Pentium 4
Product brand
UnclaimedA family of single-core Intel microprocessors built around the NetBurst microarchitecture.
Last updated August 26, 2026
Overview
Pentium 4 was Intel's principal high-performance single-core desktop processor brand during the first half of the 2000s. It was introduced on November 20, 2000, as the first commercial implementation of Intel's NetBurst microarchitecture, which replaced the company's mature P6 design used by the Pentium Pro, Pentium II and Pentium III families. Pentium 4 processors were manufactured for desktop computers, mobile PCs and selected entry-level servers, and remained in production in various forms until August 8, 2008. The brand was built around a very long instruction pipeline, high clock frequencies, a trace cache for decoded micro-operations, and a high-bandwidth front-side bus. Intel positioned the processor primarily through frequency leadership: early Pentium 4 models reached clock speeds that appeared substantially higher than competing processors, helping Intel market the product to mainstream buyers who commonly treated gigahertz as a simple indicator of performance. In practice, NetBurst performance depended heavily on software, memory subsystem and workload. Programs optimized for SSE2 and streaming operations could benefit from the architecture, while branch-heavy, legacy and floating-point workloads could deliver less impressive results. Early systems were also constrained by the cost of Rambus RDRAM and by the relatively expensive platforms required by the first Socket 423 processors. The initial Willamette generation used a 180 nm process and launched at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz. Intel subsequently improved the platform with the 845 chipset and lower-cost SDRAM support, helping Pentium 4 systems gain market share. Northwood, introduced in January 2002 on a 130 nm process, increased the L2 cache from 256 KB to 512 KB, reduced power and thermal demands relative to Willamette, and enabled higher frequencies. Northwood models eventually reached 3.4 GHz. Hyper-Threading Technology became an important Pentium 4 feature, first appearing in a 3.06 GHz Northwood model and then becoming part of the mainstream Pentium 4 HT proposition with an 800 MT/s front-side bus. Prescott, introduced on a 90 nm process, extended the pipeline and added SSE3. Later revisions supported Intel's 64-bit extension, then marketed as EM64T, as well as Execute Disable functionality. Prescott's attempt to continue frequency scaling exposed the limitations of NetBurst: rising leakage current, power consumption and heat made it increasingly difficult to raise clock speed while maintaining practical desktop thermals. The family ultimately topped out at approximately 3.8 GHz rather than reaching Intel's earlier long-term projection of 10 GHz. Pentium 4 was supported by related NetBurst products. Intel introduced NetBurst-based Celeron processors for lower-cost computers and Xeon processors for servers and workstations. The Pentium Extreme Edition occupied a higher-performance enthusiast position, while Pentium D added two NetBurst-derived cores. Core 2 later replaced NetBurst at the high end, reflecting Intel's shift toward the more power-efficient design lineage associated with Pentium M and Core. Pentium 4 therefore represents both an important period of Intel clock-speed marketing and a major architectural transition in the company's processor history.
History
Pentium 4 originated in Intel's late-1990s effort to create a successor to the P6 architecture. The resulting Willamette project differed so substantially from Pentium III that Intel introduced it as a new brand rather than as another P6 generation. NetBurst emphasized a long pipeline, high frequency, a trace cache containing decoded micro-operations and a high-bandwidth bus. The approach was intended to permit substantial clock-speed growth over multiple process generations. Intel released the first Pentium 4 processors on November 20, 2000, using the 180 nm Willamette core and Socket 423. The 1.4 and 1.5 GHz parts were technically new but received mixed reviews because they did not consistently outperform the fastest Pentium III or AMD Athlon processors. Their platform also initially required Rambus RDRAM, which increased system cost. Intel continued expanding the range during 2001, and the release of the 845 chipset with support for less expensive PC133 SDRAM improved the commercial appeal of Pentium 4 systems. Northwood arrived in January 2002 on a 130 nm process. It increased the L2 cache from 256 KB to 512 KB and generally improved the balance between frequency, performance and heat. DDR SDRAM support through newer chipsets further reduced the cost disadvantage of the original platform. Northwood became the most mature expression of the original Pentium 4 concept, with models moving from the low-1 GHz range to 3.4 GHz. Intel also increased the effective front-side-bus rate, reaching 533 MT/s in 2002 and 800 