SANTA CLARA, Calif.-- 'tis the season to be announcing faster microprocessors.
This time Intel Corp. today officially launched its fastest Pentium III microprocessors to date at speeds of 800 and 750 megahertz. The speedy Pentium III chips are made with Intel's advanced 0.18-micron process technology.
Last week, MPU rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. in nearby Sunnyvale said it had demonstrated 900-MHz Athlon processors, which were made with two different versions of 0.18-micron technology. One of prototype processor was fabricated with standard aluminum interconnect lines while the another was produced with copper metal at AMD's new wafer fab in Dresden, Germany (see Dec. 17).
Intel said its 800-MHz Pentium III is now the fastest microprocessor in the desktop PC marketplace. "We are committed to delivering the highest performance processors and platform solutions to our customers," asserted Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Architecture Business Group.
The higher clock speeds and advanced processor features enable the 800-MHz Pentium III to achieve a SPECint95 benchmark rating 38.4 and a SPECfp95 of 28.9, according to Intel.
Intel said it is currently shipping high-volumes of 0.18-micron Pentium III processors from four fabs around the world. Intel's Fab 11 in Albuquerque, N.M., is slated to ramp up the 0.18-micron process in the first quarter of next year.
The 800-MHz Pentium III processor in Intel's SECC2 packaging technology is priced at $851 each in quantities of 1,000. The 750-MHz processor costs $803 each in similar quantities. Volume shipments of these two speed grades will start in the first quarter of 2000.
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