News Release June 21
Intel Delivers Breakthrough Pc Technologies To Enhance Digital Home And Office Experiences
Improved Audio, Video and Graphics Enable Broader Set of PC Uses
In one of the most significant PC platform changes in a decade, Intel Corporation today announced products that usher
in a range of audio, video and other capabilities previously found only on specialty PCs. In addition to making the PC
experience more entertaining and productive, these technologies pave the way for such emerging capabilities as High
Definition (HD) video, 7.1 surround sound and robust file protection for office and home users.
These technologies are helping create a new kind of PC, an all-in-one “hi-fi” device with high-definition video,
high-fidelity sound and wireless connectivity, according to Louis Burns, vice president and general manager, Intel
Desktop Platforms Group.
“Intel innovation is taking the PC through a significant evolution that opens up a broader set of new consumer uses,”
Burns said. “This evolution will help people to better enjoy digital music, photos, videos and games on PCs and other
devices in and around the home. At the same time, the technologies we are introducing for the PC platform will help
drive new uses that boost office productivity, such as simultaneously using multiple monitors with just one PC to work
on and track several projects.”
A trio of new Intel® chipsets — the “glue” between the microprocessor and the rest of the PC — and several new Intel
Pentium® 4 processors supporting Hyper-Threading Technology (HT1) are the foundation of these new platforms. PCs powered
by Intel 915G/P and 925X Express Chipsets, formerly codenamed Grantsdale and Alderwood, became commercially available
worldwide today. These new chipsets are coupled with the latest Pentium 4 processors supporting HT Technology 5xx
sequence, which are built on Intel’s most advanced 90nm manufacturing process technology and run at speeds up to 3.60
GHz. Advanced Sights and Sounds
Audio quality on the PC is upgraded with Intel High Definition Audio, which supports 7.1 surround sound. The
proliferation of DVDs (more than 1 billion were sold worldwide in 20032) coupled with the rapidly growing availability
of high-definition video content raise the importance of advanced audio. These events are leading up to making the PC an
“all-in-one” entertainment device.
The new platforms support other compelling new audio capabilities, such as the ability to use a simple software setting
to turn all the output jacks on a PC into headphone jacks so several colleagues can listen simultaneously from the same
PC in a quiet environment. This ability gives the consumer much more flexibility in configuring how audio plays or is
recorded on a system. The Intel High Definition Audio solution also allows the unique capability of sending multiple
sound streams simultaneously through the PC’s output jacks, allowing one user to listen to an MP3 with headphones while
another user is watching a video with multichannel surround sound from the same PC.
With nearly 70 million digital cameras projected to be sold worldwide in 20043, billions of digital photographs are
finding their way to PCs. The rise of digital technology means PC users are embracing technologies that can protect
their priceless photo, video and audio memories from accidental loss. On PCs equipped with multiple hard drives,
optional Intel Matrix Storage Technology can boost storage performance and help protect irreplaceable work files and
personal digital memories through advanced technologies normally found in data centres (using RAID 0 and 1 capability).
Also introduced is Intel Wireless Connect Technology4, which enables consumers to set up and configure a wireless home
network in four steps. On systems configured with an optional version of an Intel 915G/P or 925X Express Chipset plus a
separate Intel PRO/Wireless 2225BG Network Connection solution, this feature allows for easier sharing of digital
videos, photos and music in and around the home or office. It also allows for multiple wireless-enabled PCs to share one
Internet connection or printer. Intel Wireless Connect Technology has been introduced with systems expected to be
available in limited quantities later this year.
“These new technologies will help drive the digital revolution in the home and make the digital office more secure and
productive,” Burns said. “The Intel 915G Chipset is a key component of the desktop platform for the next iteration of
the Intel Stable Image Platform Program (Intel SIPP). Intel SIPP can help companies reduce IT costs by simplifying the
testing, deployment and management of their PC infrastructure.”
