Intel will bring out a new, faster version of the Pentium 4 for desktops next week, and chipsets and other technology for improving overall PC performance and cutting costs will pour out over the next two months.
April and May will be a busy time for the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker as well as its archrival, Advanced Micro Devices. Early next week, Intel will release a 2.4GHz version of the Pentium 4, which will be seen in new PCs coming from major manufacturers the same week.
Besides being the fastest member of the Intel processor line, the new 2.4GHz product will also be the smallest version of the chip to date, measuring only 131.4 square millimeters, according to a company representative. That makes it 10 percent smaller than current high-end Pentium 4s, a change that will ease manufacturing costs. The 2.4GHz chip will sell for around $560 each in volume quantities.
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