Tom's Hardware has somehow got their hands on the next 3 big releases from Intel: the Pentium 4 3.03, 3.33, and 3.6 GHz. The FSB for the P4 will not be increased from 133 MHz, and the only changes Intel is making will be the support of Hyperthreading. Here's a snip:
Since we can only evaluate the performance scale of P4 CPUs of the next ten months, there is no direct comparison with the Athlon Hammer at present. THG's view is that the introduction of a potent, if not overpowering, "hammer" is more than desirable. It will bring a breath of fresh air into the market, and the ambitious user will profit from the 64-bit option in the bargain. Intel needs more pressure once again! But first, the hurdles that lie ahead in the coming months will have to be cleared, yet again. For all that, the 3.6 GHz P4 has set the bar pretty high. But it's early yet, and Intel's 2.8 GHz P4 is on the market.
Intel's strategy is trying to outrun AMD in pure speed. If the Hammer flops, then it will be a good one. The article and benchmarks are
here.