The goal of Intel SIPP is to reduce the number of platform configurations, resulting in fewer software images in a
business IT environment. Wipro NerveWire* conducted a PC management study and found that an increase in overall IT
support costs directly correlates with the number of desktop PC hardware configurations. For example, doubling the
number of PC configurations in a businesses IT environment from 20 to 40 increased the annual support cost by 96
percent5.
Improved Graphics Capability
Integrated into the Intel 915G Express Chipset, the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (Intel GMA 900) will provide
new graphics features particularly suited to digital home and office applications. For example, one function allows
workers to use dual-independent displays – utilising multiple screens with just one PC – to make use of old monitors and
be more productive. Video editors and people analysing multiple sets of data are just a few of the users who will
benefit from this capability. Additionally, support for wide screen LCD televisions has been added to the Intel 915G
Express Chipset, including support for cutting edge HD-TV formats such as 1080i. Today’s 3-D entertainment on the PC is
demanding increased performance; special new features being used in many of today’s cutting-edge games are supported by
Intel GMA 900.
Upgraded Internal Infrastructure
In a major boost to the computer’s video, graphics and overall data throughput performance, the Intel 915G/P and 925X
Express Chipsets will be Intel’s first PC chipsets to feature a new higher-speed memory called DDR2, which provides
headroom for the continued growth of PC platform uses. They will also feature PCI Express* bus architecture, a new,
higher bandwidth bus technology with up to 3.7X the throughput capability6 of the decade-old PCI standard. This
increased bandwidth coupled with the multitasking benefits of HT Technology optimises playback and simultaneous
recording of HD video content, allowing a user with an HDTV tuner and appropriate software to watch a movie while
recording a television program at the same time on just one PC, all in crisp HD quality.
Additional technical information about the Intel 915G/P and 925X Express Chipsets is available at:
http://developer.intel.com/design/chipsets.
Specifications, Pricing and Availability
The new family of Intel Pentium 4 processors supporting HT Technology 5xx sequence features an innovative new package
called LGA775. This new package will provide headroom for future technologies and improve electrical characteristics of
the connection to the motherboard. The Intel Pentium 4 processor supporting HT Technology Extreme Edition family has
also been implemented in this new package with the 3.40 GHz part.
For computer makers and system integrators, Intel also announced availability of ATX and micro-ATX form factor desktop
motherboards. Additional technical information on these desktop boards is available at:
http://developer.intel.com/design/motherbd.
Systems and motherboards with these processors and chipsets are currently shipping in volume with solutions available
from major OEMs and more than 150,000 Intel Resellers around the world. For more information visit
www.intel.com/reseller.
Intel Wireless Connect Technology requires an Intel 915G/P or 925X Express Chipset with Intel 82801FW or RW (ICH6W or
RW) I/O Controller Hub and purchase of a separate Intel PRO/Wireless 2225BG Network Connection solution. Availability
will be limited.
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 and Pentium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States
and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
1. Hyper-Threading Technology requires a computer system with an Intel Pentium 4 processor supporting HT Technology and
an HT Technology enabled chipset, BIOS and operating system. Performance will vary depending on the specific hardware
and software you use. See www.intel.com/info/hyperthreading for more information including details on which processors
support HT Technology. 2. Source: DEG (Digital Entertainment Group), June 2004 3. Worldwide Digital Still Camera
2004–2008 Forecast (IDC #31331, May 2004) 4. Intel Wireless Connect Technology requires an Intel 9xx Express chipset
with Intel 82801FW or RW (ICH6W or RW) I/O Controller Hub and purchase of a separate Intel PRO/Wireless 2225BG Network
Connection solution. Consult with your system vendor for more information, including whether Intel Wireless Connect
Technology has been enabled on your system. 5. Wipro NerveWire* Study “New Insights on PC Management: Benefits of
Controlled PC Hardware Diversity.” 6. All numbers are based on theoretical maximum concurrent bandwidth.
ENDS