This article is more than 1 year old

Intel kills 64-bit Pentium 4s

Workstation and server parts EOL'd

Update Intel will stop shipping seven 64-bit Pentium 4 processors next November, company documents seen by The Register reveal. The list of discontinued products includes chips released as recently as January.

Actually, Intel tells us that the parts haven't been discontinued, mereley renamed. So wht not say that in the document?

The seven P4s are the parts Intel pitches at one-way workstations and servers, rather than the better known desktop PC versions. The chip giant launched 64-bit P4s in August 2004, at 3.2, 3.4 and 3.6GHz. Boxed, retail-oriented versions of the chips turned up in January this year, along with a 3.8GHz part.

By then, Intel had released version based on the updated 'E' core to complement the original 'D' core releases. Version-E parts have an 'F' appended to their clock speed to indicate the use of the more up-to-date core.

This week's end-of-life announcement touches on both D- and E-core parts. Intel will take orders up until 26 August, with the last orders being fulfilled by 25 November.

The reason for the cull: "Market demand for the Intel Pentium 4 processor that supports Intel EM64T [its 64-bit facility] for servers and workstations has shifted to higher performance Intel processors", the document reveals.

Well, sort of. Intel will this quarter launch the P4 5x1 series, clocked between 2.8GHz and 3.8GHz. Crucially, the new chips, which update the current 5x0 line, add support for Intel's Virtualisation Technology (VT) and EM64T. Primarily aimed at corporate desktops, they are also likely to be pitched at workstations and servers.

Q2 will also see the arrival of the dual-core Pentium D, which may also be offered as a workstation/server part. The PD supports EM64T but lacks VT.

Intel also knocked the desktop 90nm 2.8GHz P4 on the head this week, in its 800MHz and 533MHz frontside bus forms. The move affects both tray-sold and boxed processors. ®

Related stories

Intel ships 64-bit, 2MB L2 Pentium 4s
Intel dual-core Smithfield to ship as Pentium D
P4 to get Virtualisation Tech before dual-cores do
Intel confirms 64-bit Celeron scheme
Intel brings 64-bit to desktop
Intel 64-bit Pentium 4s make retail debut
Dell offers 64-bit Pentium 4 workstations

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like