Intel Formally Announces Core 2 Duo
July 27, 2006 | by Geoff Duncan
Intel has formally taken the wraps off its Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors, and vendors immediately announce new systems built on the chips.
Intel Corporation today formally announced the availability of its high-end Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors for both desktop and mobile systems. The specs and performance benchmarks of these chips have been detailed for months, making Intel's formal product debut something of a non-news event: suffice to say, the new CPUs redefine desktop and mobile computing performance for the Intel platform and use less power than their predecessors. And, not to be forgotten, outperform offerings from rival AMD.
For desktops, processor speeds range from 1.86 GHz to 2.93 GHz, with CPU prices from $183 to $999 per unit—the Core 2 Extreme X6800 occupies the high end. Desktop processors all feature 4 MB of L2 cache and a 1066 MHz frontside bus. Mobile processors start at 1.66 GHz and crank up to 2.33 GHz and will be available in August.
Computer makers Dell and Gateway were among the first to jump on the Core 2 Duo bandwagon, announcing the Dell Dimension 9200 (starting at $1,499), XPS 410 (starting at $1,390) and Precision 390 (starting at $1,050) all based on Core 2 Duo processors. Rival Gateway announced a Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme-equipped FX510 high-end desktop systems (the FX510XG and FX510XT) starting at $2,199.
The availability of Core 2 Duo parts means Intel is having a fire sale on Pentium D and Pentium 4 processors, both to clear existing processors out of inventory but also to apply massive price pressure to AMD. AMD, for its part, is touting its forthcoming quad-core 4 × 4 platform, talking up the future product offerings which will result from its acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI—and offering dual-CPU Athlon 64 bundles for under $1,000.
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Michael Trager on Jul 28th, 2006 at 10:50 AM:
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