Hot debates on completely different topics constantly occupy the minds of our readers. You, of course, first of all think about the endless debate of fans of the two well-known companies that produce processors and two manufacturers of graphics chips? This is true, but the reason for the dispute may serve any topic. For example, I have a lot of amused the title of one of the recent discussions in our conference - " Shawarma vs chicken grill ."

I decided to make a modest contribution to the common fund of disputes and to find out which of the overclocked processor, clocked at 3600 MHz faster. The fact that I got into the hands of the Intel Pentium 4 processor 2.0A - a recent test hero " Superrazgon Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz ." Recall that, according to the results of the test, he is able to operate at a frequency of 3.8 GHz, so far as overclock the CPU I did not come across.

I place the processor in the system start to check and find out some interesting details. I'm not going to question the results obtained in the first tests of this processor. That's right - it really works stably at FSB 190 MHz with a voltage of 1,725 ​​V and a further increase in voltage does not help him to raise the bar higher overclocking. However, it turned out that at least it works steadily at the rated voltage if the lower FSB speed of only 10 MHz!

If we need to find out the overclocking potential of the processor, set the record, I do not see anything wrong in increasing the Vcore voltage to 0.2 V or even higher, if there is sufficient cooling. But you must admit that it makes no sense to lift up so much power, only to overclock the processor for another 10 MHz bus. If we are interested in long-term stable operation, I personally choose to 3.6 GHz at rated voltage than 3.8 GHz at highly inflated.

If you remember, we have the Pentium 4 2.4C the Intel processor, which is also able to accelerate to 3.6 GHz frequency. Which of the two processors will be faster? Experienced overclockers will answer without hesitation that he has a higher bus frequency. Yes, but not so simple and obvious. We are not just found so overclockable P4 2.4S was a lot of tests ( " the Intel the Pentium 4 2.4C. Myths and Reality asynchronous acceleration ", " Costa Rican 4 2.4C P ") and all of them have shown that despite the fact that the CPU overclocking well above 200 MHz FSB, we have to sacrifice the memory of synchronous operation, the increased frequency of all pays off.

All this is true, but in the past we did not have processors running at a frequency of 200 MHz bus and can accelerate to high frequencies such. Stepping D1 changed this situation. During acceleration, we do not exceed 200 MHz FSB processor and still able to operate stably at a frequency of 3.6 GHz, with synchronous memory. At this time, the test results easy to predict.

Look what an interesting situation is obtained. Formally, all the advantages on the side of 2.4S - it is clocked at 300 MHz bus (1200 QPB), 2.0A and only 180 MHz. Memory 2.4S operates at a frequency of 200 MHz, and at 2.0A all the same 180 MHz. However, 2.4S is asynchronous memory used divider 3: 2, while the overclocked 2.0A system is fully synchronous, and you know that in most cases there is an advantage in the synchronous operation of the processor and memory. With the win - a higher rate or synchronicity? That is the question interested me.

To test, I used the following system configuration:

  • Motherboard - Asus P4C800 Deluxe, rev 1.03, BIOS 1006
  • Processors:
  • The video card - ATI Radeon 9700Pro
  • Memory - 2x256 MB Kingston PC3500 HyperX
  • Hard Disk - IBM DTLA 305020
  • Cooler - Zalman CNPS-7000A-Cu
  • Thermal Grease - KPT-8
  • Operating system - MS Windows XP SP1, DX 9.0b, Catalyst 4.2.

As you can see, I did not even bother to flash the BIOS fresh, updated drivers or reinstall the operating system. The maximum achievable results, in this case we are not interested, we need to see the difference between the processors, for which they were dispersed to the same frequency.

Memory also worked with the same timings.

After that, a series of tests was carried out in the programs, which were found on the long-established system. Of course, the adjustment programs and the conditions of testing were exactly the same, only the processors have changed.

As you can see, the miracle did not happen. Despite the fact that the system with the overclocked CPU P4 2.0A operated synchronously and this is a big plus on a system with greater frequency 2.4S tires in all tests it was at least a little, but faster. Definitely.

Clearly, however, unconvincing. We forgot about one more difference between the two processors - Hyper-Threading, which is not present at the P4 2.0A, but have P4 2.4S. So what gives speed increase - FSB frequency or presence of HT? To test I conducted some tests with P4 processor 2.4С@3.6 GHz, moreover Hyper-Threading has been disabled in the BIOS.

I will not bother you with new figures and charts, especially since I did not spend the whole test cycle. Let me just say that HT has absolutely nothing to do with anything. The advantage over the P4 2.4С@3.6 GHz P4 [email protected] GHz remained the same and it is due to the greater frequency of the bus, which runs overclocked processor. The results shown P4 processor 2.4С@3.6 GHz with HT and without HT, remained virtually unchanged in all tests ... except for one.

In PCMark04 final result decreased to 4855 parrots, which is comparable to 4843, which showed P4 [email protected] GHz. Well, that's just more proof of the well-known fact that PCMark04 - a synthetic program, artificially optimized for dual-processing. Its results have nothing to do with reality, and the program should not be used in the tests and comparisons.

Thus, the CPU P4 2.4S, overclocked to 3.6 GHz frequency, in all the tests with confidence ahead ravnochastoty P4 2.0A. Does this mean that about P4 2.0A should be forgotten? Not sure for several reasons.

The first is the cost. Today P4 2.0A is sold at a price slightly above $ 100, which is small enough, especially considering its potential ability to disperse, if the processor is made on the basis of D1 or at least C1 stepping. Second, the CPU P4 2.4S still rarer in the sale, much easier to find a P4 2.6 GHz or 2.8. Their overclocking potential of roughly the same, but if the difference in performance between 2.4С@3.6 GHz P4 and P4 [email protected] GHz is not very high, then the acceleration to the same frequency P4 2.6 or 2.8GHz, it will be completely invisible, while as the difference in price will be more and more noticeable. So I would not completely write off the CPU P4 2.0A discounted. Especially because our processor copy is absolutely stable at a frequency of 3.6 GHz, and 2.4S passes all game tests, but it gives an error in Prime95.