Intel plans to assign a new numbering system to its Pentium and Celeron processors in order to better illustrate their performance to consumers, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
The chip giant is expected to begin the practice with the launch of its latest Pentium M processor, dubbed Dothan, which is due in the second quarter. Pentium 4 and Celeron chips will also get model numbers, as Intel aims to get the system in place by summer, the source said.
Under the model number system, processors will be given numbers to describe their performance, in addition to being described as running at 2GHz or another speed.
The planned system, which would focus on the chips' overall performance and de-emphasize how fast its chips run, is a huge change for Intel's marketing machine.
But Intel intends the ratings to be used only to compare chips within a line, but not to compare different families of processors, according to the source.
The rating system might help Intel tackle a problem in how buyers perceive its Pentium M chips. Even though the company has run extensive advertising for the mobile chip and the Centrino package that includes it since last year, some consumers have had a difficult time getting past the fact that the Pentium M appears slower than desktop Pentiums in clock speed.
