Vendors line up to support new Intel chip set
By Tom Krazit, IDG News Service
APRIL 14, 2003
Several PC and workstation vendors released models today that they said take advantage of Intel Corp.'s new 875P chip set to improve overall system performance with support for a faster front-side bus.
Intel's new chip set, formerly known as Canterwood, increases the top speed at which data travels between the memory modules and the processor from 533 MHz to 800 MHz. Increased front-side bus speeds allow the processor to access data stored in the main memory more quickly and more frequently, improving overall performance (see story).
The chip set also supports Intel's hyperthreading technology, a technique used to fool an operating system into believing that it's running on two processors. The operating system then sends more instructions for execution, which are absorbed by unused portions of the real processor.
Canterwood also supports a faster version of dual-channel double data rate (DDR) memory, known as DDR400. Most PCs with DDR memory use DDR266 or DDR333, but DDR400 is catching on among high-end users that need the quickest memory technology available.
Along with Canterwood, Intel released a 3-GHz Pentium 4 processor that supports the faster front-side bus speed. The company plans by May to add the faster front-side bus to other Pentium 4 processors, such as the 2.6- and 2.8-GHz Pentium 4 processors.
Hewlett-Packard Co. updated its workstation line with the new xw4100, which replaces the xw4000 and xw5000 workstations, said Jeff Wood, director of product marketing for HP's personal workstations. The base workstation doesn't feature the new Intel technology, but users can add the 3-GHz processor and 875P chip set for use with high-end graphics-manipulation programs and computer-aided design applications.
The base model is $799 with a 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor, 128MB of DDR333 Error Checking and Correcting (ECC) memory, a 40GB hard drive and a CD-ROM drive. To get the new Intel processor and chip set, customers will have to spend $1,649 for an xw4100 with the 3-GHz Pentium 4 processor, the 875P chip set, 512MB of DDR400 ECC memory, a 40GB hard drive and a DVD-ROM drive.
Dell Computer Corp.'s new Dimension 8300 uses the 875 chip set and the new 3-GHz processor in a base configuration that costs $1,689. Dell included 128MB of DDR400 memory, a 60GB hard drive, a 17-in. monitor and a DVD-ROM drive in the base model, but customers can configure the system as they choose. However, only PCs with the 3-GHz processor are available at this time.
Gateway Inc.'s high-end 700XL will also benefit from the new chip set and processor. As of today, an updated configuration of the Gateway 700XL with the new Intel technology and two 200GB RAID hard drives will be available for $3,499, which includes 1,024MB of DDR400 memory, DVD-R/-RW and CD-RW drives and an 18-inch flat-panel display.
In coming weeks, Poway, Calif.-based Gateway plans to add support for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment RAID hard drives, allowing users to add two 160GB RAID drives or two 250GB RAID drives to the already available 700XL. The same pieces of data can be stored in different locations on multiple hard drives with RAID technology, which is usually found in servers. |
