Intel Mobile Pentium 4 HT 548 socket: Socket 478

What the Mobile Pentium 4 HT 548 is

The Intel Mobile Pentium 4 HT 548 is a 3.33 GHz single-core mobile processor with Hyper-Threading from September 2004. It runs one NetBurst Prescott core at 3.33 GHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 2 threads. Cache is 1 MB of L2 on a 90 nm process. Power is rated at 88 W in a Socket 478 package with part numbers RK80546HE0931M. The cpu_list 3.334 GHz value matches the table 3.33 GHz after rounding, and the table value is used here.

The 548 tops the Mobile Pentium 4 HT Prescott line with a 533 MT/s front side bus and a 25x multiplier at 1.25 V to 1.40 V. Intel sold it at 262 dollars in September 2004, below the 294 dollars 538 despite higher clocks, reflecting stepping maturity. The chip supports MMX, SSE, SSE2 and SSE3 with Hyper-Threading. No faster Mobile Pentium 4 HT Prescott followed, since Pentium M Dothan parts took thin notebooks with far lower power.

Top mobile clocks with an 88 W cap show careful binning. The 548 holds 3.33 GHz at the same 88 W as slower mobile parts, using E0 steppings with lower leakage. That efficiency is why the top bin cost less than the 538 at launch, with better silicon offsetting the frequency lift.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Mobile 548 fits Socket 478 desktop-replacement notebooks with mobile Prescott HT support at 88 W. It needs a notebook board qualified for the top mobile bin. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Flagship large notebooks are the natural match. The maker qualifies the 548 for the largest mobile heat pipe, so only listed models sustain 3.33 GHz. Thin Pentium M notebooks need Socket 479 instead.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR through the board chipset with notebook slots. The CPU has no controller.

A 533 MT/s bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while graphics hangs off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling is the top mobile heat pipe with strong fans. Regular service keeps the narrow vents clear at flagship power.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 478 the 548 tops Mobile Pentium 4 HT, so same socket upgrades stop here. Desktop 3.4 GHz Prescott parts offer tower alternatives at higher power. Pentium M 755 parts on Socket 479 offer low power notebook paths with 2 MB of cache. The 548 removes with the socket mechanism, so swaps need no solder work.