Intel’s Pentium 4 processors have been showing excellent performance scalability for the last 18 months thanks to boosting megahertz as well as introduction of various internal improvements, such as 512KB L2 cache and the Hyper-Threading technology implementations. We ahve reported you many times already that Intel will continue this wise strategy and will gradually bring new technologies and features to the market along with newer microprocessor cores. Let us try to cast some light on what is believed to be the long-term Intel’s roadmap.

Later this year the world will witness the first PC microprocessors made using thin 90nm technology. The currently code-named Prescott CPUs will feature 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus, 1MB of L2 cache and the Hyper-Threading II technology in addition to new set of instructions known as PNI – Prescott New Instructions that are proposed to accelerate processing of streams further. Apparently, the Prescott chips will live through 2004 and will be discontinued only in 2005. What is also very interesting to note is that there are discussions about implementing 1066MHz Quad Pumped Bus and new Prescott “B” core to support the new PSB in early 2005. So, from the present point of view, the family of Prescott chips should look as follows:

• Prescott 3.20GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 3.40GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 3.60GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 3.80GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.00GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.20GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.40GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.60GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.80GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 4.80GHz (1066MHz QPB)
• Prescott 5.00GHz (800MHz QPB)
• Prescott 5.06GHz (1066MHz QPB)
• Prescott 5.33GHz (1066MHz QPB)

The successor of the Prescott should be the code-named Tejas CPU, also the crown of the NetBurst architecture. The king Tejas should come to the market in late 2004 or early 2005. The novelty will again feature yet another set of new instructions (TNI, Tejas New Instuctions) as well as new incarnation of the Hyper-Threading technology. Firstly made using 90nm manufacturing process, the Tejas chips will be shrunk to 65nm technology in late 2005 or early 2006. The version manufactured using more advanced thinner process will also receive 2MB of L2 cache and 1200MHz Quad Pumped Bus in addition to higher core-clock.

• Tejas 5.33GHz (L2=1MB, 1066MHz QPB)
• Tejas 5.60GHz (L2=1MB, 1066MHz QPB)
• Tejas 5.86GHz (L2=1MB, 1066MHz QPB)
• Tejas 6.00GHz (L2=2MB, 1200MHz QPB)
• Tejas 6.13GHz (L2=1MB, 1066MHz QPB)
• Tejas 6.30GHz (L2=2MB, 1200MHz QPB)
• Tejas 6.60GHz (L2=2MB, 1200MHz QPB)
• Tejas 6.90GHz (L2=2MB, 1200MHz QPB)
• Tejas 7.20GHz (L2=2MB, 1200MHz QPB)

After the Tejas, the brand-new Nehalem processor and architecture will be unveiled. But it is also a totally another story…

See also: AMD Unofficial CPU Roadmap for 2003 – 2006