Intel's New Chip Sets Boost Processor Power

Intel announced the availability of four new chip sets for desktop PCs on Monday, promising better PC performance, reliability, and flexibility.

All four chip sets support a technology called hyperthreading that Intel expects to bring to desktop computers before the end of the year with the introduction of the 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 processor, Intel said in a statement. The chip set is the main interface between the PC's processor and components such as memory and peripherals.

Hyperthreading--already available in servers--makes some applications run as though there are two processors in a system that has only one. This can improve PC performance when using many mainstream applications by up to 25 percent, Intel says.

Other features in the 850E, 845GE, 845PE, and 845GV chip sets announced Monday are support for faster memory, graphics, and USB 2.0. The 850E chip set was already on the market, but it has been enhanced to support the fast dual-channel PC1066 Rambus Dynamic RAM, Intel says.

Graphics Tools

The new 845GE includes a 266-MHz graphics clock for its Intel Extreme Graphics engine, an on-board video card. In addition, the 845GE supports DDR333 memory and has either a 533-MHz or a 400-MHz system bus, Intel says.

Users with high-performance graphics needs can pick the new 845PE chip set, which supports AGP4X (an accelerated graphics port) for connecting a graphics controller, as well as the fast DDR333 memory type. One of two new Dimension desktop computers introduced by Dell Computer on Monday uses the 845PE chip set. The machine is aimed at the computer gaming and video editing markets.

The fourth and least expensive new chip set is the 845GV. It supports DDR266 memory, which is slower than DDR333, and a 533-MHz or a 400-MHz system bus with support for Pentium 4 and Celeron processors, Intel says. Celeron is Intel's processor line for budget PCs.

The chip sets, when bought in 1000-unit quantities, cost $40 for the 850E, $37 for the 845GE, $34 for the 845PE, and $28 for the 845GV, Intel says.