Intel Pentium 4 HT 3.20 socket: Socket 478

What the Pentium 4 HT 3.20 is

The Intel Pentium 4 HT 3.20 is a 3.2 GHz single-core desktop processor with Hyper-Threading from June 2003. It runs one NetBurst Northwood core at 3.2 GHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 2 threads. Cache is 512 KB of L2 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 82 W in a Socket 478 package with part numbers SL792 and SL6WG.

The 3.20 uses an 800 MT/s front side bus with a 16x multiplier at 1.25 V to 1.40 V. Intel sold it at 637 dollars in June 2003. The chip supports MMX, SSE and SSE2 with Hyper-Threading. Gallatin EE 3.20 parts at the same 3.2 GHz add 2 MB of L3 cache at 92.1 W as an enthusiast alternative, so cache separates the bins at identical frequency.

Mainstream flagship status with modest power made the 3.20 a common performance tower chip. The 82 W envelope needs only a standard Socket 478 cooler with normal airflow. That is why the 3.20 cost the same as the earlier 3.06 despite higher clocks, with stepping maturity offsetting the frequency lift.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Pentium 4 HT 3.20 fits Socket 478 desktops with an 800 MT/s bus and Northwood HT support. It needs a 478-pin board. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

DDR towers are the natural match. Intel 865 boards accept the chip with an 82 W cooler.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

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

An 800 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 an 82 W heatsink.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 478 the steps are the Pentium 4 HT 3.40 Northwood and EE 3.20 Gallatin parts. Prescott 3.20E offers more cache as an alternative. Beyond Socket 478 a move to LGA 775 needs a new board. The 3.20 lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.