Pentium 4 chip boosts Intel gains

JACK DANIEL, an editor of papers for publications such as the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, spent $1,300 on a computer with an Intel chip to replace a three-year-old machine he said was too slow.

“It was impossible to run anything that was remotely interesting as far as games or graphics go,’ said Daniel. His new personal computer uses a Pentium 4 that’s more than three times faster than the old processor.

Intel, the world’s biggest chipmaker, has benefited from a pickup in demand spurred in part by the economy and also by investments made by chief executive Craig Barrett. Intel said yesterday sales increased at least 17% in the third quarter, the biggest rise in three years, according to a company forecast made last month. Analysts said profit more than doubled to 23 cents a share.