Intel to cut Celeron prices, accelerate 433 launch

While it prepares for the high-profile launch of its Pentium III, Intel Corp. continues to fortify its low-end lwadership by cutting prices on existing Celerons and pushing up the launch of a 433 MHz Celeron to March, according to Computer Retail Week. Intel reportedly told computer manufacturers that the recently launched Celeron 400 MHz chip will drop to around $130 in quantities of 1,000 on Feb. 7. The new 366 MHz Celeron will drop to $90, while the 333-MHz Celeron will drop to $70 and the 300 MHz Celeron will drop to $60. The prices apply to the latest, 370-pin versions of the Celeron, which use a socket form factor that includes 128 kiloBytes of onboard cache. The modular versions of Celeron, in so-called single-edge processor packages (SEPP), are priced at $140 for the 400 MHz, and $100 for the 366 MHz.

Separately, a source said Intel will introduce the 433 MHz Celeron on March 21, months ahead of a previously planned June launch date. It will be priced at $168 for the 370-pin socket version, and $175 for the SEPP. The full story appears online at http://www.techweb.com.