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Intel Prepares 2.2-GHz Pentium 4

Company's fastest microprocessor yet, featuring Northwood core, will be available next week.

By Douglas F. Gray, IDG News   

Intel will launch its 2.2-GHz Pentium 4 microprocessor on Monday, according to sources familiar with the chip maker's plans.

The 2.2-GHz chip, Intel's fastest to date, made its debut appearance in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district last week.

The chip will be Intel's first based on the company's 0.13-micron Northwood core, which features 512KB of Level 2 cache, compared to current 0.18-micron Pentium 4 processors that offer only 256KB of cache. The 0.13-micron manufacturing process allows Intel to pack components more tightly on a chip, which can boost speed and lower cost, as well as reduce heat and power consumption.

"Larger cache does provide an important performance benefit," says Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst with Insight 64, in Saratoga, California. "It's more than the increase you would get going from 2 GHz to 2.2 GHz [with the smaller cache]."

Pentium 4 chips using the Northwood core will also run at 1.5 volts, compared to 1.75 volts for current Pentium 4 processors. Lowering the voltage lets the chips run cooler, which will become more important as Intel further increases the frequency speed of future Pentium 4 chips.

Intel launched the 2-GHz Pentium 4 in August.

Intel spokesperson George Alfs on Wednesday confirms the 2.2 GHz Pentium 4 will be launched in January, but would not comment further.

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