A computer processor offed by Intell in several formats. Most Pentium 4s did manage to outpreform the competing AMD processors. However, at the Pentium 4 hit a wall at 4GHz (4 billion operations per second) and no faster proccesor could be made. The Pentium 4 line drew a lot of power and made alot of heat, preventing any Pentium 4 from being run over 4GHz without exream measures. Intel was forced to sell the last editions of the Pentium 4 with no speed increase, with only additional features to enhance the preformance. Intel's years of marketing the Pentium line as faster and therefore better finaly turned on them as the could increase the processes per second no further, and ironicaly lost buisiness to AMD processors which were able to be run at rates beyond those recomended by the manufacturer (overclocking).
In the summer of 2002 the 2.4 to 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 outpreformed AMD's Athlon. However by 2005 the Prescott Pentium 4 achitecture wasn't released in the planned 4GHz version, due to it LOSSING performance at sny higher speed due to delays in the on-chip memory chache. Intel introduced Pentium 4 as supposedly desinged for speeds up to 10GHz. This simpy never happened.
by Laughing Atu Manning August 24, 2006
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Intel's latest attempt to put one over on computer users, sacrificing real performance for high GHz numbers, in a (successful) effort to make people believe that they were getting a better processor.

Pentium 4s are charachterized by a locked multiplier, a heatspreader (which actually serves to drive temps higher) and a rediculously high price. Utterly owned by a good AMD Athlon.
My overclocked Athlon will pw33n j00're Pentium 4!!
by Deuce on Guard September 1, 2003
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overclocking-superbitch wh0re
My p4 makes your clocked amd nuclear postage stamp look like a 486
by hellsy November 10, 2003
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Latest and greatest of the Pentium series up to 3.06 GHZ with hyper threading
My pentium 0wnz your AMD!
by Galkan Sausage August 16, 2003
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God's gift to the world of the pc. A processor with a fast system bus, advanced multitasking abilities, and an incredibly high clock speed.
My computer has a pentium 4
by some one September 14, 2003
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Quite possibly the world's fastest and most well designed desktop processor. A chip specifically designed for the desktop and not a repackaged server processor. Features advanced multitasking capabilities and a 64 bit system bus.
I have a pentium 4 in my computer that will make your amd cry.
by dunno October 4, 2003
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Another one of Intel's attempt at outdoing AMD. Although the advance hyper threading and large pipeline aloud for high clock speeds, Intel was, once again, superseded by AMD. The Pentium 4 provides a good example of the "megahertz myth". AMD's athlon and Motorola's powerPC's simpler design ultimately allowed for higher performance with a lower price and a reduction in heat creation. As a computer specialist I must say that P4's in general perform the same way. They perform single task quickly, but they loose their gusto once you try running more than 1 thing at a time. If you're looking for something speedy, look for a RISC based processor like the powerPC, next in line is AMD. But stay away from Intel, especially Netburst based processors.
Joe: Hey i just got a new Pentium 4 computer!

Me: Dude, you'll regret it.

Joe: FUCK YOU!

*the next day*

Joe: My computer froze while i was watching the Brave Little Toaster on DVD!

Me: TOADASO! I FUCKIN' TOADASO!
by the medicus December 29, 2010
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