM and DDR-SDRAM, Continued

The 533 MHz Rambus modules require effective cooling.

An interesting development in the market is in regard to the memory prices: currently, DDR SDRAM costs just as much as RDRAM. The high price of Rambus, which we have mentioned in many articles previously, should no longer be a purchase barrier.

How To Get More Voltage For The P4

Overclocking par excellence: 1.88 Volt through modification of the voltage regulator.

The voltage regulator module of the Abit TH7 II. Pin 7 is grounded with a pull down resistor – this enables higher voltages of up to 2.05 Volt.

The grounded cable.

In order to overclock the latest Pentium 4, the CPU core voltage needs to be significantly increased. All P4s with the Northwood core are factory-set to 1.5 Volt – but this is not enough for a big increase in clock speed. Most of the motherboards allow for voltage adjustment between 1.05 Volt and 1.65 Volt maximum – the absolute limit lies at 1.85 Volt.

Still, the BIOS can be misleading with voltage increases: after setting the voltage to 1.85 Volt, only 1.65 Volt is indicated. The reason for this is that Intel has set guidelines for motherboard manufacturers to limit the maximum core voltage. We’ll show you how to modify the voltage regulator chip through resistance, using the Abit TH7 II as an example. For this, the seventh pin of the module was grounded (15 to 20 kilo Ohms). Our images show you the details.

A serial connection of resistors for various core voltages of the Pentium 4.

A close-up of the regulator module.

Pictures Of Our Test System

Watercooling: The new heatsink from Innovatek.

Chipsets Compared: Intel 850E, 850, 845D und 845

This table lists all Intel chipsets for the 478 platform.

Test Setup and Details

Benchmarks under Windows XP

We used a total of 20 different benchmark tests in order to obtain the most complete, well-balanced view of how the Pentium 4/2666 with 533 MHz performs. You can get a clear overall picture for a total of 22 different processors from the benchmark results. In this batch, the Pentium 4/2533 and Pentium 4/2666 won’t be launched for another few months. Included in this comparison are all of the AMD Athlon XP processors and the classic Athlon with the Thunderbird core, as well as the slowest model, the Athlon 850.

We ran four different Quake 3 tests to determine OpenGL performance. The different MPEG-encoding benchmarks provide a comprehensive testing environment – the Lame MP3 Encoder was used to encode a 178 MB WAV file into MPEG-1 Layer 3 format. Still an established standard, our MPEG-4 test converts a file from a commercial DVD-ROM into MPEG-4 format using Xmpeg 4.2a and the Divx 4.12 codec. We also created an MPEG-2 film using the video-editing software “Pinnacle Studio 7.” A regular in our list of benchmarks is determining rendering performance using Newtek’s Lightwave (version 7b). We also ran WinACE 4.1 to test file archiving, a standard and practical application in the computing world. Compiling the latest Linux kernel 2.4.13, has also long been a standard benchmark in our repertoire. In order to determine office performance, we used the new Sysmark 2002 benchmark. SPECviewperf provides a comprehensive suite of 3D benchmarks.

Sysmark 2002: Applications Integrated

The new Sysmark 2002 benchmark includes the following applications:

Internet Content Generation:

• Adobe Photoshop 6.01
• Adobe Premiere 6.0
• Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 7.1
• Macromedia Dreamweaver 4
• Macromedia Flash 5

Office Productivity:

• Microsoft Word 2002
• Microsoft Excel 2002
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
• Microsoft Outlook 2002
• Microsoft Access 2002
• Netscape Communicator 6.0
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred v.5
• WinZip 8.0
• McAfee VirusScan 5.13.

OpenGL-Performance: Quake 3 Arena

In the four Quake 3 Arena timedemo runs, all of the Intel CPUs with 133 MHz FSB clock speed are ahead of the processors with 100 MHz. A record-breaking score is achieved by the Intel Pentium 4/2666, which achieves almost 340 frames per second. An Athlon 850 is just barely able to make 143 fps. The Athlon XP lacks the memory power, so all AMD platforms end up lagging behind. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

DirectX 7 Games: 3D Mark 2000

3D Mark 2000 gives you the Direct3D performance from DirectX 7 under Windows XP. The Intel 4/2666 nabs a new top score of 12111 points. Despite its low clock speed of 1666 MHz, the Athlon XP 2000+ is able to come quite close to this Intel speed-monger. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

DirectX 8 Games: 3D Mark 2001 SE

3D Mark 2001 gives you the Direct3D performance from DirectX 8 under Windows XP. This test shows that the Intel Pentium 4 is nearly a lost case without the 533 MHz Rambus memory. The Pentium 4/2200 (currently the top-of-the-line model) is less powerful than the Athlon XP 1800+ with 1533 MHz, for example. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

MP3 Audio Encoding: Lame MP3

The Lame MP3 Encoder under Windows XP was used to convert a 178 MB sound file from a WAV format to the MPEG-1 Layer 3 format. The diagram shows that the two Pentium 4 processors with 533 MHz RDRAM (2533 MHz and 2666 MHz) lead the pack. A comparatively high performance is also offered by the AMD Athlon XP processors, which are clearly faster than the older P4 CPUs with the Willamette core. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

MPEG-4 Video Encoding: Xmpeg 4.2a and Divx 4.12

Memory performance is an important factor in MPEG-4 encoding. All three P4 processors with 533 MHz RDRAM are clearly on top. The Pentium 4/2666 holds the record – almost twice as fast as real time! By comparison, the Athlon 850 shows its age with 18 frames per second. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