MT/s in 2003. Hyper-Threading Technology was introduced to the desktop range with the 3.06 GHz Northwood model in late 2002 and was expanded through Pentium 4 HT products in 2003. The feature allowed one physical processor core to present multiple logical processors and use execution resources more effectively when software provided suitable parallel work. Intel used the combination of Hyper-Threading, higher bus bandwidth and frequency leadership to compete against AMD's Athlon XP and later Opteron-related performance messaging. Prescott moved Pentium 4 to a 90 nm manufacturing process and added SSE3, but the longer pipeline and process transition did not produce the expected straightforward frequency gains. Some later Prescott revisions supported Intel 64, initially called EM64T, and Execute Disable. Power leakage and thermal output became increasingly serious as transistor dimensions shrank. Overclocking communities also reported progressive instability in some Northwood processors operated at elevated voltage, a phenomenon commonly called Sudden Northwood Death Syndrome; this was an enthusiast-reported reliability issue rather than an official Pentium 4 product feature. The architecture's limitations influenced Intel's broader roadmap. Benchmark results varied sharply by application, and reviewers frequently noted that the processor's clock-rate advantage did not always translate into superior real-world performance. Intel therefore moved development toward the more efficient lineage associated with Pentium M. Core processors launched in 2006 and displaced NetBurst at the top of the portfolio. NetBurst-derived final products continued to appear through 2007, while Pentium 4 shipments ended in 2008. Related Celeron, Xeon, Pentium Extreme Edition and Pentium D products extended the architecture into lower-cost, server, enthusiast and dual-core segments.
- 2008
Pentium 4 shipments conclude
[1]The documented Pentium 4 shipment period ends on August 8, 2008.
- 2006
Core replaces Pentium 4 at the high end
[1]Intel launches Core processors, marking the company's strategic move toward more energy-efficient processor designs.
- 2005
Pentium D extends NetBurst to two cores
[1]Intel supplements the single-core Pentium 4 family with the dual-core Pentium D brand.
- 2004
Prescott adds SSE3 and later Intel 64 support
[1]The Prescott generation moves to 90 nm, introduces SSE3 and later enables 64-bit and Execute Disable features in selected revisions.
- 2003
800 MT/s Pentium 4 HT launches
[1]Intel introduces a 3 GHz Pentium 4 HT using an 800 MT/s front-side bus.
- 2002
Northwood generation introduced
[1]The 130 nm Northwood core adds a 512 KB L2 cache and enables higher clock speeds with improved thermal characteristics.
- 2002
Desktop Hyper-Threading begins
[1]The 3.06 GHz Northwood model becomes the first mass-market Pentium 4 to offer Hyper-Threading Technology.
- 2001
SDRAM-supported Pentium 4 platforms appear
[1]The 845 chipset supports PC133 SDRAM, helping reduce the cost of Pentium 4 systems.
- 2000
Pentium 4 launches
[1]Intel releases the Willamette-based Pentium 4 at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz using a 180 nm process and Socket 423.
Products and positioning
High-performance mainstream Intel processor family emphasizing clock frequency, front-side-bus bandwidth and later Hyper-Threading and 64-bit capabilities.
Desktop processor · 2000
Pentium 4 Willamette
The first Pentium 4 generation and the first commercial NetBurst implementation. Manufactured on a 180 nm process, it launched at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz, initially used Socket 423 and introduced SSE2 to Intel's mainstream desktop line. Its launch platform was criticized for inconsistent application performance and dependence on costly Rambus memory.
Desktop processor · 2002
Pentium 4 Northwood
A 130 nm redesign that increased the L2 cache to 512 KB and improved frequency headroom and thermal behavior. Northwood processors supported Socket 478 and later reached 3.4 GHz. The generation also brought Pentium 4's strongest period of competitive performance, particularly when paired with faster front-side buses and DDR memory.
Desktop processor · 2002
Pentium 4 HT
Pentium 4 models equipped with Hyper-Threading Technology. By exposing two logical processors from one physical core, HT could improve throughput in suitably threaded workloads. The product line was associated with 533 MT/s and 800 MT/s bus configurations and was marketed as a way to increase multitasking and selected application performance without adding a second physical core.
Desktop processor · 2004
Pentium 4 Prescott
The 90 nm Pentium 4 generation, featuring a substantially extended pipeline and SSE3 support. Later revisions introduced Intel 64 support under the earlier EM64T name and Execute Disable capability. Prescott pursued higher frequency but encountered substantial power, leakage and cooling challenges that contributed to Intel's eventual departure from NetBurst.
