Intel Pentium 4 HT 3.40

Platform and Compatibility

The Intel Pentium 4 HT 3.40 is built on the NetBurst architecture, specifically the Northwood codename, and uses the Intel Socket 478 interface. This is a desktop-class processor from Intel’s Pentium 4 HT generation, released in early February 2004. The chip is a single-core part with two threads, a configuration that was notable for its time as it allowed a single physical core to handle two simultaneous instruction streams via Hyper-Threading technology.

Memory support includes both DDR1 and DDR2, though the platform does not support ECC memory. The lack of a specified memory bus width or bandwidth figure in the data means that actual throughput will depend heavily on the motherboard’s chipset and the memory modules installed. There is no PCIe specification listed for this processor; the absence of a dedicated PCIe field suggests that the platform relies on older bus standards typical of the Socket 478 era. The integrated graphics capability is described as "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)," which indicates that any display output would come from the motherboard’s chipset rather than the CPU itself.

The socket is a critical limitation for upgrade paths. Socket 478 was a transitional platform, and this particular processor is end-of-life. Users on this socket are largely confined to Pentium 4-class parts from the same generation. The multiplier is locked, so overclocking headroom is restricted to bus speed adjustments, which are not quantified in the data. The part number is SL793, which helps identify the exact stepping for compatibility checks with specific motherboards. The chip uses 55 million transistors on a 131 mm² die, fabricated on Intel’s 130 nm process node. This is a relatively simple, single-die design compared to modern multi-core processors, and it reflects the manufacturing capabilities of the early 2000s.

Power and Thermals

The thermal design power (TDP) for this processor is 89 watts. For a single-core chip running at a 3.40 GHz base clock, that is a substantial power draw, and it places the Pentium 4 HT 3.40 into a cooling tier that demands more than a basic passive solution. A capable air cooler with a decent fan is the minimum recommendation; the 89 W TDP means that sustained heavy workloads will generate significant heat that must be moved away from the die.

There is no boost clock listed, so the chip runs at a fixed 3.40 GHz under all conditions. This constant clock speed, combined with the NetBurst architecture’s known tendency toward high power consumption at high frequencies, means that thermal management is a primary concern for any system builder. The process node is 130 nm, which is large by modern standards, and the transistor count of 55 million is modest. The die size of 131 mm² allows for reasonable heat spread, but the architecture itself is not power-efficient. In practice, the data suggests that this processor will run hot under load, and the cooling solution should be selected with that 89 W figure in mind. There is no integrated graphics on the CPU die, so no additional thermal load from an iGPU. For a system that is expected to run at full load for extended periods, such as a rendering or encoding box, the cooling should be robust. For light office tasks, the thermal load will be lower, but the 89 W TDP still dictates a proper heatsink with an active fan rather than a low-profile passive design.

Who Should Consider It

The benchmark data shows that this processor sits at the 50th percentile among all CPUs in the database, which is a median position. The average benchmark score is listed as zero, which is unusual and likely indicates that no direct benchmark results were collected for this specific part. However, the percentile ranking at 50 suggests that it falls exactly in the middle of the field — neither a performance outlier nor a laggard.

For gaming, this processor is a historical piece. Single-threaded performance is the dominant factor for games of its era, and the 3.40 GHz clock is high for the time. The two threads can help with background tasks, but modern games will not see benefit from a single core with two threads. The lack of a boost clock means no headroom for burst workloads. For office applications, the Pentium 4 HT 3.40 is adequate for basic productivity: word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing with limited tabs, and email. The 512 KB L2 cache is small by modern standards, and the 8 KB L1 cache is tiny, but for the software of the mid-2000s, this was a capable configuration.

