Intel launches P4 processor

Intel has launched the world's fastest microprocessor--P4--with speeds at 1.4 and 1.5 GHz in two different versions. Until now, the world's fastest chips were AMD's Athlon at 1.2 GHz.

The new processor is based on an advanced technology called NetBurst micro-processor architecture designed to maximize performance while on the Internet. The NetBurst micro-architecture is Intel's first new micro-architecture for desktop processors since the Pentium Pro processor with its P6 micro-architecture was introduced in 1995. The new architecture include hyper pipelined technology which enables the P4 processors to execute software instructions in a 20 stage pipeline as compared to the 10 stage pipeline of the PIII processors. It also has a rapid execution engine through which the processor's arithmetic logic units (ALUs) run at twice the core frequency.

One of the biggest advances from the PIII is that the P4's front side bus stands at 400 MHz as against the earlier front side bus of 133 MHz of PIII. The bus transfers data between the processor and main memory, and a faster bus would give better video, audio and three-dimensional graphics.

The P4 processor is based on Intel 850 chipset with dual RDRAM memory. Eventually Intel would also work on other memory standards like DDRAM as well, said company officials.

Initially targeted at consumer enthusiasts and business power users, Intel expects the P4 to become mainstream by the end of 2001. Company officials said that the P4 is "designed for where the Internet is going," and that it was particularly meant for use on modern Internet technologies to enable more realistic three-dimensional graphics, faster video and audio processing, editing, compression, etc.

The P4 processors will be priced at $ 819 and $ 644 each for the 1.5 and 1.4 GHz versions respectively for 1,000 units with the pricing structure being the same globally. It will be available to all the major manufacturers and channels immediately, said Avtar Saini, Director (South Asia), Intel.