Intel to ship dual-processor in ‘05

SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp. has revealed that it would release its first dual-core processor in 2005 in a chip previously planned for 2004, and is adding a new microprocessor for servers to its Itanium 2 lineup.

Intel is delaying the release of a microprocessor code-named "Montecito" until 2005 and adding multi-core processor technology to it, said Intel spokeswoman Erica Fields. It will be Intel's first dual-core processor, with two microprocessors on one chip, which will speed up the crunching of computer commands.

Intel is on track to release a chip, code-named "Madison," that runs at 1.5 Gigahertz with 6 megabytes of cache, according to Fields.

The company has now added plans to release another Madison processor that runs faster than 1.5 Gigahertz and has 9 megabytes cache, in 2004, she said.

IBM and Sun Microsystems have dual-core processor technology targeted at high-end servers, but Montecito will bring the technology to corporations on lower-priced servers, Fields said.

Dean McCarron, an analyst at Mercury Research in Cave Creek, Arizona, speculated that Intel wanted to let the Itanium user base grow before investing a lot of money in dual-core processor technology.

Right now, "Itanium volumes are relatively low," he said. "It may be a situation where it wasn't necessarily cost-effective for Intel to go forward with dual-core this early. They might not get the payback until the market is larger."

The Madison chips will be created using the current 130 nanometer technology, Fields said, while Intel will use next-generation 90 nanometer technology for Montecito, which measures less than one one-thousandth of a human hair.

© Reuters