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New 333-MHz Systems Only Slightly Faster

Intel%squots Deschutes chip powers new systems from Dell, Gateway, HP, and NEC

By PC World staff   

But with the January release of the Pentium II-333, Intel has varied the tune: The new, slightly faster processor is also only slightly more expensive. Two of the PII-333 systems we looked at will sell for only about $80 more than their comparably equipped PII-300 siblings. Ironically, the performance gain isn%squott worth even an $80 increase for the average business user. On our PC WorldBench business application-based benchmarks, the new PII-333s performed on average only 3 percent faster than the PII-300s. If you can notice that difference, you%squotre probably on Intel%squots payroll.

However, if you%squotre doing heavy graphics, either at work or at play, that $80 could be well spent. When we timed the systems redrawing 3D scenes in Ray Dream Studio, the PII-333s performed about 10 percent better than the same systems running PII-300s. It%squots not a spectacular improvement, but worth a modest price increase if you spend a lot of time watching graphics redraw.

The new chip is the first in a line Intel has been calling Deschutes (the name comes from an Oregon river). What separates Deschutes from earlier Pentium II chips is size. Transistors in the original PIIs are about .35 micron wide; with Deschutes, that width has been reduced to .25 micron. This is wonderful for Intel, since smaller transistors allow for smaller chips, which can be mass-produced in larger quantities, cutting costs. For you, the PII-333 is just another slightly faster chip. We tested preproduction models of four Pentium II-333 computers, including Dell%squots Dimension XPS D333, Gateway%squots 2000 GP6-333, Hewlett-Packard%squots Vectra VL 333, and NEC%squots Direction SPL333. All four came with 64MB of RAM, 6GB to 9GB hard drives, and 17-inch or larger monitors.

Speed may be the reason to buy a PII-333, but not to buy one company%squots PII-333 instead of another%squots. When we put these systems through their paces, the performance differences between them were slight. If you buy one, consider the NEC%squots low price or the Gateway%squots 19-inch monitor rather than simply the Dell%squots record-breaking WorldBench score of 281.

For the complete story with full test results, see Lincoln Spector%squots Top of the News report in March%squots PC World magazine.