Intel Corp. announced that it had initiated product discontinuance program for two of its high-performance Intel Pentium 4 processors clocked at 3.80GHz and 3.60GHz. The gradual cease of supply of the Pentium 4 500-series chips aligns product family offered by Intel Corp. and simplifies microprocessor choice for customers.

“Market demand for the Desktop Intel Pentium 4 processors 3.80GHz and 3.60GHz [with] 800FSB on 90nm Process Technology in the 775-Land Package has shifted to other Intel processors,” an Intel’s document for the partners reads.

The chips to be discontinued are Intel Pentium 4 models 571 and 561 which support Intel Enhanced Memory 64 technology (EM64T) and were introduced officially only in late June. While the firm plans to withdraw the models 571 and 561 from the list, it has not announced similar plans concerning less advanced chips with similar clock-speeds – 570J, 560J and 560 – that do not support EM64T. Customers who want to receive the chips should place their orders until 18^th November, 2005. The company will supply the chips until March 16, 2006, and April 21, 2006, respectively for tray and boxed versions.

The plans to discontinue the aforementioned processors could be predicted: in late August the world’s largest chipmaker announced plans to update nearly the whole family of EM64T-enabled Pentium 4 500-series chips with a new core stepping and did not reveal any intentions to revise the models 571 and 561. Furthermore, it did not slash pricing on the models in its mid-August price update, which led higher-end Intel Pentium 4 600-series processors to cost less than higher-end Intel Pentium 4 500-series chips, while typical models were sold at the same price.

While both families of Intel Pentium 4 processors are made using 90nm process technology, use LGA775 packaging as well as 800MHz processor system bus, the 600-series chips are more sophisticated in terms of functionality. Intel Pentium 4 processors 600 sequence support Enhanced Memory 64 Technology (EM64T), Execute Disable Bit (EDB) security capability, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology that reduces power consumption as well as contains 2MB of L2 cache. By contrast, Intel Pentium 500 family of chips sport only 1MB of level two cache, do not feature EIST and only in certain cases do not have EM64T and EDB enabled.