Intel to unleash gamers 3.2 gigahertz P4 with 2meg L3 cache

The CPU will include a 2MB Level 3 cache, which should help boost its performance in demanding applications such as graphics-heavy games. Today's Pentium 4 processors include a 512KB L2 cache, but no L3 cache (in fact, none of Intel's desktop processors include an L3 cache). At launch the processor will run at 3.2 GHz, the same speed as Intel's current top-end Pentium 4.

The new chip will work with existing Pentium 4 motherboards, says Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of the desktop platforms group at Intel. Burns made the chip announcement during his keynote here Tuesday.The new processor is aimed specifically at users who demand the best performance available, he says. "We're really targeting gamers. The performance boost is awesome."That huge L3 cache should indeed improve performance, says Kevin Krewell, analyst and general manager at MicroDesign Resources. In the right system, with the right applications, you can probably expect a boost of up to 15 or 20 percent over today's 3.2-GHz P4 systems, he says.

You will, however, likely pay a hefty premium for that performance boost, he says.

"This is basically a Xeon MP processor, and that means it's going to be a pricey part," he says.

It's a good bet, however, that Intel won't charge the same amount for the new P4 as it does for a Xeon. Current Intel pricing (on quantities of 1000 to vendors) for the 3.2-GHz P4 is $ 637; the current price for a 2.8-GHz Xeon MP processor is $ 3692. Intel traditionally sells its Xeon MP processors for servers and workstations.