Nearly every major PC manufacturer will release new models sporting Pentium 4 chips running at 2GHz and 1.9GHz, according to several sources. The chips will appear in high-end consumer PCs as well as in corporate desktops and workstations.

While the new PCs will increase the performance standards for desktop computers, they also will be fairly cheap, the result of a slow market for computers.

Compaq Computer, for instance, will slide under the limbo pole with a Presario 7000T desktop for $1,499. The computer will come with a 2GHz Pentium 4 processor, 128MB of RDRAM, a 20GB hard drive, a CD-ROM and a 17-inch monitor.

Dell Computer's 2GHz Dimension for the business market will start around $1,800, sources said. A basic configuration is expected to include a 2GHz chip, 128MB of RDRAM, a 40GB hard drive, a CD-RW drive and a 17-inch monitor.

At the luxury end of the spectrum, Gateway will release the Performance 2000XL, a $2,999 PC that will come with a 17-inch flat-panel monitor, an Nvidia GeForce3 graphics chip, surround speakers, and software packages for CD burning and photo editing. The company will also sell a scaled-down version for $1,999 with a 19-inch CRT monitor.