Platform BriefIntel® Pentium® Processor Extreme Edition Intel® Pentium® D ProcessorIntel® Pentium® 4 Processor Extreme Edition Intel® Pentium® 4 ProcessorIntel® 955X Express ChipsetEntry-level Workstation Platform

Intel® 955X Express chipset-based workstation platforms are designed to

meet the needs of demanding professionalsby providing higher system performance for graphics-intensive applications and

higher productivity for power users.

Entry-level workstation platform for outstanding value, performance,

and dependability.

With a proven track record of providing workstation solutions, Intel continues to deliver

the latest platform technologies and innovations to meet the demands of advanced

professionals and give them the ability to grow their business and to lower system

costs with proven solutions. Entry-level workstation platforms support the demands

of advanced computer users in fields such as graphics design, high-end 3D graphics,

Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) applications, and other demanding

workstation-class applications.

Entry-level workstation platforms based on the Intel® Pentium® processor

Extreme Edition or Intel® Pentium® 4 processor Extreme Edition supporting

Hyper-Threading Technology1 and the Intel® 955X Express chipset are ideal for

processor and graphics-intensive applications. These workstation platforms are

engineered to provide high-performance features and leading graphics technology

to meet your business demands today and in the future.

Proven technology to meet your business needs

From generation to generation, customers can depend on Intel®-based workstations to provide outstanding

value, performance, reliability, and flexibility.

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Entry-level workstation platform

Intel® 955XExpress Chipset

Intel® 82801GR(ICH7R)

PCI Express* x16Graphics Port

Hyper-Threading Technology1

Platform Technologies

Intel® Extended Memory 64Technology

Execute Disable Bit

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep®

Technology

Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology

Intel® Matrix Storage Technology2

Intel® Flex Memory Technology

Intel® Active ManagementTechnology3

DDR2

DDR2

8 Hi-Speed USB* 2.0 Ports

Intel® High Definition Audio

6 PCI

4 Serial ATA* Ports

1 PCI Express x4 Port

2 PCI Express x1 Ports

Gigabit Ethernet Intel® PRO/1000 PMLAN Connection

Legacy ATA 100

3 Gb/seach

2 GB/s(bi-directional)

500 MB/s(bi-directional)

60 MB/s

133 MT/s

8 GB/s(bi-directional)

10.7 GB/s

DMI Interface2 GB/s

100 MB/s

8.5 GB/s

Exceptional levels of power and performance with Intel® processors.

Graphics design, mechanical modeling, digital content

creation, and many other intensive computer power

workstation-class applications need all the computing

and graphics capability your workstation can provide.

Workstations platforms based on the Intel 955X Express

chipset can be paired with single- or dual-core Intel®

processors to meet your performance/price needs.

For the most cutting-edge performance and demanding

power applications, the Intel 955X Express chipset

supports the dual-core Intel Pentium processor Extreme

Edition or the single-core Intel Pentium 4 processor Extreme

Edition supporting Hyper-Threading (HT) Technology.

Hyper-Threading Technology allows a processor to

present itself as two “virtual” processors by executing

two threads in parallel, allowing you to run multiple

demanding applications at the same time. Intel dual-

core technology expands on the benefits enabled by

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the existing Hyper-Threading Technology infrastructure

today. Dual-core processors are designed to include

two physical cores in one processor, enabling better

system responsiveness and multitasking capability than

a comparable single-core processor. The Intel Pentium

processor Extreme Edition includes Hyper-Threading

Technology. When combined with HT Technology, the

Intel Pentium processor Extreme Edition improves

system efficiency and responsiveness by processing

four threads simultaneously.

If your business needs performance at an affordable price,

the Intel 955X Express chipset also supports the Intel®

Pentium® D processor and the Intel Pentium 4 processor

supporting Hyper-Threading Technology. The Intel Pentium D

processor differs from the Intel Pentium processor

Extreme Edition in that it does not include Hyper-Threading

Technology, so it is capable of processing two threads

simultaneously with its two physical cores.

With advanced features such as Intel® Memory Pipeline

Technology, DDR2 memory, and PCI Express*, workstation

platforms based on the Intel Pentium processor Extreme

Edition and the Intel 955X Express chipset deliver up

to a 79% performance increase (compared to a previous-

generation workstation platform equipped with an Intel

Pentium 4 processor 3.60 GHz with HT Technology and

an Intel 925X Express chipset). Intel Memory Pipeline

Technology, part of the Intel 955X Express chipset, optimizes

workstation application performance by speeding up

transfers between CPU and system memory, reducing

memory latency, and fine tuning memory bank selection

based on memory configuration.

