IBM readies Grantsdale-based desktop

IBM has released details of its first PC to be built around Intel's new 915G chipset, formerly codenamed Grantsdale.

The A51p desktop comes with high-speed PCI Express graphics capability and runs the latest Pentium 4 processors with HyperThreading. A series of ATI graphics cards are available to take advantage of the capability.

IBM estimates that the price of the desktop, scheduled to ship in late August, will be £445 ex. VAT.

The system has been designed with security in mind. It contains the IBM Embedded Security Subsystem, which uses an integrated security chip and downloadable IBM Client Security Software to give a user authentication service and on-the-fly encryption.

No monitor is specified, but there is a range of 17in to 22in flat screens and cathode ray tube monitors from 17in.

"The monitor is such an important part of the system, both in price and usability, that we don't make a habit of selling [it] as standard," said Adrian Horne, IBM ThinkVantage specialist for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"It's a real change from earlier days where you bought a computer for £2,000 and just got a free monitor thrown in."

Gigabit Ethernet is included in the A51p as standard. There is also a full-size PCI expansion slot for upgrades or additional cards.