No Hurry to Get the Faster Pentium Chip

I got a late start writing this column, but it doesn’t really matter. I’m writing it on a PC equipped with a new Pentium 4 processor, so--if the hype is to be believed--I should be able to finish it at least 50% faster than if I were writing it on my old Pentium III machine.

If that were true, I’d be the first in line for one of these machines. But even though the processor on this new PC is able to crunch bits and bytes faster than any previous personal computer, my writing is proceeding at pretty much its normal pace. The same is true with my Web surfing, e-mail and even my spreadsheet recalculating and other routine applications.

So why bother?

Creating and editing video, audio and even still-photo files is noticeably faster than on a machine with a Pentium III chip. That, according to Intel Executive Vice President Paul Otellini, is because the new chip is equipped with special circuitry and “144 new multimedia instructions” designed to enhance multimedia applications.

It also has a 400 megahertz “internal bus”--compared with 133 MHz on a Pentium III--which means the Pentium 4 can move data faster between the CPU and the PC’s memory. Another advantage, says Intel, is a “rapid execution engine,” which is a fancy way of saying that it has the capacity to manipulate commonly used data at twice the speed of the processor.

After testing a machine with a 1.5 gigahertz Pentium 4, I didn’t come away with a burning desire to scrap my old system. But that’s because I primarily use my PC for typical business applications.

If I edited video files on a regular basis or even spent a great deal of time editing still photos, I would give serious thought to a Pentium 4. I’d also consider it if I were a die-hard gamer with a craving--and a budget--for more realistic visual effects.

The machine Intel lent me came with a 1.5 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 256 megabytes of RAM and a high-end video card with 64 MB of video RAM. I mention the memory and video card because those components go a long way toward improving both system performance and the way it displays graphics and moving images. (The test machine was built by Intel and isn’t for sale, but a similarly equipped machine from Dell or Gateway would cost about $2,800, without monitor.)

Intel doesn’t make a big deal about the Pentium 4’s ability to speed up editing of still images. But when I tested it with Adobe PhotoShop 6.0, I found that it did make a difference in certain tasks.

To be fair, it’s important to note that my comparison machine is by no means an equal. Its 700 MHz Pentium III processor is slower than Intel’s fastest (1 GHz) Pentium III and even slower than AMD’s 1.2 GHz Athlon. Yet, when it came to basic photo editing chores such as cropping, resizing and removing “red-eye,” I didn’t notice much of a difference between the Pentium 4 and my relatively anemic machine. But that’s because these tasks aren’t very taxing.

The PC enthusiast Web site https://www.sharkyextreme.com did far more rigorous tests comparing the Pentium 4 with both a 1 GHz Pentium III and a 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon. On some tests, the Pentium 4 outclassed the other processors. But on others, it seemed to make no difference. One set of tests found the Pentium 4 to be ever so slightly slower than an 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon and only a bit faster than a 1 GHz Pentium III.

In general, it’s been my experience that you get more mileage by upgrading your memory and hard drive than by trading in your PC for one with a new CPU, unless your processor is considerably slower than whatever is state-of-the art. The same is true when you’re shopping. If you have limited funds, you’ll get more bang for your buck by opting for more memory, a better video card and a larger and faster hard drive than the fastest possible processor.

Unless you’re the type of power-user who needs the fastest PC on the block, the only argument for buying the Pentium 4 is that you’ll be less likely to crave a new machine any time soon. On the other hand, if trends continue as they have since the dawn of the PC age, today’s high-end machines will be tomorrow’s bargain-basement specials--just as powerful as they are now, but a lot cheaper.

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Technology reports by Lawrence J. Magid can be heard between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays on the KNX-AM (1070) Technology Hour.