For content creation, the data suggests a mixed picture. The single core at 3.40 GHz will handle older photo editing tools and simple video encoding, but multi-threaded applications that could exploit the two threads would see limited benefit because there is only one physical core. The 89 W TDP and the heat generated under load make prolonged rendering sessions a thermal challenge. This is not a processor for modern workloads. It is best suited for retro system builders, collectors, or those running legacy software that is single-threaded and does not require modern instruction sets. The end-of-life status means that no new motherboards or support are available, so any consideration must be based on existing hardware.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals field is empty, which means that the database has no direct comparison data for this processor against other specific parts. This is a significant gap in the analysis. Without rival scores or deltaPct values, there is no numerical basis to compare the Pentium 4 HT 3.40 to, say, an Athlon 64 or a later Pentium D. The percentile field provides the only positional information: 50th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates that half of the processors in the database score higher and half score lower. But the absence of rival names means that the analysis cannot state things like "10% faster than X" or "15% slower than Y."

What can be said is qualitative. The Pentium 4 HT 3.40 belongs to the NetBurst generation, which was known for high clock speeds but lower instructions per clock compared to contemporary AMD K8 parts. The 130 nm Northwood core was the mature version of NetBurst, but it still suffered from the architecture’s long pipeline and thermal issues. The 89 W TDP is high for a single-core chip, which would have put it at a disadvantage in power efficiency compared to rivals. The 512 KB L2 cache is half of what some competing parts offered, and the 8 KB L1 is very small. Without exact rival scores, the comparison must remain at the architectural level. The data shows that this is a median performer, and that is the only quantitative comparison available.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Pentium 4 HT 3.40 has one physical core and two threads. This means that the CPU can execute two threads simultaneously, but they share the same execution resources. The base clock is 3.40 GHz, and there is no boost clock. For single-threaded workloads, the processor runs at its full 3.40 GHz, which is a high frequency for its era. The single-thread performance is further aided by the modest 512 KB L2 cache, which is small but low-latency for the time. For multi-threaded workloads, the two threads allow the CPU to handle two tasks with some overlap, but the performance gain is limited compared to a true dual-core chip. The NetBurst architecture’s Hyper-Threading was designed to improve utilization of the execution units, but it could not double throughput.

In practice, the data implies that this processor will excel at lightly threaded tasks that can leverage the high clock speed. Legacy games, older office suites, and single-threaded utilities will run at the full 3.40 GHz. Multi-threaded tasks like video encoding or 3D rendering that can use two threads will see a modest improvement over a single-threaded part, but the improvement is not comparable to a dual-core chip. The 50th percentile ranking reflects this mixed capability — it is not a low-end part, but it is not a high-end part either. The lack of a boost clock means that there is no dynamic frequency scaling, so the processor always runs at 3.40 GHz, which simplifies thermal behavior but also means no performance bursts. For modern software that expects multiple physical cores, this processor will struggle. For legacy software that is single-threaded, the 3.40 GHz clock is the main asset.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Intel Pentium 4 HT 3.40 use?

A: It uses the Intel Socket 478 interface.

Q: Does this processor support ECC memory?

A: No, ECC memory is not supported.

Q: How many cores and threads does the Pentium 4 HT 3.40 have?

A: It has one core and two threads.

Q: What is the thermal design power (TDP) of this chip?

A: The TDP is 89 watts.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked.

Q: What is the production status of this processor?

A: It is end-of-life, meaning it is no longer in production.

Q: What memory types are supported?

A: The processor supports DDR1 and DDR2 memory.

Q: What is the L2 cache size?

A: The L2 cache is 512 KB.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics?

A: It has integrated graphics only on certain motherboards, as a chipset feature, not on the CPU itself.

Q: What is the process node?

A: The process node is 130 nm.

Q: What is the base clock speed?

A: The base clock is 3.40 GHz, and there is no boost clock.

Q: What percentile does this processor rank in?

A: It ranks at the 50th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

Q: What is the part number?

A: The part number is SL793.

Q: What is the die size?

A: The die size is 131 mm².

Q: How many transistors does it contain?

A: It contains 55 million transistors.

Q: What is the market segment?

A: It is a desktop processor.

Q: When was it released?

A: It was released in February 2004.

Q: What is the architecture and codename?

A: It is based on the NetBurst architecture with the Northwood codename.

Q: Is the boost clock available?

A: No, the boost clock field is null, so it does not have a boost clock.