Intel unveils 'Extreme' system for power users

Intel is targeting extreme gamers and power PC users with its latest high-performance platform based on the Pentium 4 processor Extreme Edition and its 925XE Express chipset.

The 3.46GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition features a 2MB Level 3 cache and hyper-threading technology to boost performance.

The Intel 925XE Express chipset platform is an extension of the 915/925X Express chipset family launched earlier this year. The enhanced offering features a faster 1066MHz system bus, the main data path between the CPU and system memory.

With a maximum data throughput improvement of up to 33 per cent between the CPU and system memory (compared with systems using an 800MHz system bus), a 1066MHz system bus can enable faster frame rates for both gaming and video editing, Intel claimed.

The 925XE Express chipset also implements improved memory timings compared to the 915.

Bill Siu, vice president and general manager of the Desktop Platforms Group at Intel, said: "The new 925XE Express chipset, combined with the Pentium 4 processor Extreme Edition, is another example of the platform approach we're moving towards, bringing chipsets, processors and other components together to provide specific benefits to PC buyers."

In 1,000 unit quantities, the Pentium 4 processor Extreme Edition at 3.46GHz sells for $999.