Intel will come out with a server chip next quarter that adds 64-bit processing power to its current x86 line of processors, the company’s chief executive said Tuesday. In a keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum here, CEO Craig Barrett called the arrival of Nocona "one of the worst-kept secrets in San Francisco." Intel had been widely expected to show off such a chip. Nonetheless, having the chip next quarter is earlier than many analysts had predicted. Nocona will use the same core as Prescott, Intel’s current desktop processor, meaning that Intel could quickly migrate the 64-bit architecture to desktop processors.

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