Intel debuts mobile 120MHz Pentium

Electronic News, Oct 23, 1995

Pentium Prices Cut

Santa Clara, Calif.--Intel will today unveil a 120MHz Pentium processor designed for mobile computers, demonstrating again the shrinking gap between time of introduction of processors for desktop systems and their mobile systems counterparts. Intel introduced the 120MHz Pentium for desktops just over a half year ago (EN, March 27).

In addition, Intel has quietly reduced the prices on its Pentium line of processors, with some processors falling nearly 40 percent since the beginning of August. The biggest reduction was for the 120MHz desktop Pentium, which fell 39 percent from $581 at the beginning of August to $357 as of Oct. 16. The new 120MHz Pentium with voltage reduction technology (VRT) debuts at $681 in quantities of 1,000 units.

Both the 133MHz and 100MHz Pentiums fell 25 percent, with the 133MHz version dropping from $694 to $520; and the 100MHz version sliding from $398 to $300. Prices on the 90MHz and 75MHz (both desktop and mobile versions), as well as the 66MHz and 60MHz Pentiums remained unchanged from the previous pricing.

Like the 90- and 75MHz processors for mobile systems, the 120MHz Pentium is offered in a thin, light-weight tape carrier package (TCP) with dual-voltage capability. The company's proprietary VRT enables the 120MHz Pentium to operate at 3.3 volts while its inner core operates at a lower power 2.9 volts.

The 120MHz Pentium has a typical power dissipation of 2.5 to 3.5 watts and idle power consumption of less than 1 watt. On the recently-released SPECint95 integer benchmark and SPECfp95 floating point benchmark, the device is rated 3.72 and 2.24 respectively.

John Antone, product marketing manager, Mobile and Handheld Products Group, commented in an interview "Of the number of CPUs shipping in the fourth quarter into x86 notebook sockets, we believe that in excess of 50 percent will be Pentiums. The key point is that two quarters ago Pentium was a small percentage of shipments we were making to (notebook) OEMs. In a fairly short period the notebook world will be painted Pentium."

Separately, Intel announced four additions to its Multibus II Single Board Computer product line based on Pentium. Available in two versions, CPU-only (iSBC P5090CPU), priced at $5,795 each; and integrated SCSI and Ethernet (iSBC P5090ISE), priced at $5,955, these boards will initially be equipped with 90MHz Pentiums. In December, Intel will offer both with a 120MHz Pentium as well.