As you may well know, Intel's Pentium 4 processor has been released. The processor delivers improved performance for processing video and audio, and displaying 3D graphics.
The processor combines a number of new technologies including NetBurst micro-architecture, Hyper Piplelined Technology and improved floating point technology. With NetBurst, the processor has the ability to run intensive multiple graphics programs simultaneously and touch up digital video, 3D animation and digital photography. Hyper Pipelined Technology enables the Pentium 4 processor to carry out software instructions in a 20-stage pipeline, as compared to the 10-stage pipeline of the Pentium III processor. Higher polygon counts and an improved floating point technology help improve 3D images and aid in the creation of life-like movement.
A Rapid Execution Engine that allows instructions to be carried out at double the speed combines with the Pentium 4's new set of multimedia instructions to further improve the efficiency of processing video, audio and 3D applications.
The Pentium 4 is available now and pricing in 1,000 unit quantities is AU$819 and AU$644 each for the 1.5 and 1.4 GHz processors, respectively.
Meanwhile, Intel has also announced a new manufacturing process based on long-awaited 0.13-micron technology. A micron is one-millionth of a metre, and 0.13-micron manufacturing is expected to result in smaller, cheaper, and even more efficient chips from Intel.
In recent years, the challenge in chip manufacturing has been how to pack millions of transistors onto ever-smaller and cheaper wafers. The new 0.13-micron manufacturing process will be used to make chips with transistors that are approximately 1/1000 the width of a human hair. Previous generations of Intel chips have used aluminium to conduct electrical currents, but the new process will allow copper to be used, which is a better conductor of current. The new transistors will operate at 1.3 volts or less, allowing for lower power draws than previous generations of chips, which is critical for mobile devices. With the 0.13-micron process, Intel hopes to be able to deliver microprocessors with more than 100 million transistors designed to run at multi-GHz clock speeds.
So far,Intel has created static RAM chips and samples of Pentium chips based on the new process. The company claims that it is the first semi-conductor maker to deliver plans for a 0.13-micron manufacturing process; it will begin manufacturing in the first half of 2001, with plans to expand 0.13-micron manufacturing over several years.
Intel is not the only company focusing on smaller and faster chips with low power draws. Transmeta, for example, has been focusing on smaller, cheaper chips, with low power requirements. Transmeta's Crusoe chips have performed slowly on our benchmark tests compared with other chips, but the company remains hopeful that its "code morphing" technology, which offloads many processing tasks to software, will bring a new generation of efficient processors to mobile devices.
Company: Intel
Ph: 02 9937 5886
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