All of the processors supported with the Intel 955X Express

chipset support Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology

(Intel® EM64T), allowing workstation platforms to handle

larger data sets or models, larger amounts of memory,

and both 32- and -64 bit applications, helping to ensure

the smooth migration of your business solutions to

64-bit computing.

Enhance performance for data-intensiveapplications with PCI Express*

With increased computing performance, the input/output

(I/O) rate at which data can be supplied to the processor

increases. Without sufficient I/O bandwidth, the processor

can sit idle, waiting for data to be transferred, which can

affect system performance. PCI Express was designed to

match the performance capabilities of higher performing

processors with greater I/O delivery rates. PCI Express’

lower latency and increased bandwidth help deliver the

data transfer speed required to fully utilize the

processor’s capability.

The PCI Express (x16 link) graphics interface in the Intel

955X Express chipset provides up to 8 GB/s bi-directional

peak bandwidth to accommodate your demanding work-

station projects and delivers better graphics performance

over bridged solutions. PCI Express graphics adapters

have a direct path to the Intel 955X Express chipset memory

controller, instead of having to go through a bridged com-

ponent, which minimizes the latency between the adapter

and the memory controller and improves performance.

Graphics design, mechanical modeling,digital content creation, and many other intensive computer power

workstation-class applications need all the computing and graphics capability

your workstation can provide.

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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5

■ Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition 840∆ (3.20 GHz dual core)

■ Intel® Pentium® D processor 840∆ (3.20 GHz dual core)

■ Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 670∆ (3.80 GHz – 2 MB cache)

■ Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 3.60 GHz/Intel® 925X Express chipset

SPECint*_rate_base20001.69

1.131.00

1.79

SPECfp*_rate_base20001.50

1.111.00

1.56

SPECapc* for 3ds max*7.1 rendering

1.341.04

1.00

1.52

LightWave 3D* 8.0rendering

1.091.06

1.00

1.46

Figure 1: Normalized to Intel® Pentium® 4 processor with HT Technology 3.60 GHz — longer bars indicate better performance.

Source: Intel® Corporation internal measurements as of April 2005.• SPECapc* for 3ds max* 7.1 Rendering composite score (see http://www.spec.org for more information)• SPECfp*_rate_base2000/SPECint*_rate_base2000 geometric mean results reported – run copies set equal to number of threads

(see http://www.spec.org for more information)• NewTek LightWave 3D* 8.0 rendering 8 different scenes – geometric mean of rendering times compared (see

http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/index.php for application information)• More information available at http://www.intel.com/performance

Entry-level workstation performance on Intel® 955X Express chipset-based platforms4

In addition, the Intel® I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R), part of

Intel 955X Express chipset, provides one x4 (2 GB/s

bi-directional peak bandwidth) and two x1 (each link:

500 MB/s bi-directional peak bandwidth) PCI Express

links to meet higher workstation I/O adapter demands.

Defend against downtime, manage andprotect your critical data and assets withIntel technologies

Whether you are a graphics designer, a 3D artist, a

scientist, or a financial analyst, data integrity is essential

to your business.

Intel processors supported with the Intel 955X Express

chipset include Execute Disable Bit functionality which,

when combined with a supported operating system,

can prevent certain classes of malicious “buffer overflow”

virus attacks. In a typical attack, a malicious worm creates

a flow of code that overwhelms the processor, allowing

the worm to propagate itself to the network and other

computers. Execute Disable Bit allows the processor to

classify areas in memory where the application code can

execute and where it cannot. When a malicious worm

attempts to insert code in the buffer, the processor disables

code execution, preventing damage and propagation.

Workstations based on Intel 955X Express chipset

supports Error Correction Code (ECC) memory for

better data integrity, reliability, and system uptime. ECC

is logic designed to detect and correct memory errors.

ECC provides more elaborate error detection than parity;

ECC can detect multiple-bit errors and can locate and

correct single-bit errors.