SiSoft Sandra 2002 Benchmarks: CPU und Multimedia

In the SiSoft Sandra Pro Benchmark 2002, the Pentium 4 with 533 MHz RDRAM shows that it has the highest memory performance. The current Pentium 4 with 400 MHz RDRAM clearly lags behind, as well as the AMD processors with 133 MHz memory clock. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

3D-Rendering: Newtek Lightwave 7b

The Lightwave test also shows that currently nothing can beat a memory clock of 533 MHz – the three P4 processors take the lead. The calculation takes place in eight threads simultaneously. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

3D Rendering: Cinema 4D XL 7.303

The Cinema benchmark shows a different picture – here, the AMD Athlon XP 2000+ takes third place, even managing to position itself ahead of the Pentium 4/2400 with 533 MHz Rambus memory. Note: the Pentium 4/2400 will not be available on the market with 133 MHz. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

Office-/Internet-Performance: Sysmark 2002

The new Sysmark benchmark version 2002 serves to test all of the 22 processors on the different platforms. In each of the three categories, the Pentium 4 processors with 533 MHz memory clock are ahead of the competition. In Office Performance, the Pentium 4/2666 reaches a new high score of 187 points. Again, it’s clear that the P4 CPUs are able to increase performance through a change in the FSB and memory clocks. One comment about the AMD Athlon XP CPUs: due to the lack of optimization, their performance is relatively weak compared to the Intel CPUs. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

Archiving: WinACE 4.1

Archiving is a very practical application. WinACE 4.1 was used under Windows XP to archive a 178 MB WAV file while the clock was running. The results are clear: none of the test candidates could hold a candle to the P4 CPUs with 2666 MHz, 2533 MHz and 2400 MHz. Even in this test, the importance of the 533 MHz memory clock makes itself evident. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

Video-Encoding MPEG-2: Pinnacle Studio 7

In creating an MPEG-2 video with Pinnacle Studio 7, the Pentium 4 CPUs with 533 MHz memory are clearly faster than the competition. The slowest candidate is once again the AMD Athlon 850, which we’ve used as a comparison. The performance of the AMD Athlon XP 2000+ is also quite impressive: together with DDR333 and the KT333 chipset, it is able to keep up with the competitors from Intel, which are clocked at much higher speeds. All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

3D-Rendering Performance: SPECviewperf

In the highly sensitive SPECviewperf test, CPUs with 533 MHz memory take the lead. The Athlon XP 2000+ overtakes the Intel Pentium 4/2200 with the Northwood core – here, the memory performance is simply too low (100 MHz FSB, 400 MHz memory clock). All chips that are not yet available on the market are indicated in red.

3D-Rendering: 3D Studio Max 4.2

In this benchmark, 10 images from the “Rabbit” scene at 800 x 600 pixels are calculated.

Conclusion: Top Performance, But Only With 533 MHz

As of today, we have already tested the processors that Intel won’t be bringing you until the fall of this year, at the earliest. Above all, this is related to the models Pentium 4/2666 and Pentium 4/2533, which are the first CPUs to offer support for 533 MHz Rambus. Our benchmark results clearly prove that if Intel changes the FSB and memory clocks (to 133 MHz and 533 MHz, respectively), this will put it quite a distance ahead of its competition from AMD, as well as its own series of processors. In the Office Performance category, the Pentium 4/2666 with 533 MHz RDRAM soars about 50% above the fastest AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (VIA KT333 platform and DDR333). In MPEG-2 video encoding, the Pentium 4/2666 is approximately 25% ahead of the AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (VIA KT333 platform). What’s more, the P4 2666/533 achieves higher benchmark results than a P4 3000/400 in some categories.

Here, we’d like to make a general observation about the benchmark tests: used together with a 533 MHz memory clock, the performance of the Pentium 4 increases accordingly in all categories. By comparison, the growth in performance for the AMD processors, in conjunction with the VIA KT333 chipset, is relatively small. This fact is partially due to the DDR333 memory modules that we used, which did not work in CL2.0 mode. So, now it can already be determined that, in the future, AMD processors (Athlon XP/MP) will not make such big leaps in performance based on an increase in core clock speed alone.

Our detailed tests show that forthcoming P4 CPUs with 133 MHz FSB clock used in conjunction with the 845E chipset (DDR SDRAM support) will effectively be castrated. This is because the Pentium 4 has a problem: the increase in clock speed (e.g. P4/2533 or P4/2666) will be rendered useless by the slow DDR SDRAM memory bus of the 845 platform. In the mass market, the 845 chipset dominates by nearly 100% – and this will remain the case for the next six months. But only 533 MHz RDRAM enables the processor to attain high performance. Eventually, the dual-channel DDR solution will receive some sort of technological boost, however there’s still no sign of development in this area. And one shouldn’t forget that even a dual DDR platform for P4 should be priced at a level that is similar to a Rambus system, considering that it’s from Intel.

Intel is facing a difficult situation with Rambus, and the errors of the past lie heavy on the heart. The concept of technology franchising cannot be brought to fruition without controlling the production. The power lies in the hands of memory manufacturers such as Samsung, Corsair or Viking. As a final comment, please note that, currently, Rambus and DDR SDRAM are equally priced.