Intel Pentium 4 HT 516 socket: LGA 775

What the Pentium 4 HT 516 is

The Intel Pentium 4 HT 516 is a 2930 MHz single-core desktop processor from September 2005. It runs one NetBurst Prescott core at 2930 MHz with Hyper-Threading, so 1 core gives 2 threads. Cache is 1 MB of L2 on a 90 nm process. Power is rated at 84 W in an LGA 775 land grid package with sSpec SL8J9 on a 533 MT/s front side bus with a 22x multiplier.

The 516 refreshes the 515 on a later E0 stepping with the same 2930 MHz and 84 W ratings, which is why board lists often show both parts with identical clocks yet different sSpec codes. Intel placed the 516 in September 2005 for mainstream LGA 775 towers. The chip supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3 and Hyper-Threading.

Steady clocks with a value bus and a modest envelope suit mainstream LGA 775 desktops with DDR2 memory and PCIe graphics. The 84 W rating keeps cooler cost down in office towers. That is why the 516 shipped in mainstream desktops with discrete entry graphics.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 516 fits LGA 775 mainstream desktops with Prescott 533 MT/s support. It needs a 775-land board with a 533 MT/s bus and a BIOS that lists the 84 W 516. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Mainstream DDR2 towers are the natural match. Boards listing Pentium 4 516 accept the chip with an 84 W push-pin cooler. Because the 516 shares clocks with the 515, a board that lists one often lists the other after a BIOS update, but the support list still decides.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is DDR1 and DDR2 through the board chipset, matched to the board DIMM sockets. The CPU has no memory controller, so the chipset sets the type and speed. Mainstream 915 and 945 boards commonly carry DDR2 pairs for 533 MT/s parts.

A 533 MT/s front side bus ties the CPU to the chipset, while PCIe x16 and PCI hang off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses the LGA 775 push-pin bracket with a cooler rated for 84 W. Even seating of all four pins keeps the 37.5 mm by 37.5 mm package in full contact.

Upgrade paths

On the same socket, a move to a Pentium 4 HT 517 keeps the board and memory when the support list names it. The 517 matches the 516 at 2930 MHz and 84 W while adding Intel 64 in later steppings, so the cooler and power tables carry over. A Celeron 420 such as Intel Celeron 420 cuts threads and cache and is a step down.

A move to a Pentium D needs a chipset with dual-core support and a stronger power stage. The LGA 775 page lists the Prescott to Core 2 range for planning.