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Platform Feature User Benefit

1066-/800-MHz System Bus • Platform longevity and increased platform performance with support for high-performance Intel® processor frequencies to meet the demands of workstation environments

Intel® Extended Memory 64 Technology • Runs 64-bit code and accesses larger amounts of memory, while also capable of running existing 32-bit applications

• Supports Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition, Intel® Pentium® D processor, and other Intel Pentium processors in the LGA775 socket, with scalability for future processor innovations

Hyper-Threading Technology1 Support • Delivers higher processing throughput and faster response times for multitasking, multithreadingworkload environments

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology • Enables focused platform and software power management to lower average power consumption while maintaining application performance and improving acoustics

Dual-Channel DDR2 Memory with ECC Support • Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology optimizes workstation application performance by speeding up transfers between CPU and system memory, reducing memory latency, and fine tuning memory bank selection based on memory configuration

• Intel® Flex Memory Technology facilitates easier upgrades by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in dual-channel performance mode

• Larger memory capacity than previous generation for more demanding applications and complex designs

• ECC for data integrity protection

PCI Express* Interface • x16 PCI Express graphics interface designed to accommodate workstation graphics performance

• Delivers increased graphics performance over bridged solutions• Configurable Intel® I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R) 1x4/2x1 PCI Express ports to meet higher

I/O workstation demands

Integrated Serial ATA* Controller • Facilitates high-speed storage and data transfers up to 3 Gb/s

Intel® Matrix Storage Technology2 • Boosts storage performance with RAID 0 while protecting data with RAID 1 on the same disk. RAID 5 and 10 provide both increased data protection and performance

Intel® Active Management Technology3 • Helps improve IT efficiency by providing remote workstation/client down-the-wire management to allow asset management, out-of-band management, and diagnostics regardless of system state

Intel® High Definition Audio • Supports up to 8 channels at 192 KHz/32-bit sound without requiring a separate audio card

You can access data faster and protect your data in the

event of hard drive failure with Intel® Matrix Storage

Technology2 built into the Intel I/O Controller Hub (ICH7R).

Intel Matrix Storage Technology with integrated RAID 0, 1,

5, or 10 utilizes the latest high-speed SATA* interface for

accelerated disk performance and enhanced data

protection and redundancy. This ensures improved

system availability by providing increased fault tolerance

or redundancy and by allowing for recovery of your

critical data in the event of a hard drive failure without

disruption to your business.

RAID 0 is implemented by using disk striping, in which

you divide data into blocks, or stripes, and spread them

across multiple physical disks. Because RAID 0 makes

good use of multiple disk actuators, it tends to improve

read and write performance. However, this RAID level

doesn’t provide fault tolerance. RAID 1, also called disk

mirroring, maintains a complete copy of the data on a

second, separate physical drive. RAID 1 provides fault

tolerance and often improves read performance, but its

need to write the data twice can degrade write perform-

ance in single-disk-controller configurations. RAID 5

uses a data striping method similar to RAID 0’s but

adds parity to the data striping, which gives you better

fault tolerance. RAID 5 stores the parity information on

a physical disk separate from the one that stores data

blocks. Because RAID 5 uses multiple disk actuators, it

provides good read and write performance but a lower

level of redundancy than RAID 1’s full mirroring. RAID 10

(a combination of RAID1and RAID 0) uses a striped array

of disks, as does RAID 0, but fully mirrors the striped data

set, similar to RAID 1. RAID 10’s use of multiple disks

gives it the best performance of all of the RAID levels,

but this level’s mirrored implementation of the striped

data set makes it the most expensive storage option.

Managing, maintaining, protecting, and updating your

workstations and corporate desktop clients could be

all-consuming and labor-intensive, but unfortunately

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these tasks are required to keep your business running.

Managing the hardware and software configurations

often requires that each computer be visited individually,

which increases total cost of ownership (TCO). Intel®

Active Management Technology3 allows workstations

and other corporate clients to be efficiently managed

from a central location, reducing maintenance costs,

and therefore, TCO. It addresses the top issues faced

by IT managers: locating and managing computing

assets, reducing system maintenance costs, and pre-

venting viruses and worms, all of which increase TCO.

Intel Active Management Technology provides you with

the necessary tools and the ability to discover all your

hardware and software computer assets, to diagnose

and heal systems remotely regardless of the OS or system

state, and to help protect your system from specific

malicious software attacks. Intel Active Management

Technology is supported in Intel 955X Express chipset

platforms when coupled with Intel® PRO/1000 PM

LAN Connection.

Save on power costs and reduce system noise with Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology, a feature on

select Intel processors supported with the Intel 955X

Express chipset, can provide increased power savings

depending on system usage and design. Enhanced Intel

SpeedStep Technology allows the system to dynamically

adjust processor voltage and core frequency while

maintaining application performance, which can result in

decreased average power consumption and decreased

average heat production with minimal performance

impact. By decreasing power and heat in the platform,

system builders can (depending on system configurations)

potentially lower system acoustics by slowing down or

even halting the cooling fan operation entirely, in direct

response to system thermal requirements

Outstanding value, performance, reliability, and flexibility

Customers can depend on Intel to deliver workstations

platforms with higher levels of stability, performance,

and reliability. You can look to Intel to help you mitigate

risks, grow your business, and lower costs with proven

and innovative workstation solutions. Intel technology

makes these entry-level workstations well-suited for

high-performance needs such as computer aided

engineering (CAE) and drafting, electronic design

automation, digital media, financial analysis, oil/gas

engineering, and software development/engineering.

