Intel Shipping Dual-Core Chip

Intel Corp. said Monday that it had begun shipping the first of a new generation of personal computer microprocessors that combine the power of two chips into one.

Intel’s arch-rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., is preparing to introduce a similar chip next week, a person briefed on the company’s plan has said.

The technology, called dual-core, allows two separate processing units to operate independently in a single PC, improving performance while multi- tasking.

Shares of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel fell 17 cents Monday to $23.12 on Nasdaq.