Pentium OverDrive

The Pentium OverDrive (code-name P24T) was an Intel Pentium processor for 486 Socket 3 and Socket 2 PC motherboards. Pentium OverDrives were unlike 'normal' Pentium processors, which were designed to function with a fast 66 MHz or 60 MHz front side bus (apart from the 75 MHz version) as well as cpu sockets which did not appear on 486 motherboards. The Pentium OverDrive was provided as a means to give a Pentium-performance-level upgrade option for owners of 486 computer systems. It was however, criticised for being more expensive and slower than competing CPU-upgrade options such as the AMD Am5x86 and Cyrix Cx5x86, and being too late to the market.

To perform properly, the chips were dependent on sizable amounts of secondary cache ram being present on the motherboard; without it the Pentium OverDrive was only a trivial amount faster than an DX4. It is widely believed that Intel intended to have the chip functioning at 100MHz, but was forced to reduce that to a maximum of 83MHz because of its high heat production. As such, overclocking is considered highly risky with this chip; with results varying from success with standard air-cooling to a dead CPU.

Two models were sold:

PODP5V-63

• Introduced February 3, 1995
• 235 pins, P24T pinout
• 5 volts
• 63 MHz on 25 MHz front side bus (25 × 2.5)

PODP5V-83

• Introduced October, 1995
• 237 pins, P24T pinout
• 5 volts
• 83 MHz on 33 MHz front side bus (33 × 2.5)

External link

• Pictures of the 83MHz Pentium Overdrive
• Intel 83MHz Pentium Overdrive
• Intel Pentium OverDrive support page

See also: Intel 80486 OverDrive