Intel Advances Business And Consumer PC Platforms
New Chipsets’ Integrated Graphics and USB 2.0 Bring
Better Digital Media Experience; Stable Corporate Platform
(Note to Editor: Complementing backgrounder and art available at
www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20020520comp.htm)
Intel Corporation today announced a trio of chipsets that deliver excellent performance for desktop computer users,
enabling richer digital media, gaming and broadband experiences.
Available in PCs today, the Intel® 845G, 845E and 845GL chipsets include integrated Hi-Speed Universal Serial Bus (USB)
2.0, which increases bandwidth up to 40 times over today’s USB 1.1 interface. With USB 2.0, users will be able to burn
CDs up to six times faster, and back up data up to 11 times faster. For businesses, the flexibility and expandability of
the technology enable high-bandwidth peripherals such as scanners and writeable DVD players to be added quickly and
easily.
If the microprocessor is considered the “brains” of the PC, the chipset is analogous to the “nervous system” -- sending
data from the processor to all the input, display and storage devices such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard drive and
DVD player. Balancing the performance of the entire PC platform and removing all the bottlenecks are imperative to
realising the full digital experience.
“Today’s announcement reaffirms Intel’s commitment to advancing the PC platform,” said Louis Burns, vice president and
general manager of Intel’s Desktop Platforms Group. “With the introduction of these products, we are enabling stable,
robust PCs that offer easier connections to digital devices as well as faster transfer and manipulation of digital
photos, music and video.”
The Intel 845G chipset, designed for Intel® Pentium® 4 processor-based PCs, incorporates a new generation of integrated
graphics -- dubbed Intel® Extreme Graphics -- and is targeted at the high-volume business and consumer desktop market
segments. “Offering both next-generation integrated graphics performance and high-quality, stable software drivers, the
Intel 845G chipset is an outstanding solution for both corporations and mainstream consumers," Burns said.
The Intel 845E chipset works with discrete graphics components to provide flexibility for consumers. A third chipset,
the Intel 845GL, is designed for Intel Celeron® processor-based PCs. All of the new chipsets enable surround-sound with
enhanced 20-bit audio, resulting in an audiophile-level experience.
The current boom in digital devices highlights the need for a new generation of chipsets. At the end of 2001, 33 percent
of American households with Internet service owned a digital camera; by year’s end, that figure could reach 60
percent**. As higher resolution digital cameras hit mainstream prices, these new platforms will easily handle the
transfer and manipulation of larger files. With a 533 MHz system bus, the Intel 845G and 845E chipsets offer faster
pathways within the PC, balancing overall platform performance to take full advantage of the Pentium 4 processor’s
speed. Computers based on the Pentium 4 processor with the 533MHz system bus make it easier and faster than ever to edit
and play digital video, view and edit family photos, play games and edit and listen to music.
For computer makers and system integrators, Intel also announced availability of four desktop motherboards: ATX form
factor Intel desktop boards D845GBV and D845EBG2, and the smaller micro-ATX form factor Intel desktop boards D845GRG and
D845EPT2.
Pricing and Availability
In 1,000-unit quantities, the Intel 845G chipset is priced at $US46. In 1,000-unit quantities, the Intel 845E chipset is
priced at $US41. In 1,000-unit quantities, the Intel 845GL chipset is priced at $US33. Systems and motherboards are
currently shipping in volume from a variety of computer and motherboard manufacturers worldwide.
Additional technical information on these chipsets is available at http://developer.intel.com/design/chipsets.
Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications
products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.
Intel, Pentium and Celeron are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the
United States and in other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
** InfoTrends Research Group article dated March 26, 2002 at www.infotrends-rgi.com.
ENDS