DISTRIBUTORS IN EUROPE have started listing Pentium 4Es, or Prescotts as they're codenamed by the Intel Corporation. So far three models are being listed, a 3.06GHz, a 3.2GHz, and a 2.8GHz processor. Each uses socket 478, has a front side bus speed of 800MHz, and 1MB of cache. The items so far are boxed Prescotts.
What does this mean? Well it certainly means that Intel has as it said it would start picking up some Prescott revenues during the fourth quarter of this year. Secondly, it means that whatever the Prescott is or isn't, it's nothing particularly fast and furious. Thirdly, the recent roadmaps we've seen show that Intel will gradually migrate all of its current Pentium 4 "Northwood" core to the newer core, and squeeze the frequencies up a little bit. Then comes the LGA 775 "socket" probably in or towards the end of the 2nd quarter of next year allowing Intel to squeeze even more megahertz out of this family.
So the Prescott is nothing really much to shout about – apart from its 13 extra instructions -- which is why we presume Intel is positioning it as a Pentium 4. Perhaps the Pentium 5 or whatever it's called will be a different kettle of fish. We phoned Intel to ask for a comment. The representative said: "Mike, there's two ways to deal with this. First, I can tell you that we don't comment on speculation. Secondly, I can go away for a while and get back to you with the message that we don't comment on speculation."
News source: The Inq
