Intel announces 1.13 GHz P-III

Intel opened a new round in the microprocessor performance battle with

Advanced Micro Devices with the announcement of a 1.13 GHz Pentium chip which

will precede a new Pentium IV processor that will run at a speed of 1.4 GHz. The

processor will be available later this year.

With the new P-III, Intel has won back, at least for now, the bragging rights

for having the fastest processor. The 1.13 GHz chip is slightly faster that the

1.1 GHz Athlon chip that AMD is planning to start shipping on August 28.

Analysts expect AMD to respond within weeks with a chip that will beat Intel’s

new top processor.

Unlike AMD, which has been shipping its 1 GHz Athlon chip in high volume, few

of Intel’s 1 GHz processor have actually been shipped as the company has been

busy solving production problems in the lower end of the line. Analysts also

expect only a few of the 1.13 GHz Pentium III chips to be available. Intel’s

new chip is priced at $990 in lots of 1,000.