Intel Corporation will unveil its latest and greatest consumer-level microprocessor, the Celeron 466, next week. The new Celeron will ship with a new chipset in June that integrates a high quality 3D video display, dubbed Direct AGP, directly into the microprocessor, making an external video card unnecessary. The video subsystem will feature up to 6 MB of dedicated RAM. Additionally, the 466 Celeron marks a firm return to the Pentium-style pin grid array chip, rather than the Slot 1 daughtercard used by the Pentium II and earlier Celerons: Actually, previous Celerons were available in both styles, but the 466 is only available in a pin grid array.
The new Celeron chipset also provides built-in audio capabilities, eliminating the need for a separate audio card. These new features will make the transition to new styles of PC boxes easier in the coming months. PC makers are expected to start shipping Celeron 466 systems with the new chipset in June
