by Bubba "Masterfung" Wolford

  Introduction

While AMD has recently stolen some of the limelight from Intel with its new Athlon processors, Intel is aiming at a strong comeback. The new Coppermine CPU won't make its debut until this week, but a couple of weeks ago Intel announced a new set of processors and a new i810E motherboard.

The introduction of a new 533 MHz and 600 MHz CPU may not seem like a big deal, but this introduction is only the beginning. What is a big deal is that we have the introduction of a new 133 MHz bus speed. The i810E was only a step toward the bigger prize, the new motherboard with Camino or i820, since the i810E's only advantage over the i440BX chipset is the 133 MHz bus speed.

With the introduction of i820, we will be seeing new types of technology including a new type of RAM. The new RAM will be necessary to handle the increased bandwidth of 4X AGP and increased CPU speeds. Before we start into the capabilities of these new systems, let's spend some time talking about what they mean now and in the future.

The new 533B and 600B

Point for point there is not a whole lot new about the new "B" processors. Let's talk about what these extensions mean on the newer CPUs.

Prior to Coppermine's arrival we have the following Intel Pentium III CPUs:

• Pentium III 450
• Pentium III 500
• Pentium III 550
• Pentium III 600
• Pentium III 533B
• Pentium III 600B

One of the first things you noticed is the new extension on some of the processors. The "B" indicates the new 133 MHz bus speed, so you could conceivably have two Intel 600 MHz processors that are slightly different.

The first is the 600 MHz processor running on the 100 MHz bus speed with a multiplier of 6.0 (6 x 100 = 600 MHz), and the other is running on a 133 MHz bus with a 4.5 multiplier at 600 MHz (4.5 x 133 = 600 MHz). Rumors that new 450 MHz Pentium III processors are showing up on the market that are remanufactured 600 MHz CPUs seems to be true since the 133 MHz bus version 600 MHz CPU is using the same 4.5 multiplier that a Pentium III 450 MHz CPU is using.

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Now, there is nothing really new on the 533B and 600B CPUs besides a new multiplier. They are still on a .25 micron and, most importantly, are still Katmai cores. These are not the first Coppermine CPUs.

Rather, these two CPUs are a step in the direction toward Coppermine because they are running on the new 133 MHz bus. Please do not get confused between these "B" processors and the upcoming Coppermine CPUs. How can you tell the difference if you go to the store and pick up an Intel box sometime next month? Let's review what speeds and specs the new Coppermine CPUs will be strutting and what designation you can look for if you have a specific processor in mind.

Slot 1 CPUs on 100 MHz bus:

• Pentium III 600E (6.0 x 100)
• Pentium III 650E (6.5 x 100)
• Pentium III 700E (7.0 x 100)

Socket 370 CPUs on 100 MHz bus:

• Pentium III 500E (5.0 x 100)
• Pentium III 550E (5.5 x 100)

Slot 1 CPUs on 133 MHz bus:

• Pentium III 533EB (4.0 x 133)
• Pentium III 600EB (4.5 x 133)
• Pentium III 667EB (5.0 x 133)
• Pentium III 733EB (5.5 x 133)

Expect all these CPUs to launch very soon. Of course, with AMD now talking about a 800 MHz CPU, I think we can expect Intel to really start ramping up the MHz to not only catch but surpass AMD in the CPU races. Intel will undoubtedly be making a strong push to increase the CPU frequencies as they move to .18 micron and Coppermine (Coppermine also introduces on-chip L2 cache.) This situation should make for some very competitive prices and a real bargain for consumers.

Of course, you probably noticed that all of the CPUs above carried an "E" on the end of their designation. The "E" identifies a Coppermine CPU. So, if you just bought a brand new i820 or i810E motherboard, and you are looking for a shiny new 733MHz Coppermine, when you go to the local computer store near your house, you should be looking for a retail box that carries the name, "Retail Intel Pentium III 733EB". This would indicate that you are buying a Pentium III Coppermine CPU that runs on a 133 MHz bus.

Go to Part II.