D-1 Right Away

This WCPUID screenshot tells us something important about these 200MHz FSB CPUs.

Note that the 3GHz CPU uses a new stepping. It’s not 15-2-7; it’s 15-2-9.

15-2-9 is the code for the D-1 stepping (see page 2) of the PIV.

Go to the Intel Processor Spec Finder, and you’ll see that the 3GHz processor also has a 15-2-9 CPUID (that’s what 0F29 means in hex language).

Will the slower 200MHz FSB chips be the same? Don’t know for sure, but probably. Wouldn’t it be worth waiting a week or so to find out?

Actually, it may just be two days. Intel runs two lists showing updated processors: the processor spec finder mentioned above and the processor specification update. The latter is due for an update Wednesday.

If you need some extra help, D-1 steppings won’t show up in “slower” 133MHz CPUs until “officially” the end of June (which probably means September before you put on your Indiana Jones hat and try finding one).

Will a D-1 stepping be better than the current C-1s? Who knows, but wouldn’t it be worth waiting a week or so and spending an extra $15 or so to find out?

Sometimes you have to wait to go ahead on the cutting edge.

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