400-MHz Pentium IIs shipping
By Brooke Crothers and Kurt Oeler
Staff Writers, CNET NEWS.COM
March 24, 1998, 3:20 p.m. PT
URL: news.com
Chip resellers are already shipping 350-MHz and 400-MHz versions of the Pentium II, in advance of April 15's scheduled announcement of speed upgrades to Intel's (INTC) top-of-the-line microprocessor.
Now in stock, the 350-MHz and 400-MHz Pentium II chips will sell for $610 and Upcoming Intel processors Pentium II Intro date Price 350-MHz April 15 $610 400-MHz April 15 $800 266-MHz Celeron April 15 $152 450-MHz July 26 $760 $800, respectively, according to sources at one chip reseller.
But the new high-end chips require a PC circuit board, referred to as a "motherboard," that's not yet available, as well as newer, high-speed memory.
Independent manufacturers are expected to begin shipping circuit boards with the new 440BX chipset about a week before the official release, according to sources, while Intel's own motherboards will debut in conjunction with the new chips.
A motherboard houses the main electronics in a computer, while a chipset is a group of chips which serve as companion chips to the main processor.
Also on April 15, Intel will also introduce the Celeron Pentium II for sub-$1,000 PCs at price points as low as $104, according to industry sources, and other existing chips will get price cuts. The 300-MHz version of the Pentium II is expected to fall from $530 to $368, according to industry sources.
This summer, on July 26, Intel is scheduled to debut a 450-MHz Pentium II for $760, though the chips' unveiling may be pushed up, according to sources. |
