Review: Pentium 4 at 1,4, 1,5 and 1,6 GHz

2D-Benchmarks: Windows 98SE

The level of performance with standard applications is still the most important issue for a microprocessor. This does not only include programs such as Microsoft's Word or Excel but also MPEG encoders, 3D- and sound-editing applications. Chip makers simply love computer games because this market always is in need of ever bigger CPU performance. Even the Internet has also been identified as one of the potential drivers for faster CPUs. However, practical experience has shown that neither SSE nor 3DNow! make much of a difference when it comes to surfing the Internet - although in particular Intel would not agree here, as even the architecture of the Pentium 4 was named "NetBurst". We give the scores for SYSmark 98 and the more up to date SYSmark2000.

Apart from a few exceptions, classic 2D applications gain the most from a CPU that performs well with integer instructions. But the number of sound and graphics editing applications that - as for example games do - prefer a fast FPU and MMX, SSE (2) or 3DNow! still is constantly increasing.