CPU Museum

March 22, 2005

Not a Pentium 1, and yet not quite a Pentium 2


This Pentium Pro runs at 200MHz and has 256kB cache. In 1995, The Pentium Pro was the choice of the IT Manager that had large x86 servers as they were the first x86 chip to be able to address more than 4GB of RAM. This is the highest the clock speed went to, though the cache size was increased - first to 512kB then to an incredible 1024kB.

Even in the days of the Pentium 2, server manufacturers preferred the Pro as it had the larger cacheable range of 4GB whereas the first P2s were unable to cache RAM beyond 512MB. In addition to this limitation, the Pentium 2's (Klamath core) L2-cache ran at half clock speed. With the introduction of P2's 'Deschutes' core (333MHz and up) its reign was finally over as the new line of P2s finally offered a 4GB cacheable range, far higher clock speeds and higher bus speeds.

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