Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme ten chip lineup

Seems like only yesterday we were firing off Core Duo announcement after Core Duo announcement (with the occasional Core Solo thrown in for good measure), and now the Merom (aka Core 2) family has finally landed. We can expect ten new Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme chips from Intel today; we'll leave the bithead biz to the fine folks at Tom's and the like, but expect to Leap Ahead into "performance enhancing" buzzwords like Wide Dynamic Execution, Smart Memory Access, Advanced Smart Cache, Advanced Digital Media Boost, and 64 bit processing (from the Core 2 Extremes and Duo desktop chips), as well as Core 2 Duo mobile processors' new Dynamic Power Coordination, Dynamic Bus Parking, and Enhanced Intel Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing, all intended to drop processor juice usage even further. Should we expect to see some announcements of machines based on these long awaited processors? Well, check back in a couple hours, why don't you? In the mean time, Intel assures us that boxes with Core 2 Extreme chips are already ready to rumble, but unfortunately you'll have to wait for the Core 2 Duo desktops and mobiles until early and late August, respectively.

P.S. -If you're of the bencharking ilk -- and somehow we have a feeling you are -- PC Perspective's got a load of early-release performance data they just threw up. Thanks Ryan.

[Ben18 @ Jul 27th 2006 4:15AM]

I'm holding out on my first mac purchase hoping this makes an appearance in the imac. With any luck, the 'mac pro' will get the woodcrest edition, or whatever the highest processor intel has, and the conroe will show up in the imac. I know how the tech game works, fastest processor one day will be beat next week, but I just can't fork out the cash with this on the horizon.

[Ferny @ Jul 27th 2006 4:31AM]

the mobile on is Merom.

and I too am hoding out on getting a laptop just so that I will have a core 2 duo cpu. especially since i think it will hold up for a good while.

also the link has a link where you can buy it already. the c2d extreme is goin for $1,200.

[Keith L. Dick @ Jul 27th 2006 4:41AM]

All I can ever see...

Is That *Carrot That Those With The Goods* Seem to Dangle in Front of Our Faces That We Seem to Never be Able To Catch Up To...

[Tom @ Jul 27th 2006 5:10AM]

so...if these mobile processors are being released at the end of August, does that mean that laptops from people like Dell will be immediately available with them in. I need a new laptop (looking at the Dell 6400/9400) in September/early October, and i really want a core 2 duo chip in it. Do you think that they will be shipping by then?

[Ivans Chou @ Jul 27th 2006 5:18AM]

"Intel 64 Technology - This enhancement to Intel’s 32-bit architecture supports 64-bit computing, including enabling the processor to access larger amounts of memory."

Huh... A 32-Bit processor pretending to be a 64-Bit processor. How novel. Just makes me miss the PPC more.

[David @ Jul 27th 2006 5:41AM]

My problem is finding a board for these new processors that will handle quad sli, (you need two full x16 slots, not just x16 slots wired for x8 or x4 like some boards offer). One of my customers is willing to pay me $400 (over the cost of parts) to build a completely custom core2 duo system with dual 7950 GX2's and 2GB of ram.

I was looking at the Asus P5N32 but no word if it will support core 2 duos or not.

[Silver R. Wolfe @ Jul 27th 2006 6:01AM]

@Tom

I doubt that if you get a Dell you'll even have the option to get a chip like this with it. Especially after Dell's partnership with AMD.

[dextro @ Jul 27th 2006 7:52AM]

So how long until new macbooks with Core 2 Duos? :P

[Tnyc @ Jul 27th 2006 8:14AM]

So today is the day AMD officially hands over the performance crown to Intel. Let's clap for Intel guys. They deserve it because based on all the reviews, this ain't no hype. I'm sure AMD will get the crown back....the problem is how long it will take them to get it back and for what price?

[Chez @ Jul 27th 2006 8:32AM]

dextro - There are reports on the net that you can just replace a macbooks core duo yonah chip with a merom.

Not sure how true this is, leo laporte covered it on one of his podcasts..

I wouldn't wanna try it though.

[Racekarl @ Jul 27th 2006 8:33AM]

@David:

As I understand it you have a little more time to wait before Quad SLI with Conroe becomes a reality. In addition to the PCIe specs you mentioned, you'll need a motherboard that supports the new power and memory usage of the conroe chips (even though they'll fit in the same socket as the Pentium D chips, they're not compatible). Quad SLI also requires the board makers to update BIOS and Nvidia to produce a driver, none of which have happeneed yet.

So sit tight, it's gonna be a little while.

[leon @ Jul 27th 2006 9:25AM]

Yeah baby, Intel is back!

[solitude @ Jul 27th 2006 9:31AM]

PLease can someone tell me if current generation core duo mother boards can handle core2duo or would one have to buy a new set. Thanks

[@werk @ Jul 27th 2006 9:39AM]

AMD shouldn't be worried, all they have to do is unleash a quad-core where each core is capable of "turbo-blast processing" and intel will fold like a house of cards.

worked for sega

[Benson Leung @ Jul 27th 2006 9:44AM]

@Silver R. Wolfe:

You are wrong that all of a sudden Dell is switching entirely over to AMD, especially for laptops. Dell continues to have a working relationship with Intel, especially now that Intel has the best stuff once again...

Dell has already committed to using Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme in their XPS high end gaming machines... and hasn't put an AMD chip in anything other than a server product.

In areas like notebook computers, it makes no sense for Dell to snub Intel and go with AMD right now... AMD's notebook chips are way behind Intel's, especially when you compare Turion to the Merom Core 2 Duo.

[Jon Hung @ Jul 27th 2006 12:58PM]

@solitude

Some motherboards may be able to support Conroes / Meroms with a simple BIOS flash. Some boards will not. The only way to tell is monitor various user forums for reports or wait and see if your vendor releases a BIOS update.

[star trek @ Jul 28th 2006 1:24AM]

OEMs only care about their own products and the best chip available. For OEMs, chip loyalty is just rubbish.
2006 is a trifecta year for Intel, and it's good to see that after nearly 2 years of left behind thing, the competition is back in business. And even when you overclock the latest AMD pup, Conroe still smokes it.
It looks like the only thing AMD has left is the Opteron for 4p+ servers/workstations.