Intel recalls its new, faulty Pentium III chip

Intel recalls its new, faulty Pentium III chip
REUTERS

PALO ALTO, Calif., AUG 29: Intel Corp said on Monday it was recalling its new Pentium III chip because it had discovered it could fail under a certain combination of circumstances.

The company said the recall of the chip, which was just introduced in late July, would have no material effect on sales or earnings. To date the chip has only been shipped in limited quantities.

The new 1.13 gigahertz chip, Intel's fastest, is targeted at a niche market of computer hobbyists and "power users" whose computers are running the most taxing applications.

Intel did not say how many chips it had shipped to date but a spokesman said it had only shipped to "a handful" of customers.

The company said the problem it discovered was in a circuit in the chip, which under the right combination of data, voltage and temperature conditions, could cause the chip to fail.

It said it typically takes a couple of months to make changes to the chip and bring it back to market.