Evesham Evolution 3

Intel has finally released a 3GHz Pentium 4 processor. This is a genuine Intel processor running at 3.06GHz (23 x 133MHz) and it supports Hyper-threading, which, in a nutshell, allows a single physical processor to appear to your PC to be two separate or virtual processors.

Intel has stated that P4s have had Hyper-threading built into the core from day one, but this feature was deliberately disabled during production, so this 3GHz model is the first of its kind to have Hyper-threading enabled.

Hyper-threading uses the fact that the processor in a PC isn't working at 100 per cent of its capability at all times. As the threads of an application pass through the pipelines in the processor, some parts are working, while others are waiting for data or instructions.

Some of the instructions will depend on operations carried out by others, so there is a delay while the sequence is followed. Unrelated data can be processed in parallel: for instance, running antivirus software while you play a game.

Hyper-threading requires the processor to have an extra execution unit. This is so it can decide which instructions should be run in which order. The aim is to make the processor work more efficiently so that the PC runs faster.

This extra feature makes the new P4 very similar to the more expensive Socket 603 Xeon processor - the big difference is that Xeon can be run as a multiple processor workstation.

Evesham has used this new P4 in its Evolution 3 PC, so our first priority was to see how it performed. Sysmark 2002 is not able to show off the benefits of Hyper-threading; in fact, no benchmarks can.

It's a disappointment that the benefits of Hyper-threading cannot be fully explored but, regardless of this, the 3GHz P4 is the fastest chip to grace our shores. However, it is important to consider how often this much power is needed in a PC, especially at this price.

Evesham has built a well-specified PC for under £2,000, but hasn't gone over the top. For instance it has included an Audigy Player soundcard, rather than the more luxurious Audigy Platinum.

On the other hand, there are some great features such as the Pioneer DVR-104 DVD/RW drive, which writes using the DVD-R format.

The Gigabyte motherboard uses Intel's new 845PE chipset with support for PC2700 memory, and has four USB2 ports, as well as integrated Intel 10/100 networking.

One possible use of this much power is video editing. Evesham has therefore included a Radeon 9700 Pro graphics card, Pinnacle Studio 8.1 and a fast 120GB hard drive.

Oddly, our Jedi Knight benchmark would not give a score. 3D performance is not in question, as the 3Dmark score is truly excellent, but despite our best efforts we couldn't fix the problem, or work out what was causing it.

SPECS

• 3.06GHz Pentium 4
• 512MB of PC2700 memory
• Gigabyte GA-8PE667 Pro motherboard
• 120GB 7,200rpm hard drive
• LG 16x DVD-Rom
• Pioneer DVD-RW
• Radeon 9700 Pro
• LG F900P 19in CRT monitor
• Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse
• Audigy Player soundcard
• Creative Inspire 5300 speakers
• XP Home
• Pinnacle Studio 8.1
• Ability Office
• 2yrs on-site warranty, 1yr RTB

DETAILS

Price: £1,996.33 (£1,699 ex VAT)

Contact: Evesham 0870 160 9500
www.evesham.com