PC Hardware A Beginner’s Guide

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(^64) PC Hardware: A Beginner’s Guide
Celeron
Developed from use in desktop and portable computers, the Celeron microprocessor,
shown in Figure 3-16, is the low-cost model of the Pentium II processor series. It features
two choices for mountings, the Pentium II’s Slot 1 and a socket style named after the number
of pins in use, Socket 370, shown in Figure 3-16. The Celeron is released in versions with
clock speeds of 333MHz to 500MHz, with newer models, built on the Pentium III core, to
offer clock speeds of 566MHz or faster.
Xeon
Figure 3-17 depicts the Pentium II Xeon processor, which is the successor to the Pentium
Pro as a network server processor. To enhance its ability as a network server microprocessor,
the Xeon features a range of L2 cache size choices, ranging from 512K, 1MB, and 2MB. The
Xeon is capable of addressing and caching up to 64GB of memory with its 36-bit memory
address bus. The PII Xeon can be configured with four to eight CPUs in one server.
AMD K6
Developed to compete with the Pentium MMX, the AMD K6 outperforms it in speed and
price. It is available in 166MHz, 200MHz, 233MHz, 266MHz versions, and a 300MHz
model that mounts in a Super 7 socket.
Cyrix 6x86MX and Cyrix III
Also known as the MII, the Cyrix 6x86MX processor contains an MMX instruction set.
The 6x86 MX has a performance rating (PR) of P-166 to P-366. Cyrix, which is now owned
by VIA Technologies, now also offers the 6x86 in a P-433 version as well.
The Cyrix III microprocessor (see Figure 3-18) runs at clock speeds of 433, 466, 500,
and 533MHz. It supports Intel’s MMX and 3DNow, the AMD equivalent of multimedia
extensions. The Cyrix III processor, technically the VIA Cyrix III, is the equivalent of an
Intel Pentium II Celeron processor.
AMD K6-2 and K6-III Processors
To compete with the MMX technology of the Pentium processors, the AMD K6-2 processor,
shown in Figure 3-19, has an added 3DNow, a set of 3D graphic instructions that extend the
MMX instructions already incorporated into the K6 design. The K6-2 processors are
available with clock speeds from 266MHz to 550MHz. A newer model of the AMD K6
line is the K6-2+, which has additional L2 cache on the processor chip and some new
power control features.
The K6-III processor features 256K of L2 cache and clock speeds from 400MHz to
600MHz. A newer model, the K6-III+ includes 1MB of cache and runs at the clock speeds
of the K6-III.

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