Advantages: Established, good value, stable, large L2 cache
Disadvantages: Not the cheapest nor the best performing

...This processor, based on the highly successful Pentium III core is well established in servers - the large (up to 2mb) L2 cache allows good server performance for multiple users. It can be used in dual or quad array, and currently is available in speeds of up to 800mhz. New competitors in the field, including P4 Xeon and AMD MP Athlon 'Palomino' may be ahead in terms of performance, but currently P4 Xeons cost the earth, and P4 is doubted to be much better performers than PIII anyway. The AMDs are currently unreleased to the market, therefore leaving the PIII to take up the slack in small server markets. Its core enhances over the PII Xeon make it a more viable option, and price drops to keep the PIII competitive with AMD and P4 make it economically sensible. The PIII's stability (key feature for a server) plays an important role... Read review

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Advantages: Reliable
Disadvantages: Cost? ( see opinion )

...tag given to Intel processors is somewhat unjustified. For example my PIII 600 in May 2000 - cost £240 running at 800mhz. An 800mhz PIII at the time was approx £500, enough to get a top of the range graphics card and change. Admittedly there are some "hidden" costs to the overclocked version e.g. a good quality mainboard, roomy case for good airflow, and a better heatsink, but I think that these are good practice in building any computer, the other minus is there's no guarantee that the processor you get will sucessfuly overclock. I would however still recommend the Pentium III, it's a good, fast and stable processor even when pushed towards it's limits.... Read review

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Advantages: reasonable speed
Disadvantages: outclassed by cheaper athlon

...Intel amazes me - years after everyone ridiculed the name "pentium" they are still at it with their latest revision, the PIII. Like all intel chips, it is completely compatible with all existin dos, win, linux etc, so all your old programs will still run. HOWEVER, this is likely to be the last chip that is this completely backwards compatible. THe next chip will have a 64bit layout, and it is likely that 32-bit [ie pentium] will only be emulated - which means slowdown. However, back to the chip. All PIII have either a 100mhz bus or a 133mhz bus. Those which have the ending xxxE [ie 667E] have a 133mhz bus. As the clock multiplier is fixed, putting a 667E [ie 133mhz*5] chip into a system which only has a 100mhz bus will only give you a 500mhz [100mhz*5] system - you have been warned! There is also another ending - B... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Great FPU, Great Support, Great Stability on a good motherboard
Disadvantages: Not the industry standard.... yet. Gets very hot.

...A few days ago, I ran Sandra Professional 2000 on my system, I was surprised to see in its CPU benchmark that my CPU results almost doubled a Pentium III of about the same speed ( give or take 7 Mhz ). Not only this, but its FPU (Floating Point) is actually FASTER than that of the equivalent Intel Pentium III system. Considering this was Intels previous reason to dominate the CPU market, I think Intel are going to have a hard time continuing to be the "default" processor. The onyl falling point with AMD processors however is that businesses with little computer knowledge behind them are going to stick with Intel because it is the "industry standard". This I think will keep Intel in the limelight for a while yet. As far as I am concerned, the future is AMD (and I'm happy about this), no matter what intel try to do.... Read review

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Advantages: The Knowledge that your extra Money is very well spent
Disadvantages: Price can sometimes be a little high

...PIII, what is it? Is it just another name that you don't really have to worry about? The answer can only be NO. The pIII is the best processor of all time, I am sure that soon there will be a better one but this is the smartest kid around now, and after all now matters not tomorrow. Please, please if you are getting yourself a new computer don’t be fooled by the nice low price of AMD or Celeron its just as good as getting a 2 inch T.V it is stupid, if you are going to be spending your money then just save up a few extra bucks and get yourself the Rolex of processors you will not be disappointed.... Read review

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Advantages: quick, cheap, reliable
Disadvantages: motherboards quite expensive still

...I think that we have the best price to performance chip since the Cyrix MII here. We have incredible speed backewd up with reliability and all at a remarkably budget looking price. I have used a Duron 600Mhz system at work now for about 3 months or so, and have not been more impressed with a machine for a long while. The Duron is almost at the Pentium III standard even though it is supposed to be competing against Intel's entry level Celeron processor. When people ask me to approximate the performance of the Duron in simple terms, I always tell people to think of the performance of the original slot A Athlon, and clock speed for clock speed, add a bit on and you'll have Duron performance. Yes it really is hard to believe that we now have a processor retailing for 50-00 that 12 months ago was a bit slower and cost 4 times as much... Read review

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Advantages: Widely available, reliable
Disadvantages: High price, relativly low performance

...The pentium 3 is available at speeds ranging from 450MHZ to 1GHZ ( 1000MHZ ) and the cache ( processor memory ) is typically 256Kb. The processor enhancments are the ever popular MMX. The main thing that attracts people to the Pentium 3 is publicity it is given by the people at Intel. Most shop bought computers will contain a pentium processor of some sort. There is no dispute over the power increase over previous pentium models and over those of a lower clock speed. How does the pentium 3 hold its own against its main competitor the AMD processors. The honest answer is not too well. Firstly the cost of a pentium processor is a lot more than its AMD equivalent, the benchmarks of the processor compared with AMD do not wield good results. The AMD equivalents outperform the Pentium 3's every time. There are three types of processor... Read review

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Advantages: Reliablitly
Disadvantages: Price (depending on retailer)

...I have owned two pentium III powered PCs over the last two years. The first was a 450mhz and the other, a 650mhz. I can't say I've had any problem with either. They seem to be fast, reliable and generally pretty good value for money (if you know where to buy from). I've used Athlon powered machines and noticed very little difference, especially on 3D graphics programs (the graphics card and RAM are far more important the the processor speed) I cose the PIII because it was the best supported and most popular chip on the market. The AMD may have its advantages, but with no problems in 2 years, the reliability speaks for itself...... Read review

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Advantages: They are very powewrful processors
Disadvantages: Too expensive

...I'm not if AMD have done this but Intel definitely have. When they introduced the PIII 450 MHz for the first time, they did not mention to the public that it was only 10% faster than it's little brother the Pentium II 450MHz processor. When the gigahertz processor was introduced, it was tested by a popular computer magazine. I found the results to be surprising. In some areas of performance the Gigahertz processor was SLOWER than the 850 MHz processor. When ever a new processor is introduced it is always overpriced. This overpricing is not little it is ridicously high. A month or two after the release the prices drop massively. Then soon after a new processor is introduced, faster and more powerful. When this show will end who knows. These very powerful processors don't even operate to maximum performance because of the operating... Read review

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Advantages: Price, Stability, Speed, Compatibility
Disadvantages: Not much

...I have had my Duron 600Mhz system for about a month or so now, and have not once yet failed to be impressed. The Duron is almost at the Pentium III standard even though it is supposed to be competing against Intel's entry level Celeron processor. With the Duron chip in, I have not yet had even one crash from the system which s built around a Soltek motherboard and an ATi Rage Fury Maxx Graphics Card. The Duron is a much more stable chip than the K6-2 that it replaces. I've used it for games such as Kingpin and NFS 2000 without so much of even a hint of jerkiness even when detail levels are pumped up full. The DVD playback on the 600Mhz Duron was actually better than I found on a Pentium III 600Mhz AMDs Duron range are, and this is what clinched the deal for me, incredibly good value. A Duron 600Mhz chip can now me bought in the UK... Read review

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