Intel plans to release on November 14 its fastest Pentium 4 processor yet for desktop systems. The chip will also be Intel's first desktop model with hyperthreading, a technology that is already present in its Xeon server processors and that allows multiple software threads to run more efficiently on a single processor.

The 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 processor is expected to be unveiled in systems from multinational PC vendors, according to information about the launch event from Intel in Europe. A spokesperson for Intel in Europe declined to comment further on the availability of systems with the new processor.

Hyperthreading eliminates the wasted clock cycles caused by a single-threading processor in queuing up its next set of instructions, said Peter Kastner, chief research officer for Aberdeen Group in Boston.

;) :)