Intel preps 64-bit Pentium 4 processor
WinInfo | at | by Mike
A year after promising to adopt the x64 platform across all its mainstream processors, Intel is finally getting ready to release x64-compatible Pentium 4 chips. The Pentium 4 6XX family, as the chips are cryptically known, will feature an 800MHz front-side bus, 2MB of L2 cache, and Intel's x64-compatible EM64T technology, according to the company. It will also feature advanced power-management features not found on other Pentium 4 chips. Due as early as this month, the Pentium 4 6XX won't offer many advantages over 32-bit systems for the short term. But Windows XP Professional x64 Edition's release to manufacturing (RTM) is due in late March, and the product will be widely available in April; then Intel's offering--like competing AMD Athlon 64-based systems--should suddenly become quite interesting.