Intel launches fastest Pentium III
chip yet
cnn.com
December 20, 1999
Web posted at: 2:18 PM EST (1918 GMT)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- Intel
Corp., the No. 1 computer chip maker,
announced Monday that it is shipping its
fastest Pentium III processors yet,
running at clock speeds of 750 and 800
megahertz, and taking the speed crown
away from arch-rival Advanced Micro
Devices Inc.
"They want to have the bragging rights
to the fastest chip in the new
millennium," said Ashok Kumar, an analyst at US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, adding
that Intel had been targeting sometime in the first half of next year to ship 800
megahertz Pentium IIIs.
Late last month, AMD of Sunnyvale, Calif., announced a 750 megahertz version
of its Athlon processor, taking the speed crown back from Intel. In October,
Intel announced a 733 megahertz Pentium III, as part of its new Pentium III
family, surpassing AMD's 700 megahertz version of its Athlon family.
Intel's new Pentium III family, which was code-named Coppermine, uses a new
manufacturing process called 0.18 micron, which creates finer linewidths
between the transistors than the older 0.25 micron process.
About 20 computer makers will announce systems based on the 750
megahertz Pentium III, and only a handful of companies will be launching
systems using the 800 megahertz version. The 750 megahertz Pentium III will
be priced at $803, and the 800 megahertz will be priced at $851, both in
quantities of 1,000.
Both speeds will be available starting on Monday with some limited quantities.
The first PC makers to ship the 800 megahertz systems will be companies with
the shortest manufacturing lead times, such as direct PC makers Dell
Computer Corp. and Gateway Inc.
"Availability will increase as we go through Q1," said Michael Sullivan, a
spokesman for Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel.
Dell of Round Rock, Texas, said it will be shipping systems with both
processors, but it will ship very limited quantities on the 800 megahertz
system, Dell's Dimension B Series.
"We are telling people it will arrive within 20 to 30 days, depending on
component availability, " said Ted Druart, a spokesman for Dell. "The volume of
components to put it together is still somewhat limited."
The Dimension B Series will be targeted to the so-called "power user" and
high-end gamers. |
