OT: Pentium processor sizes

[jwsmobile]

On 7/10/2015 1:21 PM, Joe Giliberti wrote:
> Hey. I'm sorry for the off topic post, but I couldn't think of another
> forum to ask my question. I'm just looking for information as to whether
> there are different sizes Pentium processor dependent upon whether the
> processor is for a desktop or laptop. I want to see if I can give my old
> Hewlett Packard OmniBook a little more juice.
I don't recall there being any different processors in the first 
Pentium.  The big effort in power reduction was by a group who did a 
power reduction project with the Pentium 3.  Many of the laptops had 
full sized Pentiums with novel cooling to make them work in a portable 
laptop form factor.

There were a series of projects where Intel did processors to upgrade 
previous families of chips with the newer technology.  For example a 486 
chip engineered to be happy with a 386 pin bus, but running at a higher 
clock, and similar upgrades for 486 systems. These were called 
"Overdrive" and were not power reduced as a goal of the product.

The Pentium was a big enough step that I don't know of any such for the 
486, where a Pentium could be stuffed in.  The BIOS became enough of a 
factor in making the Pentium go that it was necessary. Such dropins they 
had were all self contained that I mention in the previous paragraph.

The next act for Pentium (and quoting from this article) was MMX added 
in.  Pentium II of course went to the infamous Slot 1 / 2 form factor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_microprocessors#32-bit_processors:_P5_microarchitecture

If you look up the processor you have in your Omnibook, some of the 
Pentium P5's could be upgraded, but you had to be careful as some had 
issues of being interchanged.

Thanks
Jim