POVray 3.5	Source: POVRay.org

The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer (POV-Ray) is an all round excellent package, but there are two things that particularly make it stand out above the rest of the crowd. Firstly, it's free, and secondly, the source is distributed so you can compile it on virtually any platform.

HigherPixel Per Second (PPS) output equates to better performance.

POVray 3.5
Processor	PPS	Ranking
Athlon64 3200+	55.62
Athlon64 3400+	61.17
Athlon64 FX-51	62.37
Pentium4 3.2GHz Extreme Edition	85.61
Pentium4 3.2GHz Northwood	85.57
Pentium4 3.2GHz Prescott	74.8

Persistence of Vision Raytracer is a free tool available on the Windows, Linux, and OS X platforms for creating 3D graphics. The application includes a built-in benchmark, which runs in its default mode without output. The score at the end is measured in pixels per second, with a higher number obviously being better. This time around, the Pentium 4 processors rule the scene, with the Northwood scoring only slightly below the pricey Extreme Edition. Unfortunately, Prescott trails again, though it still out paces any of the three AMD Athlon 64 processors.

Conclusions on Prescott

There's an old adage that reads "A day late and a dollar short." Without delving into interpretation, Intel's Prescott core is much more than a day late, and in its current incarnation, it certainly seems like a dollar short. So, dispensing with the usual pleasantries that'd precede a formal conclusion, now is not the time to buy a processor based on Intel's new Prescott core. At $278USD, the 3.2GHz model might be an attractive proposition, but consider that the processor is, in most cases, a hair slower than Northwood, particularly picky in the motherboard compatibility department, and reportedly on the verge of being displaced by Intel's new LGA-775 formfactor, a new interface forecasted to appear in the second quarter of 2004.

With that said, Intel made a lot of changes to the Prescott core that will play a more prolific role in the next year or two. SSE3, for example, promises to augment the processor's performance through the utilization of software optimizations.

Enhancements to Hyper-Threading should improve multi-threaded performance. And of course, the technological improvements to Intel's 90nm manufacturing process will enable a 4GHz variant of the Pentium 4 by the end of 2004…

…that leads in to a subject that hasn't yet been discussed. Prescott should be a marvelous platform for overclocking, given its newfound scalability. Unfortunately, motherboard compatibility precluded an in-depth look at overclocking here, but you can expect enthusiasts will want to have a go at the less expensive Prescott processors with the hope of lofty gains.

Remember also that Intel is unveiling several processors, not just a 3.2GHz Prescott. At the enthusiast level, a 3.4GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition based on the Gallatin core is available for $999USD. Both 3.4GHz Prescott and Northwood processors are also emerging, priced at $417USD. And finally, Prescott will also surface at 3.0GHz ($218USD), 3.06GHz ($218USD), and 2.8GHz ($178USD). Some forecasts even predict Prescott-based Celeron processors on the horizon.

If you're currently in the market for a new platform, hold off if you can. It may sound like the same old story, but the next few months will be uncharacteristically action-packed. Intel's next-generation chipsets, now being referred to as 925X and 915, will emerge in the second quarter of 2004 along with a 3.6GHz Pentium 4 of the Prescott variety. In addition, the new platforms will introduce PCI Express graphics and DDR2 memory support, along with extended Serial ATA connectivity and the option for integrated wireless. As if that weren't enough, AMD is expected to unveil its Socket 939 Athlon 64 3700+ and FX-53 in the same time frame.