Intel unveils chips for low-price PCs

SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp. has launched new processors and chipsets designed to bring to mainstream corporate and consumer PCs features now typically found only in higher-priced computers. Among the PC makers offering systems based on the new technology is Gateway Inc., which said it would be the first to sell a PC based on the new Intel chips for under $1,000.

The three new Pentium 4 processors include hyper-threading technology, which allows users to do several computing tasks at the same time without the computer slowing down. For example, corporate PCs can more easily run anti-virus software, compress files and encrypt e-mail simultaneously and consumer PCs can run games while editing video, Santa Clara, California-based Intel said.

The new chips, running at 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 gigahertz, also have an 800 megahertz system bus, or pathway between the processors and other parts of the computer. By comparison, PCs sold four years ago commonly had chips running at 500 megahertz, which is about 6 times slower than today's 3 gigahertz models.

The new chipsets 865G and 865PE, code-named Springdale, work with the new chips to improve image and video quality and boost the performance of gaming and other activities that take up a lot of bandwidth. Those chipsets were designed to work with the 800 megahertz system and a new 865P chipset works with Intel's 400 megahertz and 533 megahertz system buses.

© Reuters