Intel Strips 'Gigahertz' from Computer Chip Names

Reuters | March 20, 2004 | Daniel Sorid

[HAL9000]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Taking a page from automobile marketers, Intel Corp. will now assign model numbers to its chips and eliminate measurements of raw speed from its product names, the world's largest chip maker said on Friday.

The move marks a break from decades of chip marketing strategy, and comes at a time when Intel is trying to pack into its chips more features, such as security and multi-tasking, that fall outside what has long been the primary measurement of raw speed -- the number of megahertz or gigahertz.

The shift, one analyst said, will better position Intel's newest notebook computer chip, the Pentium M, which has lower "clock speeds" than other Intel mobile chips. But the new marketing strategy could also confuse computer shoppers used to treating chip speed as the only marker of performance.

"It is confusing, and it's going to take a tremendous amount of education on the part of Intel and Intel's customers for this to sort of get assimilated into the marketplace," said Nathan Brookwood, who runs the research firm Insight 64.

Intel's new model numbers give each Intel processor brand a series number. Within desktop computer chips, for instance, the low-end Celeron chip will be given the 300 series, the high-end Pentium 4 will be given the 500 series label, and its Pentium 4 Extreme Edition will be given the 700 series.

Within each series, a higher number -- a 350 series versus a 330 series, for example -- will signify a broader array of features in the chip.

While chip speed will no longer be included in the chip's name, Intel is not eliminating chip speed from the description, and said personal computer makers are unlikely to strike speed from their own advertising.

Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. got rid of clock speed from its chip names two-and-a-half years ago, replacing it with another number that it said better signified the chip's overall performance.

At the time, it was widely viewed as a way for AMD to address the issue of its chips running at slower speeds than rival Intel's.

An AMD marketing executive suggested Intel's model numbers were arbitrary figures that said nothing about the chip's underlying performance.

"We have a system that we go by: it's not arbitrary," said Patrick Moorhead, AMD's vice president of corporate marketing. "We don't try to hide what we're doing."

Copyright Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.

[ProudGOP]

Here is the problem. As a consumer, there needs to be a definitive measure which is applied by ALL makers. I want to be able to compare with some meaningful measure.

Whole magazines have been created to basically compare about computer performance. The web is crawling with sites that benchmark PCs. I trust these sites before I trust anything that comes from the chip maker.

[jokar]

Bump for later reading.

[Psycho_Bunny]

I think they mean "security" in the sense of Palladium.....attempting to "secure" the copyright of the music and film industries.

I seriously doubt they mean making the machine more secure for the user.

[Solamente]

www.tomshardware.com is an excellent AMD vs. Intel review site.

[Michael121]

I use the AMD system I just built. AMD 2500 which actually has an 1800 clock speed, but is sold as operating as if 2500.

Intel's Pentium M chip has 1 gig of cache on chip that makes up clock speed.

I went with AMD after being an intle boy because of Price. AMD2500+ was 90.00 MB was 85.00 Intel chip and MB would have been 500.00 a little high.

[Kakaze]

" The company is probably going to go after the small business market offering security features that are more important to them than raw speed. "

Would this change in chip designation have anything to do with the requirements by china for new encryption protocols?

This is from a few weeks ago discussing the chineese problem.http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1094836/posts?page=2 Intel May Be Forced to Stop Selling Some Chips In China

[Kakaze]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1094836/posts?page=2 Intel May Be Forced to Stop Selling Some Chips In China

[flashbunny]

There is a meaningful measure. Actually several. They are benchmarks from different software apps. What benchmark you pay attention to is based on what you're going to be using your pc for. However they are pretty much only available on PC hardware review sites. And when looking at them, most computer users would have their eyes roll back in their heads. Which leads us to the same problem as before.

The easiest thing for a consumer to do is just buy the fastest amd chip they can afford. That way you'll know you're getting the most power for the money.

[GeronL]

we need portable computer with wheels that follow their owners around.

[GeronL]

darn... I thought that site sold artistically broken glass.

