Intel Unleashes Mobile Pentium 4

Intel Tuesday began shipping its Pentium 4 processor for mobile computers, 15 months after introducing the chip in desktop form. The Pentium 4 processor-M boasts current speeds of up to 1.7 GHz, and includes a 400 MHz bus speed and 512k of on-die L2 cache. A mobile version of Intel's 845 Chipset will support DDR RAM, and Deeper Sleep Alert State - a low power mode that allows the processor to operate at 1 volt.

"Together with the Intel 845 chipset and advanced power management technologies, this delivers an optimal balance of high performance and long battery life for today's mobile PCs," said Intel vice president of Mobile Platforms Group Anand Chandrasekher in today's announcement.

A mobile release of the Pentium 4 took longer than its predecessors due to power and heat requirements associated with the small form factor of notebooks. The desktop version of the Pentium 4 consumes three times as much power as the mobile Pentium III, and twice that of the new Pentium 4-M. An enhanced version of Intel's SpeedStep technology will help to reduce power consumption of the new processor when not in use and keep battery life high.

According to Intel, "In 1,000-unit quantities, the mobile Pentium 4 processor-M at 1.7 and 1.6 GHz are priced at $508 and $401 respectively. In 1,000 unit quantities the Intel 845MP chipset is $43.00." IBM, Compaq, HP, Dell and Toshiba are among the manufacturers lined up to ship the Pentium 4-M in new notebooks this week.