Intel preps autumn Pentium M price cuts

Laying the ground for 533MHz FSB versions

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in Channel, 9th July 2004 08:58 GMT

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Intel will pare the prices of its Pentium M family in October, Taiwanese mobo-maker sources have claimed.

The cuts will accompany the anticipated arrival of 90nm 'Dothan' PMs that can operate across a 533MHz frontside bus. Current PMs only support a 400MHz FSB.

That in turn suggests Intel's 'Alviso' mobile chipset will ship in the same timeframe - 533MHz FSB support is one of the chipset's key features.

Alviso and Dothan are two of the three key components that will make up the next generation of Intel's Centrino platform. The third is its 'Calexico 2' Wi-Fi wireless adaptor. According to a DigiTimes report, Intel will ship an 802.11a/b/g module, the ProWireless 2915ABG, in August.

The report also claims the new PMs will sport model numbers just ahead of their 400MHz equivalents. It also suggest they will be offered as 'J' variants - in other words, they will feature the 'no execute' support required by Windows XP Service Pack 2's new anti-virus system. However, that contradicts a story the site ran yesterday which implied the J PMs would not arrive until the new year.

There have been some hints of late that 'Centrino 2' might not appear until 2005, despite comments from Intel executives that point to an autumn 2004 launch. Intel could offers Alviso and Calexico 2 as incremental improvements to the Centrino platform, waiting until 2005 for the arrival of the PM Js to launch Centrino 2 as a new, secure mobile platform. Right now, there's not enough information to say which way the company will go. ®

October Pentium M Price Cuts and Introductions
Processor	Prev. Price	New Price	Change
Pentium M 770 (2.13GHz/553MHz FSB)		$637
Pentium M 765 (2.1GHz/400MHz FSB)		$637
Pentium M 760 (2GHz/553MHz FSB)		$423
Pentium M 755 (2GHz/400MHz FSB)	$637	$423	-33.6%
Pentium M 750 (1.86GHz/553MHz FSB)		$294
Pentium M 745 (1.8GHz/400MHz FSB)	$423	$294	-30.5%
Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz/553MHz FSB)		$241
Pentium M 735 (1.7GHz/400MHz FSB)	$294	$241	-27.2%
Pentium M 730 (1.67GHz/553MHz FSB)		$209
Pentium M 725 (1.6GHz/400MHz FSB)	$241	$209	-13.3%
Pentium M 715 (1.5GHz/400MHz FSB)	$209	$209	-