The P4s Worst Foe? The PIII-M

Written By
John Taschek
John Taschek
Published: Aug 13, 2001
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Is Intels PIII-M processor too powerful?

Until now, it looked like a smooth evolution from Intels PIII technology to the P4. Intel had publicly announced that the PIII technology would stop at 1.13GHz, giving the P4 some nice running room to get up to 2GHz by the end of the year.

Then, on July 29, Intel launched the Pentium III-M, a mobile version of the PIII based on a 0.13-micron design. Coupled with the 830 chip set, the PIII-M has performance and power features that make it compelling in desktop systems as well.

It gets murky from there. The PIII-M can potentially be used in dual-processor configurations. Later 0.13-micron versions of the Celeron chip definitely can, and both are more power-conservative than any P4 technology available today. Because Intel will obviously undercut AMD on Celeron pricing and because the PIII-M will be extremely inexpensive by the time the P4 mobile editions are released, there might be some screaming dual-processor home systems available that are faster than single-processor P4s.

Whats Intel to do— keep on chopping the price of the P4 until its cheaper than the PIII-M?

John Taschek

As the director of eWEEK Labs, John manages a staff that tests and analyzes a wide range of corporate technology products. He has been instrumental in expanding eWEEK Labs' analyses into actual user environments, and has continually engineered the Labs for accurate portrayal of true enterprise infrastructures. John also writes eWEEK's 'Wide Angle' column, which challenges readers interested in enterprise products and strategies to reconsider old assumptions and think about existing IT problems in new ways. Prior to his tenure at eWEEK, which started in 1994, Taschek headed up the performance testing lab at PC/Computing magazine (now called Smart Business). Taschek got his start in IT in Washington D.C., holding various technical positions at the National Alliance of Business and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There, he and his colleagues assisted the government office with integrating the Windows desktop operating system with HUD's legacy mainframe and mid-range servers.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.