Gateway will refresh its desktop line this week with PCs featuring the latest chips from Intel as the company continues to rebuild itself. The Poway, Calif.-based company is coming out with new versions of the Profile 4, a PC with a built-in flat panel, and standard desktops for small and medium-size businesses. The new computers are centered on the 865 and 875 families of chipsets from Intel, which came out in May and April. Code-named Springdale, the new chipsets speed up many of the data paths that connect the processor to the hard drive and memory, among other computer components. Faster connections ultimately lead to better performance.
The 865 and 875 chipsets also bring hyper-threading, a technology that allows the chip to do two things at once to a wider variety of computers. The new Profile 4 systems with a typical configuration will cost about $1,599--higher than the price of the current Profile 4s, which range from $1,399 to $1,529. The new versions, however, come with faster processors and better chipsets. The new profile comes out June 12.
The Gateway E-Series 4100 and 6100, meanwhile, start at $999 and $1,199. The 6100 uses the 875 chipset, which is slightly faster than the 865 chipset found in the 4100. The Gateway Sb series, for small business, starts at $599 without monitor.