Pentium OverDrive

The term Intel Overdrive is in computer technology, a name under which the company Intel has marketed from May 1992 and the 1998 processors, which are meant for upgrading of systems with older CPUs.

History

An Intel i486 OverDrive processor is designed for upgrading existing systems and 80486 is a special version of the respective i486DX2, i486SX2 and Intel DX4 processors.

For this overdrive processors can be run in the older system environment, they have a predefined clock multiplication and ignore the external settings of the multiplier. In addition, they generally work with 5 V power supply. In the case of overdrive version of the Intel DX4 processor is located on the surface, a voltage converter, which generates the necessary processor operating voltage of 3.3 V from 5 V of the existing voltage.

The first OverDrive processor is a site presented in May 1992 i486DX2 which can be operated in a i486SX motherboard. Thus, such a system may be retrofitted with a FPU that lacks the i486SX. Subsequently, the remaining variants of i486 as overdrive CPU were offered.

The last OverDrive processors for 486 motherboards are the Pentium overdrive 63 MHz ( PODP5V63 ) or 83 MHz ( PODP5V83 ). They require a main board with ZIF socket - with a large part of the sold -socket 3 boards is equipped with a corresponding base - and are not faster than the comparable 80486 - compatible processors and Cyrix 5x86 Am5x86 the competitor AMD and Cyrix. For these reasons, and the late launch of the product flopped for the base 3

The situation was different in the base 4: The original Pentium Intel for the base 4 worked with a higher operating voltage and a lower front side bus clocked at 60 or 66 MHz. Not only is the operating voltage, but also the mechanically incompatible base 4 prevented the use of then recent Pentium CPUs ( P54, Socket 5/7, 3.3 V) and therefore were not favorable Aufrüstalternative. Therefore, Intel offered the lesser-known Pentium Overdrive PODP5V133 with a fixed multiplier of 2 for the base 4. This resulted in a clock frequency of 120 MHz or 133 MHz.

There are also Pentium MMX processors for Socket 5 and Socket 7 boards. These CPUs have their own electronics and a permanently attached fan.

The last Intel product called overdrive is the Pentium II overdrive that can be operated in a Pentium Pro base. In the Pentium II OverDrive has been criticized that it can not be used for upgrading of large multiprocessor systems, since it can only be used in systems with up to two CPUs. There are two versions, with 300 MHz bus speed with a 5-fold from 60 MHz and 333 MHz with a 5-fold 66 MHz bus clock. The higher clock multiplier is generated in the processor.

Technical Features

The CPUs of the type i486 the calculation efficiency can be improved only by increasing the processor clock. Since, however, is firmly linked with that of the system in a then common motherboard, the processor clock can not be readily replaced by a similar one CPU, higher clocked. The CPUs of the i386, the predecessors of the i486, an upgrade is performed by inserting a complete daughter boards, the CPU operates with a high clock and it appeals to the motherboard with the system clock. In contrast, the overdrive CPUs contain the necessary components themselves They can also be used in other bases as provided for the corresponding CPU without overdrive. In the i486 CPUs the alternative of the use of an intermediate base in order to replace a CPU with a higher clock CPU.