Intel Pentium 4 2.60 socket: Socket 478

What the Pentium 4 2.60 is

The Intel Pentium 4 2.60 is a 2.6 GHz single-core desktop processor from August 2002. It runs one NetBurst Northwood core at 2.6 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 62.6 W in a Socket 478 package. The cpu_list 92 W value differs from the table 62.6 W, and the table value is used here.

The 2.60 uses a 400 MT/s front side bus with a 26x multiplier. Intel sold it at 401 dollars in August 2002. The chip supports MMX, SSE and SSE2. Celeron 2.60 parts at the same 2.6 GHz offer 128 KB without the fast bus as a value alternative, so cache and bus separate the lines at identical frequency.

Low power with a slow bus suited office towers with DDR memory. The 62.6 W envelope needs only a standard Socket 478 cooler. That is why the 2.60 remained common in corporate desktops after 533 MT/s parts launched.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Pentium 4 2.60 fits Socket 478 desktops with a 400 MT/s bus and Northwood support. It needs a 478-pin board. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Corporate DDR towers are the natural match. Intel 845 boards accept the chip with a 62.6 W cooler.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

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

A 400 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 62.6 W heatsink.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 478 the steps are Pentium 4 2.66 and 2.80 Northwood parts on faster buses. Celeron 2.60 offers value with less cache. Beyond Socket 478 a move to LGA 775 needs a new board. The 2.60 lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.