Whether you are a graphics designer, a 3D artist, a scientist, or a financial analyst, data integrity is essential

to your business.

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ContactUnited States and CanadaIntel CorporationRobert Noyce Building2200 Mission College Blvd.P.O. Box 58119Santa Clara, CA 95052-8119USA

EuropeIntel Corporation (UK) Ltd.Pipers WaySwindonWiltshire SN3 1RJUK

Asia-PacificIntel Semiconductor Ltd.32/F Two Pacific Place88 Queensway, CentralHong Kong, SAR

JapanIntel Japan (Tsukuba HQ)5-6Tokodai Tsukuba-shi300-2635 Ibaraki-kenJapan

South AmericaIntel Semicondutores do Brasil LTDAAv. Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 940-10° andar04583-904 São Paulo, SPBrazil

1 Hyper-Threading (HT) Technology requires a computer system with an Intel® Pentium® 4 processor supporting HT Technology and an HT Technology-enabled chipset, BIOS and operating system. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware and software you use. Seewww.intel.com/info/hyperthreading for more information including details on which processors support HT Technology.

2 Intel® Matrix Storage Technology requires a motherboard with the Intel® 82801FR (ICH6R) or Intel® 82801GR (ICH7R) I/O Controller Hub System. Thesystem must also have the RAID controller in the BIOS enabled and the Intel Matrix Storage Technology software driver installed. Please consult yoursystem vendor for more information.

3 Intel® Active Management Technology requires a system with an Intel® 955 or 945 Express Chipset, Intel® PRO/1000 PM Network Connection andappropriate third-party software. The system must be plugged into a power source and connected to a LAN.

4 Test System Configurations:

(1) Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 3.60 GHz with HT Technology, Intel® 925X chipset-based platform (Intel reference), BIOS CV92510A.86A.0375.2004.1119.1045,4 GB total DDR2-533 ECC CL4– Siemens 64T128020HU37A* 1024 MB x 4 DIMMs, Microsoft Windows* XP Professional SP1, NVIDIA Quadro* FX1400 PCI Express* x16 graphics card, driver 71.84, Intel® Chipset Software Utility 6.01.1002, 120 GB Seagate SATA ST3120026AS.*

(2–4) Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 670, Intel® Pentium® D processor, and Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition, Intel® D955X Express chipset-based platform (Intel® D955BK early release), BIOS BK95510J.86A.1152.2005.0404.1143, 4 GB total DDR2-667 ECC CL5 – MicronMT16HTF12872AY-667A2* 1024 MB x 4 DIMMs, Microsoft Windows* XP Professional SP1, NVIDIA Quadro* FX 1400 PCI Express* x16 graphicscard, driver 71.84, Intel® Chipset Software Utility 7.00.1014, 160 GB Seagate hard drive SATA ST3160827AS.*

∆ Intel processor numbers are not a measure of performance. Processor numbers differentiate features within each processor family, not across differentprocessor families. See http://www.intel.com/products/processor_number for details.

Performance tests and ratings are measured using specific computer systems and/or components and reflect the approximate performance of Intelproducts as measured by those tests. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance. Buyersshould consult other sources of information to evaluate the performance of systems or components they are considering purchasing. For more infor-mation on performance tests and on the performance of Intel products, visit http://www.intel.com/performance/resources/limits.htm.

Relative performance for each benchmark is calculated by taking the actual benchmark result for the first platform tested and assigning it a value of1.0 as a baseline. Relative performance for the remaining platforms tested was calculated by dividing the actual benchmark result for the baseline plat-form into each of the specific benchmark results of each of the other platforms and assigning them a relative performance number that correlates withthe performance improvements reported.

Intel® Pentium® processors with Intel® EM64T requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, OS, device drivers and applicationsenabled for Intel EM64T. Processor will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel EM64T-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary dependingon your hardware and software configurations. Intel EM64T-enabled OS, BIOS, device drivers and applications may not be available. Check with yourvendor for more information.

*Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.

Copyright © 2005 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Pentium, Intel SpeedStep, and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries.

Printed in USA 0505/SAJ/OCG/XX/PDF Please Recycle 307741-001US

For more information, visit the Intel Web site: www.intel.com/products/server/chipsets