# Do I have a Pentium II or a Pentium III? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024 "2006-11-03T21:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/1 "2006-11-03T21:47:24Z")
I recently acquired a Compaq DesktopPro En which the bios set up states has a Pentium III which is what it was advertised to have. However, once in Windows 98, the properties under “my computer” states that it has a Pentium II. Which is correct? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/2 "2006-11-03T22:00:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ronald C. Semone] I recently acquired a Compaq DesktopPro En which the bios set up states has a Pentium III which is what it was advertised to have. However, once in Windows 98, the properties under “my computer” states that it has a Pentium II. Which is correct? [/QUOTE] You could aquire a benchmark program That said I’m not sure if win98 would even recognize that a p3 was anything more than a real fast p2. Might try something like belarc to see what it sees. When all else fails, look at the chip. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/3 "2006-11-03T23:13:24Z")
We need a more precise model no. It seems that model came in both P2 and P3 varieties. See [HP’s website](http://search.hp.com/gwukeng/query.html?lang=en&submit.x=8&submit.y=8&qt=compaq+deskpro+en&la=en&cc=uk). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/4 "2006-11-03T23:44:47Z")
The one under “properties” is the correct one; you have a Pentium II. It grabs that information from the chip itself. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/5 "2006-11-03T23:50:47Z")
How fast does it run? According to the [Pentium II](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_II) and [Pentium III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_III) pages on Wikipedia, the clock rates of the two only overlap in the 450-500MHz range. Slower than 450 and it’s got to be a P2. Faster than 500, and it’s got to be a P3. ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/6 "2006-11-03T23:50:48Z")
Windows 98 cannot always distinguish newer processors from older ones. I had an AMD Thunderbird which it confused for something else, I think a K6-3. Probably the P3 came out after Windows 98 and it can’t detect it correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/7 "2006-11-04T00:15:22Z")
Go to [Belarc.com](http://Belarc.com) and download their auditing program. It will tell you far more about your system than you realized was there. I use it a lot when upgrading. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/8 "2006-11-04T03:12:13Z")
[CPU-Z](http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php) will tell you everything there is to know about your CPU and memory. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/9 "2006-11-04T03:15:33Z")
I’m gonna second CPU-Z. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/10 "2006-11-04T14:30:52Z")
[QUOTE=Vlad/Igor] Go to [Belarc.com](http://Belarc.com) and download their auditing program. It will tell you far more about your system than you realized was there. I use it a lot when upgrading. Vlad/Igor [/QUOTE] Seconded. Great program. Free too. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/11 "2006-11-04T15:30:00Z")
I just checked out cpu-z on my pc. It’s a really cool program with more info than I know what to do with. I’m going to add that to my geek drive. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![Aserrann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/82dd89/32.png) [@Aserrann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aserrann)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/12 "2006-11-04T23:44:51Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] The one under “properties” is the correct one; you have a Pentium II. It grabs that information from the chip itself. [/QUOTE] If i might ask… then where does the BIOS get it? ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-i-have-a-pentium-ii-or-a-pentium-iii/379024/13 "2006-11-05T16:24:48Z")
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. I have tried both CPU-Z and Belarc and they both agree with the BIOS reading that I have a Pentium III (which is what this model had when it was born). My only question now is where do CPU\_Z and Belarc get their information, from BIOS or from the chip?