What You Need to Know about Dell Desktop Computers with the Intel Pentium 4 HT Processors
Whether you are running a complex server or merely need to compose documents and save them to a hard drive, Dell produces a range of different desktops for home, business, or educational use. All of these desktop computers are equipped with an Intel Pentium 4 HT processor.
What is the Intel Pentium 4 HT processor?
The Pentium 4 is a series of single-core Intel CPUs produced between 2000 and 2008 for desktops, laptops, servers, and workstations. The Pentium 4 series was released under several different code names such as Prescott, Northwood, and Cedar Mill, each of which has different specs. HT stands for hyper-threading. In technical terms, hyper-threading is a feature in which two virtual cores are created for every physical core present. To the computer, a single core will appear as two distinct microprocessors. This allows the computer to schedule two processes at the same time, or multiple processes can use the same resources.Instead of wasting resources by scheduling one process at a time, hyper-threading allows a microprocessor to work more efficiently. In practical terms, hyper-threading can assist with heavy multi-tasking applications, such as 3D rendering and video editing. It can also assign light background tasks to a single virtual core while the rest of the Intel CPU deals with more demanding tasks.
What are some important features of the processor?
When you are deciding which CPU to purchase a desktop, here a few factors to consider:
- Clock Speed: The clock speed measures the speed of the CPU and its overall capacity to process a given workload. Another related metric is the speed of the front-side bus. The bus is the interface that serves as the communication hub between different parts of the CPU and the motherboard.
- L2 Cache: The cache is a small amount of memory embedded directly on the CPU. The most important and frequently used data is stored in the cache. Although not very large, the memory is closer to the CPU than the main system RAM, so it can speed up operations and make the system more efficient.
- Fabrication Process: The fabrication process refers to the manufacturing of the integrated circuits in the CPU. The manufacturing process bears a direct relationship to how many transistors are placed on the chip. As the transistors are made to be smaller and more packed together, electrons don't need to travel as far on the chip, thus improving operations. The process is expressed in terms of nanometers: for example, 180 nanometers, 130 nanometers, or 90 nanometers. The smaller number is generally preferable although it's not a perfect corollary for performance.
Which Dell desktop computers feature a Pentium 4 HT processor?
The three main Dell series with a Pentium 4 chip are the Dimension, the OptiPlex, and the Precision (the Dimension was discontinued in 2007, and all existing products were transitioned over to the Dell Inspiron series). Each one is aimed at different markets. The Dimension is designed for the basic consumer desktop computer market. The OptiPlex is aimed at business, education, and government markets. The Precision is a workstation or small-scale business server designed for architects, CG artists, and other professionals.