[supercat]

If Intel uses one standard and AMD another, comparison is intentionally impossible. (not unlike other industries where comparison shopping is made next to impossible by playing games.)

It's very difficult to produce meaningful benchmarks for processors, no matter how honest ones objectives might be, because many factors affect performance.

Different processors have different performance strengths, and most if not all have certain performance weaknesses. For example, a certain PowerPC could perform floating-point addition, subtraction, or multiplication twice as fast as a Pentium, but the Pentium was twice as fast at division. IIRC, the approximate time ratios were:

	Add/Sub/Mul	Div
Pentium	2	34
PowerPC	1	66

If a program used a uniform mixture of add, subtract, multiply, and divide operations, the Pentium would leave the PowerPC in the dust (performing one of each operation would take 40 cycles on the Pentium or 69 on the PowerPC); if an algorithm could be written to eliminate division, however, the PowerPC would smoke the Pentium.

So which processor would one say was faster at floating-point math?

[BTW, how well do processors do floating-point division these days? I came up with a good method for fast division a few years ago, but it turned out someone else had beat me to it].

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Hello All,
As a Intel Customer and also a employee, I have to say Intel does a good job to balance the needs of computer professionals and the average person. I have been a customer for 15 years and employee for the last 2 years. The 2 reasons I buy Intel products is because the quality is always there, and most programs written are Intel compatible, including games. When I used AMD chips I couldn't run certain games and programs on the AMD chip. But when I bought the Intel chip set, (processors) there was no problems running games and programs.
I pay a little more money buying Intel chips, as a customer and employee, I feel proud knowing that we make outstanding products that we can all buy and the quality is there.
Just in case you guys are wondering what i'm running now adays, It's a laptop that does all my gaming and business needs, Intel Pentium 4 Mobile chip, 3.06 Ghz with 1 Gig of Ram. I never have my computer freeze up or have problems. As far as the Intel Chips go, I will continue buying, even after i'm done working at Intel in the future.
Have a great day !
Fernando

[Mudcat]

Hey Fernando, what's your experience with Intel & Linux? I'll be building a new box for my kid this summer, & am inclined towards Novell/SuSe on an AMD-based board, but am still open minded! Why should I spend extra $ for Intel?

[Bluntpoint]

Bottom line:

What chip will make Solitare deal the fastest?

[Bluntpoint]

I built my kid one of these. For the money, it is the best box for the buck.

[RightOnline]

Not at all the same as "abandoning trucks with engines", etc. If the average consumer isn't capable of evaluating a product line to find what fits their needs, then maybe they should stick with calculators. It ISN'T that hard. The speed race in processors was getting a bit ridiculous........and to suggest that chip architecture (as a poster earlier was saying) doesn't matter is ludicrous. Ask the market what clock speeds really mean, and they'll give you a blank stare. In business? They know.......and they understand features/benefits of particular platforms vs. raw clock ratings. This is a positioning effort aimed at businesses.........consumers will "get it"; it'll just take time.

[Auntie Dem]

With all the code bloat in windows it seems you need a faster processor just to make the new OS seem to run at the same speed, and it takes at least a three-fold processor speed increase to see much difference in program execution. As much as I hate Microsoft, I must admit XP is much better than Win98--still not perfect, but better.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Hey, Im sorry i didn't know i had messages. I am still new to getting around to the features as usually i am only browsing. I'll have to check this more often. I bet you already built that computer ;)
I really prefer the Intel chipsets and boards because most companies write the software geared up towards these products due to aprox 75% or more of the processors on the market are made by intel. I've never had an intel chipset fail on me, i luv the quality. I've had amd personally and i wasn't quite as satisfied with the compatibility especially when it comes to games, they are better with the intel chips. As far as Linux, i have very little experience so i would be of no help. There are websites dedicated to assisting those with linux and intel processors. I've come across them from time to time by chance.
Basically i would say if you want no problems with game compatibility i would go with Intel stuff unless money is a issue then go with Amd if your not worried about it.
Have a great day!
-Fp.