Intel Takes Wraps Off New Itanium 2 Chips, Wireless Chip

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip giant rolled out a 64-bit Itanium 2 chip at 1.5GHz with 1.5 Mbytes of Level 3 cache priced at $1,172 in 1,000-unit quantities, as well as a low-voltage 1GHz Itanium 2 with 1.5 Mbytes of L3 cache for $744, also in 1,000-unit quantities.

Intel said the chips have been optimized for dual-processor systems--either workstations or servers.

In addition, Intel said it will begin shipping in early 2004 what it called the first single-chip processor for cell phones that uses Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) wireless networks.

Intel said the chip, the PXA800EF cellular processor, speeds data transfer by as much as two or three times existing technology, and takes advantage of the chip maker's "wireless internet on a chip" architecture. It will not ship in "production volumes" until the first quarter of 2004 and will have a price tag of $29.15 in 100,000-unit quantities, according to Intel.

The chip announcements come during the week before Intel's twice-yearly Intel Developer Forum, which will be held in San Jose, Calif. The conference is slated to include updates to the company's processor road maps, in addition to a discussion of its overall wireless strategy.