From 400MHz to 533MHz

The new Intel Pentium 4 processor just had its front side bus frequency boosted to 533MHz FSB. Based on the familiar Intel Netburst architecture, the new Pentium 4 processors now operate at a higher bus frequency, boosting its bandwidth by another 33%. The new processors are still based on the familiar Socket-478 form factor and future Pentium 4 users should find it easier to upgrade their processors. It's a good thing that Intel did not decide to change the socket form factor again (e.g. the transition from Socket-423 to Socket-478 was painful to a lot of people, for both users and manufacturers).

These new processors are based on the Northwood core and they are no different from the current Northwood processors. Intel just lowered the clock multiplier to accomodate the higher bus frequency. Based on the 0.13-micron manufacturing technology, you can expect better performance from its full-speed 512KB Level 2 cache located on the die itself. The thermal design power of the processor is a little higher but when compared with the Athlon XP, the 2.53GHz Pentium 4 processor runs a lot cooler. The Athlon XP is rated at 72W, which is about 12W higher than the Pentium 4. This allows one to build small form factor Pentium 4 desktops easily without having to deal extensively with heat build-up and power supply issues.