Differences between 5xx and 6xx series?

[TOOzeroSICKz]

Is it just Speedstep and the L2 cache? Whats more L2 cache good for? Also the speedstep?

 

[Shifra]

Is it just Speedstep and the L2 cache? Whats more L2 cache good for? Also the speedstep?

cache = more responsive, lower latency, all around better performance. Difference is 64bit extensions as well if you plan on keeping this processor into the vista (next windows) launches or running 64bit OS's before then. 6 series also have better performing 90nm revisions allowing more stable and generally much higher overclocks if thats your thing.

As far as speedstep i think its just a self monitoring tool of the processor so that it utilizes MHz when its needed. For example a game would cause the processor to draw it max power and use its max speed (mhz) while just idling at the desktop or scrolling the internet will scale down the processor. I think thats what it is, i need sleep. Hope this helps.

 

[xonik]

Nope, the additional meg of cache adds ~17% more latency in real-life scenarios. Most applications are more sensitive to cache latency than cache size, so clock-for-clock, the 600 series usually performs worse than the 500 series.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2353&p=2

Also added in the 600 series is across-the-board support for EM64T. The 5x1 series have supported EM64T for quite some time, though. Finally, the 600 series has a revised Thermal Monitor feature and Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST). You can read about these technologies here:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2353&p=4

 

[EnchainedBlade]

Nope, the additional meg of cache adds ~17% more latency in real-life scenarios. Most applications are more sensitive to cache latency than cache size, so clock-for-clock, the 600 series usually performs worse than the 500 series.

Thats not necessarily true. What Anandtech's benchmarks don't show you is the minimum framerates. They show you maximum frames per second, but not minimum..

The more cache a processor has, the less it has to go to the main memory for data. Thus, you'll find that while the maximum frames per second of the 5xx and 6xx is similar, the minimum (and thus average) is not.

The 6xx series will maintain much steadier frames per second than the 5xx series, ending up with much smoother game play..

Also added in the 600 series is across-the-board support for EM64T. The 5x1 series have supported EM64T for quite some time, though.

I thought that only the P4 570 supported EM64T?

 

[chrisf6969]

5_0 = 1Mb
5_0J = 1mb, EIST, NX
5_1 = 1Mb, EM64T, NX
6_0 = 2Mb, EM64T, EIST, NX

Execute Disable Bit (NX)
Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T).

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/pentium4/index.htm

http://developer.intel.com/products/processor_number/

Processor Number Guidelines

Processor numbers should be used to differentiate between the relative overall features within a certain processor family (e.g. within the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor family) and within a numbering sequence (e.g. 550 vs. 540). However, the digits themselves have no inherent meaning, particularly when looking across families; e.g. 710 is not "better" than 510 simply because 7 is greater than 5 from a numerical perspective. The numbers are aligned with different processor families and thus represent different value propositions to the end customer.

Processor numbers are also not a measurement of performance. A higher number does not necessarily mean higher performance for any given usage model or any given system configuration. Tools are available to end customers wishing to evaluate processors from solely a performance-based perspective. In these cases, the customer may refer to industry-standard benchmarks which measure PC performance while running specific end user applications. Processor numbers do not represent specific system configurations but rather a set of available processor features, and therefore cannot be used as a proxy for system-level benchmarks. (For more information on industry-standard benchmarks and available performance data, please go to www.intel.com/performance.)

IMHO, the 6_0 series are the best b/c they're all the N0 stepping. Which is the most recent stepping that overclocks the best. So if I was building a system I'd probably get a 630 and OC it to 4.0++ Ghz.

 

[chrisf6969]

I thought that only the P4 570 supported EM64T?

The 571 supports EM64T.

Though initially there were some Engineer Sample chips out there which people were showing off that had 64-bit, but CPU-Z incorrectly identified them b/c they were ES chips. That might be what you're thinking of.

 

[Saeid]

I think its worth mentioning that Intel will soon (by the end of the year) be phasing out the 500 Series... and trying hard to make the 600 series go mainstream...
Hence the recent price drop of the 600's...