Intel Pentium II Xeon 450 2MB socket: Slot 2

What the Pentium II Xeon 450 2MB is

The Intel Pentium II Xeon 450 2MB is a 450 MHz single-core server processor from January 1999. It runs one P6 Drake core at 450 MHz with no Hyper-Threading, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 2 MB of L2 at full CPU speed with 32 KB of L1 on a 250 nm process. Power is rated at 46.7 W in a Slot 2 SECC cartridge on a 100 MT/s front side bus with a 4.5x multiplier at 2.0 V.

The 2 MB full-speed cache doubles the 1 MB option at matching clocks and power class, which is why the 2MB string suits large database servers with big working sets. Intel launched the 450 2MB on January 5, 1999 at $3692. The chip supports MMX and four-way SMP.

Mid Drake clocks with a large cache suit early Slot 2 quad servers with registered EDO memory. The heavy SECC cartridge needs the full retention cage. That is why the 450 2MB shipped in enterprise database boxes.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The 450 2MB fits Slot 2 enterprise servers with Drake support. It needs a 330-lead SC330 board with a 100 MT/s bus and a BIOS that lists the 2MB Xeon 450. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Enterprise quad servers are the natural match. Boards listing the 2MB string accept up to four cartridges with 46.7 W heatsinks each.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is registered EDO DRAM and SDRAM through the server chipset, matched to the board sockets. The cartridge has no memory controller. Enterprise boards commonly run ECC pairs.

A 100 MT/s front side bus ties each cartridge to the chipset, while PCI hangs off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the cartridge. Cooling uses SECC heatsinks on the retention cage with server airflow.

Upgrade paths

On the same slot, a Pentium II Xeon 450 1MB on the same support list halves cache to 1 MB at 42.8 W for a small power saving. A Pentium III Xeon 500 with 512 KB on 180 nm moves the line forward when the board lists Cascades strings.

A move to Pentium III Xeon Tanner keeps the slot with SSE paths. The Slot 2 page lists the Drake to Cascades range for planning. Note: the queue row lists 47 W; this page uses the verified 46.7 W.