Intel announced a new version of the Pentium 4 processor on Tuesday with an extra dose of cache, a move that seems calculated to undercut the launch of the Athlon64 from Advanced Micro Devices next week.

The Pentium 4 Extreme Edition will run at 3.2GHz and come with 2MB of level-three cache, said Louis Burns, executive vice president of the desktop platform group at Intel. Current Pentium 4 chips come with a 512KB secondary cache and no level-three cache. Increasing caches, reservoirs of memory located on the processor, typically boost performance.

Computer makers will begin to sell PCs with the chip in the next 30 to 60 days, Burns said.

Read more: CNet News.

Cache is like gold dust.

Try turning it off, and watch even a brand new CPU will run like its wading through treacle.

This chip actually sounds like a fairly wicked piece of kit, IMHO.

Holy.....I want 2mb of cache on my processor.....that would be awesome.....I still want an Athlon 64....

Maybe you can get an Athlon 64 with 2MB of level three cache>!!?! Put a dress on that and I might just marry it!

Intel did not disclose the price of the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition. It likely will be as expensive as its counterpart, the 2.8GHz Xeon with 2MB cache. That chip sells for $3,692 in quantities of 1,000.

ouch

I wouldn't expect that kind of price given that workstation hardware is usually overpriced and manufactured in smaller quantities... I would say it all depends how fierce AMD's competition becomes.

Would 2MB of cache actually make much of a difference over today's 512kb and 256kb, or is it a marketing gimmick?

I know there is a HUGE difference between 0 and 256.. Even 128... But the difference between a 256k and 512kb Pentium 4, although there, is but very small.

Will 2mb make even less difference? Maybe it is so much that it will make a huge difference?

i cant wait to see some benchmarks

Rick; that will depend on the application...

Those who gain to go from 256 to 512 will prolly also gain by going further... But those that don't... well wont ;-)