Mobile processor · 2002
Mobile Intel Pentium 4 Processor-M
A mobile Northwood-derived processor introduced for notebook computers. It incorporated power-management features including SpeedStep and Deeper Sleep, reducing consumption compared with desktop-oriented Pentium 4 parts. The product brought the Pentium 4 brand into mobile PCs but was ultimately overshadowed by Intel's more power-efficient Pentium M design.
Desktop processor
Pentium 4 model F
An OEM-oriented designation used for selected Prescott revisions with enabled 64-bit capability. Later Prescott-2M stepping provided Intel's mainstream desktop implementation of Intel 64, alongside related platform and security features.
Brand decisions
2006
Shift development from NetBurst to CoreStrategyBackground
NetBurst's power consumption and limited clock scaling made further frequency-led improvements increasingly impractical.
Action taken
Intel prioritized the more energy-efficient design lineage associated with Pentium M and launched Core processors.
Aftermath
Core replaced Pentium 4 at the top of Intel's portfolio, while NetBurst-derived products continued only for a limited period.
2004
Extend the architecture with PrescottGeneration changeBackground
Intel sought to continue NetBurst's frequency scaling through a smaller manufacturing process and a redesigned core.
Action taken
Intel introduced Prescott at 90 nm with a longer pipeline, SSE3 and later Intel 64 and Execute Disable support.
Aftermath
Power leakage and thermal constraints limited the expected frequency gains and contributed to Intel's shift toward Core-derived designs.
2002
Move Pentium 4 to NorthwoodGeneration changeBackground
Willamette needed better performance, higher frequency headroom and improved thermal characteristics.
Action taken
Intel moved to a 130 nm core, doubled the L2 cache to 512 KB and increased bus and processor speeds over successive releases.
Aftermath
Northwood became the strongest and most commercially successful phase of the Pentium 4 family.
2001
Reduce platform memory costsStrategyBackground
The original Pentium 4 platform's reliance on Rambus RDRAM increased system prices and limited appeal.
Action taken
Intel introduced the 845 chipset with support for PC133 SDRAM and subsequently supported DDR SDRAM in related platforms.
Aftermath
Lower-cost memory platforms helped Pentium 4 systems replace Pentium III as Intel's mainstream volume offering.
2000
Launch a new NetBurst-based flagshipProduct launchBackground
Intel needed a successor to the P6-derived Pentium III while competing with AMD's Athlon and pursuing much higher processor clock speeds.
Action taken
Intel introduced Pentium 4 as a separate brand based on the new NetBurst microarchitecture rather than extending the Pentium III name.
Aftermath
The launch established a long-running frequency-focused strategy but initially produced mixed benchmark results and a costly Rambus-based platform.
- AMD — AMD continued positioning Athlon processors around performance efficiency and challenged the usefulness of Intel's clock-speed comparison.
Recent events
- 2008
Pentium 4 production ends[1]
Product generation · Other
The Pentium 4 family reaches the end of its documented shipment period, having been progressively superseded by Core and Pentium Dual-Core products.
- 2006
Intel shifts its leading-edge processor strategy away from NetBurst[1]
Product launch
Intel launches Core processors after redirecting development toward cooler-running, more efficient designs rather than continuing to rely primarily on NetBurst frequency scaling.
- 2004
Prescott extends Pentium 4 to 90 nm[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Intel introduces the Prescott core with SSE3 and a longer pipeline; later revisions add support for Intel's 64-bit extension and Execute Disable functionality.
- 2003
Hyper-Threading reaches mainstream Pentium 4 systems[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Intel launches a 3 GHz Pentium 4 HT with an 800 MT/s front-side bus and Hyper-Threading Technology, presenting simultaneous multithreading as a major desktop differentiator.
- 2002
Northwood generation improves Pentium 4 efficiency and performance[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Intel introduces the 130 nm Northwood core with a larger L2 cache and higher available clock speeds, strengthening Pentium 4's competitive position.
- 2001
Pentium 4 platform expands to lower-cost SDRAM[1]
Other
Intel's 845 chipset brings PC133 SDRAM support to Pentium 4 systems, reducing the platform's dependence on more expensive Rambus memory.
- 2000
Intel introduces the first Pentium 4 processors[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Intel launches the 180 nm Willamette-based Pentium 4 at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz, establishing the NetBurst architecture and a new high-frequency product direction.
Sources1 sources
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