Intel adds 64-bit support to desktop CPUs

Intel today introduced five high-end desktop processors which support 64-bit memory addressing through the firm's Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T).

According to Intel, the 64-bit support will improve performance for applications including 3D visualisation, high-resolution games and digital video and image editing.

The newly unveiled CPUs include a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.73GHz supporting Hyper-Threading technology with 1066MHz system bus and 2MB of L2 cache to improve performance for applications that require large amounts of data readily available to the processor.

Intel also lifted the lid on four processors in its Pentium 4 6xx range, also with Hyper-Threading support, clocked at speeds of up to 3.6GHz.

These processors feature an 800MHz system bus, a doubled L2 cache of 2MB, and Enhanced Intel SpeedStep power-saving capability which is supported by Windows XP Service Pack 2.

The processors will support the upcoming Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating system.

Intel added that it plans to ship EM64T on versions of every newly introduced Intel desktop processor including its Celeron D lines later this year.

Rob Crooke, Intel general manager of desktop marketing and strategic planning, said: "As software for the digital home and office matures and becomes more demanding, desktops with Intel EM64T are well-timed to take advantage of emerging new usage models."