With third-quarter demand still uncertain, Intel was said to be considering delaying the launch of its DDR333-based 845PE and 845GE chipsets from September to the fourth quarter and to have started asking for motherboard clients’ opinions.
Sources from motherboard companies said that given the numerous Pentium 4-supporting chipsets in the market now, they would welcome a delay as it would prolong the life cycle of current products.
Industry sources noted that in addition to Intel’s delayed launch, other chipset designers that already finished developing DDR400 and AGP 8x-suporting products have also slowed promotion of their chipsets, suggesting demand may not be as good as expected.
To strengthen its product lines, Intel revealed in early May that it planned to introduce the DDR333-based 845PE and 845GE chipsets in the third quarter. With the company’s 845G and 845E chipsets at the time set to hit the market at the end of May, board makers worried that sales of those products would be cut short.
Overall, a delay would not be expected to affect Intel’s competitiveness in specifications, as several motherboard makers have already upgraded DDR266-based 845G and 845E products to support DDR333 or even DDR400 by overclocking.
Article translated by Christy Lee and edited by Richard So
