quad-core chips

Without much in the way of fanfare, Intel added three new multi-core processors to its product price list over the Labor Day weekend. The chipmaker's stealth launch of the new low-cost chips followed price cuts at rival Advanced Micro Devices, which recently lowered the cost of selected Phenom X4, triple-core X3, and Athelon X2 processors.

Intel on Monday was releasing the first technical details of a new family of chips intended to soup up computer graphics and, eventually, a broad range of computing tasks.

The new microprocessor family, code-named Larrabee, will be available in late 2009 or early 2010. Intel is releasing the details of its plans before the Siggraph industry conference starts in Los Angeles next Monday.