The 3GHz chip was supposed to come out last week, but Intel discovered an anomaly with the processor in its labs on the eve of the launch and subsequently delayed the introduction. The problem has now been permanently fixed with a BIOS (basic input/output system) software patch, said a company representative, and the chip is shipping in volume quantities.
Although Intel already has been shipping a 3GHz chip for months, the new chip differs in that it is matched with a new chipset, called 875P, formerly code-named Canterwood. The chipset touts, among other performance-enhancing features, a faster 800MHz bus and a Serial ATA connection for hard drives.
Hewlett-Packard, among others, is inserting the silicon into a new workstation. Like other companies, HP issued a press release on its workstation before Intel suspended shipment of the new chip.
News source: C|Net
