Intel Pentium 4 2.26 socket: Socket 478

What the Pentium 4 2.26 is

The Intel Pentium 4 2.26 is a 2.26 GHz single-core desktop processor from May 2002. It runs one NetBurst Northwood core at 2.26 GHz with no Hyper-Threading on this rating, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 512 KB of L2 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 56 W in a Socket 478 package with part numbers SL67Y and SL6D6 on a 533 MT/s front side bus with a 17x multiplier at 1.355 V to 1.435 V. The cpu_list January 2002 date, 2.261 GHz clocks and 110 W value differ from the table May 2002, 2.26 GHz and 56 W, and the table values are used here.

The 2.26 was the first Pentium 4 with a 533 MT/s bus, moving from 400 MT/s on slower Northwood parts in May 2002. Intel sold it at 423 dollars. The chip supports MMX, SSE and SSE2. Later C1 and D1 steppings at 58 W share the rating with slightly higher power, so stepping decides the exact envelope at identical frequency.

Faster bus with flat cache defines the lift over 400 MT/s parts. The 533 MT/s link feeds the 512 KB L2 faster than 2.20 GHz parts on slower buses, which helps office tasks despite a modest clock gain. That is why the 2.26 suited DDR boards with 533 MT/s chipsets and AGP 8x graphics.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Pentium 4 2.26 fits Socket 478 desktops with a 533 MT/s bus and Northwood support. It needs a 478-pin board with 533 MT/s chipset paths. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

DDR towers with 533 MT/s chipsets are the natural match. Intel 845PE boards accept the chip with a 56 W cooler. Older 400 MT/s boards need a chipset check.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR through the board chipset. The board sets speed and capacity.

A 533 MT/s bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while AGP handles graphics. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the Socket 478 bracket with a 56 W heatsink.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 478 the steps are Pentium 4 2.40B and 2.53 Northwood parts on the same bus. Celeron 2.60 parts offer value with less cache. Beyond Socket 478 a move to LGA 775 needs a new board. The 2.26 lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.