Intel Introduces Pentium® 4 Processor At 2 GHz

The Latest Milestone in the PC’s 20 Year History

Intel New Zealand today introduced the Intel® Pentium 4 processor at 2 gigahertz (GHz), the latest milestone in the PC’s 20 year history. Computer makers worldwide launched systems today based on the new Pentium 4 processor and on other Intel technologies.

“The rapid ramping of technology and industry support for the Pentium 4 processor reflect the strength of the underlying architecture and the headroom it provides for the demands of new and evolving usage models,” said Colin Purkis, Channel Account Manager, Intel New Zealand. “The combination of Intel processor and platform technologies and industry innovation provides the foundation for the next decade of desktop computing.”

The World’s Highest Performance Desktop Microprocessor
Pentium 4 processor-based systems are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of users. For consumers, Pentium 4 processor-based systems are perfect for creating and sharing digital media, delivering maximum performance for processing digital video and audio, displaying 3-D graphics, and taking advantage of the latest Internet technologies. For business users, the Pentium 4 processor enables increased levels of productivity and collaboration, as well as the system longevity and return-on-investment needed to achieve the greatest competitive advantage for today and the future. The Pentium 4 processor also delivers performance for the next generation of software applications and Internet innovations.

Systems based on the Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz can create and share digital media up to 81 percent faster than a computer with a Pentium® III processor at 1 GHz. The Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz also enables business users to increase productivity more than 50% compared to a Pentium III processor at 1GHz, especially in multitasking environments where background tasks like virus checking, encryption and file compression increase the processor workload.

For computer makers and system integrators, Intel also announced availability of two desktop boards today, the “ATX” Intel Desktop Board D850MV and the smaller “Micro-ATX” Intel Desktop Board D850MD.
Two Digital Decades: 2GHz
Intel microprocessors have been at the heart of the PC revolution, helping to spawn a vigorous industry, new levels of business productivity and new consumer lifestyles. From the Intel® 8088 central processing unit (CPU) that powered the original IBM PC to the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor at 2 GHz introduced today, Intel microprocessors have been characterized by relentless technological advances and innovation. As a result, people today have more computing power at their fingertips — and at less cost — than anyone could have conceived of 20 years ago.

“The two decades of progress since 1981 make it clear that the PC has revolutionized the way people communicate, work, learn and play,” said Intel chairman Andrew S. Grove. “And rapidly evolving Intel processors will continue to make PCs capable of things that people could scarcely imagine a year or two earlier.”

Two decades of progress have made a remarkable difference in personal computing. For example, the original 1981 IBM monochrome PC cost approximately US$3,000, equivalent to approximately US$5,700 in today’s dollars. The small number of consumers who opted for a colour monitor and graphics card paid about US$4,500.

Today, by contrast, consumers can buy a variety of Pentium 4 processor-based systems, ranging from the highest-end configuration to systems under US$1,000. Systems based on the Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz is 40,000 percent faster — or 400 times greater — than the Intel® 8088 chip used in the original IBM PC.

The most compelling element of this 20-year comparison is what the latest PCs empower people to do. The digital world is here, and the Pentium® 4 processor at 2 GHz opens the door to an entirely new dimension of experiences.

Pricing and Availability
The Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz is manufactured on Intel’s high-volume, 0.18-micron process technology, and is available now. In 1,000-unit quantities, the 2 GHz version is priced at US$562; Intel also launched a 1.9 GHz version priced at US$375. Intel is shipping boxed Intel Pentium 4 processors up to 2 GHz to distributors and system builders worldwide.

Benchmark Performance
The Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz is the world’s highest-performance desktop processor as measured by the SPEC CPU* 2000 benchmark. The Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz delivers the world’s highest desktop processor score on SPECint*_base2000, with a score of 640. In addition, the Pentium 4 processor at 2 GHz delivers a SPECfp*_base2000 score of 704. For more information on Pentium 4 processor performance, visit www.intel.co.nz/procs/perf.

Intel, Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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