Desktop Roadmaps 6XX slated for February, prices listed
THE LATEST INTEL ROADMAPS seen by the INQUIRER indicate that the launch of its dual core desktop processors - the X20, the X30 and the X40 - will be launched in the third quarter of 2005, suggesting they won't proliferate in PCs until the fourth quarter.
These chips will two Pentium 4 dies in one package, each with 1MB of L2 cache, and supporting Intel's EM64T 64-32 extensions.
At the same time, it appears that Intel's 3.73MHz Pentium 4 is being pushed back to a February launch, will have 2MB of L2 rather than L3 cache, and will coincide with the introduction of the 6XX Pentium 4 series. These chips are numbered 630 (3GHz), 640 (3.20GHz), 650 (3.40GHz) and 660 (3.60GHz) but the 670 (3.80GHz) won't be introduced until the second quarter of next year.
At launch the 660 will cost about $600, the 650 $400, the the 640 $273 and the 630 $224. The 3.73 1066MHz 2MB processor will cost the re-assuringly less than $1000 sum of $999 when it's launched in February. When Intel rolls out the 670, this is being priced at a not inconsiderable $850. These chips will have 800MHz system buses, 2MB of L2 cache, EM64T and enhanced Speedstep inside.
Intel will perform a difficult juggling act as it hopes to be able to sell the existing 5XX range for much of 2005 as well. They'll be cheaper, but when you buy a machine, you may have a hard time distinguishing whether the chip is a 6XX or a 5XX. Hopefully Intel will introduce a branding scheme to make things easier for consumers. Prices for dual core desktop chips are expected to be announced around the beginning of February.
The dual core chips have now got official Intel names - Glenwood will be called the 955X Express, while Lakeport G and Lakeport P will be called the 945G and the 945P. The 955X Express is due to launch in Q2 next year. That's when the 945G arrives as well.
Intel will lower prices on its Celeron 533MHz chips on the 20th of February, with the 3.06GHz/533/256K thing costing $117, the 2.93GHz/533/256K costing $102, the 2.8GHz/533/256K costing $89, the 2.66GHz $79 and the 2.53GHz $73. The 2.4GHz Celeron, also known as number 320, will disappear then. Intel will make changes to chipset prices on the 26th of December, with the 915G dropping two bucks, and the same thing for the 915GV, P and 910GL. More chipset cuts are slated for the 3rd of April next year.
Source:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=20198
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