Intel to launch new Pentium chip to fill void

Intel is preparing a July launch for its 1.1GHz Pentium III chip. The chipmaker released to its PC maker partners, last week, the launch date for the new desktop chip. Those PC makers will be able to start shipping 1.1GHz desktop systems, starting on 31 July.

The forthcoming processor, as expected, is a 1.13GHz or 1,133MHz chip, according to Intel. The new chip, like Intel's 1GHz Pentium III, announced in March, will be available in limited quantities at first.

Intel is touting the launch of the new chip as evidence of its "technology leadership" versus its competition.

"We are very excited with the headroom [the ability to increase clock speed] of the Pentium III," said Intel spokesman George Alfs.

Meanwhile, Intel says it's still tough to find the 1GHz Pentium chip, announced in March, but it will be available in much greater volumes in the third quarter of this year.

At PC Expo, PC makers said they are expecting to increase the number of systems ready to ship, including PCs meant for corporations. Sources, however, speculate that the 1GHz Pentium III chip will become more readily available toward the middle of the third quarter. The 1.1GHz Pentium III will not be available in larger volumes until some time after that.

Following the curve of the 1GHz Pentium III, the 1.1GHz chip will likely be available first only through PC makers, with reseller channel availability coming later.

Intel announced earlier this week that it will name its next-generation desktop processor, know by the code-name Willamette, Pentium 4. The first 1.4GHz Pentium 4 chip is expected in the fourth quarter.

See to Chips Central for daily hardware news, including an interactive timeline of AMD and Intel's new product launches through Q1 2001.

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