How to Distinguish Between an Intel Northwood Processor and an Intel Prescott Processor

When deciding on which processor you should purchase for your computer, you will need to find out whether the processor you are using is either an Intel Northwood processor or an Intel Prescott processor. Not all 4XEM computers support the Prescott processor. For more specific details on which models do support Prescott processors please review the product page of each Versa and Elite computer listed on the 4XEM website or refer to the "Q and A" section found later in this article for more information.

Intel refers to the Pentium 4 processors by different names that are not necessarily made prevalent when you are shopping for a new processor. These processor names distinguish differences in the design of the processor as well as to which chipsets these processors may by used with. Recently Intel has modified the Pentium 4 processor and has assigned a new name to reflect these changes. This new name is known as "Prescott". The previous Intel Pentium 4 processor was known as "Northwood". Although the Intel Northwood processors can still be purchased, these processors will soon no longer be available.

In most cases when you are shopping for a processor that is compatible with your computer, you will not be informed as to whether the processor is a Northwood or a Prescott. To distinguish between Northwood and Prescott you will need to obtain the actual Part Number (Product Order Code*) or the Specification Number (sSpec Number**) of the processor. Once you have obtained this information you will then need to browse to Intel's website and locate the "Processor Spec Finder" (http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/default.asp).

Once you have located the technical specifications of the processor you will be able to distinguish between an Intel Northwood processor and an Intel Prescott processor. The main distinguishable difference between the two processors is the "Manufacturing Technology". The Intel Pentium 4 Northwood processors feature a manufacturing technology of 0.13�m (130nm). The Intel Pentium 4 Prescott processors feature a manufacturing technology of 0.09�m (90nm). For a more detailed listing of the difference between the Northwood and Prescott Pentium 4 processors please review Table 1.

Table 1 - Northwood vs. Prescott Pentium 4 Processors

	Northwood	Prescott
Manufacturing Technology	0.13�m (130nm)	0.09�m (90nm)
Layers of Copper Interconnects	6	7
Dielectrics	low-k, SIOF	low-k, CDO
Memory Cell Size, mm2	2	1.15
Lithography	248nm	193nm
Silicon Grid	Usual Silicon	Strained Silicon

If you plan on using an Intel Celeron processor you may again refer to the Manufacturing Technology of the processor to distinguish whether the processor is a Northwood or a Prescott. The Intel Pentium Celeron Northwood processors feature a manufacturing technology of 0.13�m (130nm). The Intel Pentium Celeron Prescott processors feature a manufacturing technology of 0.09�m (90nm). Also, Intel has begun to name the Prescott Celeron processors "Intel Celeron D" to help customers distinguish which processor can be used with specific computers. However, the technical specifications for every processor should always be reviewed to insure consistency. Please use the "Processor Spec Finder" (http://processorfinder.intel.com/scripts/default.asp) to obtain this information.

* Product Order Code - The actual part number used in ordering the processor from an Intel distributor. (Example: BX80526H1000256)

** sSpec Number - A five character string (SL36W, XL2XL, etc.) that is printed on the processor, and used to identify the processor. By knowing the processor's sSpec Number, you can find out the processor's core speed, cache size and speed, core voltage, maximum operating temperature and so on.

Q and A - What Processor Should I Use?

Q. Why type of processor (CPU) should I use with my computer?

A. If you have purchased a 4XEM Versa computer*** you will be able to use the following processors:

Intel Pentium 4 Processor and Celeron Processor
Supports Hyper Threading Technology
Supports 478 pin socket, Intel Northwood Processor 2.0GHz to 3.2GHz
Supports 478 pin socket, Intel Prescott Processor with a maximum of 3.0GHz

***The 4XEM BBPCPCI Versa computer will only support the Intel Celeron 2.0GHz, 478 pin socket Northwood Processor. The 4XEM BBPCFANLESS Versa computer will only support the included Intel Pentium Celeron processor 2.0 GHz, set to 1.33 GHz.

If you have purchased a 4XEM Elite computer you will be able to use the following processors:

BBPCHOME
Intel Pentium 4 and Celeron Processor
Supports 478 pin socket, Intel Northwood Processor up to 3GHz
Intel Prescott Processors not supported

BBPC Elite 1 and Elite 2
Intel Pentium 4 Processor
Supports 478 pin socket, Intel Northwood Processor 1.6GHz to 3.0GHz
Intel Prescott Processors not supported