The Register meldt in dit artikel dat Intel op 7 april nieuwe Coppermine processors gaat introduceren die bugs moeten gaan elimineren en hogere frequenties mogelijk moeten maken. (Thanks insane voor de tip)
Intel cites the reasons for the changes to improve product performance, allow the introduction of higher CPU frequencies, to change the microcode, and to correct errata discovered since it first started shipping the .18 micron Coppermine processors sometime towards the end of last year.The processor stepping change will change from A2 to B0, and the "first availability of post conversion material" is the earliest date its customers can expect to receive the new stepping.
In the meantime, Intel customers are being warned that they will have to test the installation of the microcode update into the BIOS, test applications, and, in the document's own words, "verification that major operating systems continue to boot and run confidence tests".
To make the change easier, Intel is providing some frequency unlimited and bus ratio unlocked samples to customers. That means that higher frequency samples "can be used to complete validation for lower frequencies".