More 45nm Goodness for Quad-Core Processors

Intel has been successfully retailing 45nm processors since the last quarter to 2007, but as per recent tradition, they've only debuted a single 'champion' SKU in retail with the Core 2 Extreme QX9650. Acting as a showcase to their engineering prowess, the QX9650 is 3.0GHz processor with 12MB of L2 running on a 1333MHz FSB. Though expensive, Intel does have all the advantage to charge a premium as it desires since the competition could barely churn enough Phenom processors at launch (not to mention any competitive ones). Intel on the other hand, has made strategic offerings to best support its overall production of Penryn and Harpertown processors (both of which are 45nm processor codenames) for the desktop and workstation segment respectively.

By the mid of first quarter in 2008, Intel has built up enough volume to expand its 45nm processor family in all segments. The workstation segment saw the introduction of low-powered 50W TDP based Harpertown processors with lower voltage operation, while the high performance notebook segment is slowly introducing the Intel T9000 and T8000 series 45nm processors that feature more cache than its predecessors and supports the new architectural enhancements found on the 45nm processor designs. And finally for the DIY enthusiasts, Wolfdale dual-core and more Penryn 45nm processors have begun populating the retail stores. Case in point today is the performance review of the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 and Q9450 processors that will eventually retire the current Core 2 Quad 6000 series processors. Here's how Intel's desktop quad-core processor lineup looks like at the moment:-

Intel Core 2 Quad-Core Processor Lineup
Processor Model / Processor Characteristics Clock Speed L2 Cache Front Side Bus (MHz) Max TDP (W) Estimated Price (US$)
Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3.00GHz 6MB x 2 1333 130 $999
Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz 6MB x 2 1333 95 $530
Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz 6MB x 2 1333 95 $316
Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.50GHz 3MB x 2 1333 95 $266
Predecessor Quad-Core Models
Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.00GHz 4MB x 2 1333 130 $999
Core 2 Quad Q6700 2.67GHz 4MB x 2 1066 95 $530
Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz 4MB x 2 1066 95 $266

As you can see, there's even a Core 2 Quad Q9300 processor. We've not yet received a sample of this model, so our article today will concentrate on the performance aspects of the Core 2 Quad Q9550 and Q9450 processors. Note that all the newer quad-core Penryn processors that don't fall under the Extreme labeling manage a more friendly 95W TDP qualification. Combined with the Penryn's architectural enhancements, specifications and price points, the new Core 2 Quad series is easily the recommended choice even without serious evaluation. Who wouldn't want more for less? That's exactly what the new 45nm processors deliver, so read on to see where exactly the newer comers stand among the more prevalent Intel quad-core processors to-date

Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 Review

Intel Launches 45nm Desktop Processors - QX9650 Leads The Way

It has been a long time in the making, but the Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 has finally arrived! The Intel QX9650 has been talked about for many months, so it shouldn't be anything new to you, but the embargo on the performance numbers has finally lifted. If you want to purchase one of these you'll still have to wait till the official launch date of November 12th, 2007. Intel hasn't said a word about pricing, but we are hopeful that it will launch at the same price as the Intel QX6850, which was $999.

The Intel QX9650 has a 3.0 GHz core frequency, a 12MB chunk of L2 cache, was built on the 45nm process and features a new SSE4 instruction set. Since the clock frequency hasn't changed the significant differences is the extra 4MB of cache and the fact it was done on the 45nm process. It is the world’s first 45nm, high-K metal gate lead-free desktop processor. If you are already a bit lost please feel free to go back and reference some of our previous articles on Intel's 45nm processors. It's interesting to see that Intel previewed us a 45nm Yorkfield at 3.33GHz in April of 2007 and now six months later they are releasing the same part at just 3.00GHz. That might just go to show how much overclocking potential one of these processors might have.

Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor QX9650 Specifications:

• 3.0 GHz, 1333 FSB, quad-core
• 45nm high-K metal gate transistor technology
• 12MB L2 cache
• SSE4 instructions
• 820M transistors
• Total Die Size - 214mm²
• LGA775 socket, 130W TDP, “C-step”
• Overspeed protection removed
• Supported by either Intel P35 or Intel X38 chipsets
• MSRP - $999

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor

Description: This is an Intel Core 2 Quad processor with a frequency of 2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, and an 8MB cache. Leaders of the pack seeking monster performance, look no further. With four execution cores, the Intel Core 2 Quad processor blows through processor-intensive tasks in demanding multitasking environments and makes the most of highly threaded applications.

In a shocking price cut, Intel trimmed the price of the Q6700 Core 2 Quad processor in half, and trimmed the price of other processors by as much as 30 percent.

In all, Intel reduced the price of fourteen processors, ranging from the mainstream desktop to its Xeon line for servers. The company also introduced several new models.

The most noteworthy reduction, however, was the Q6700, now priced at $266, down from $530. Intel also slashed the price of the corresponding Xeon processor, the X3230, in half as well, to $266 as well. Both chips run at 2.66 GHz, and include an 8 Mbyte cache. The company also launched the Core 2 Duo E8300 (6M Cache, 2.83 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB) at $163, and the Core 2 Duo Processor E7200 (3M Cache, 2.53 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) at $133.

Intel did not give any specifics as to the reasons for the cuts, which the company usually attributes to seasonal pricing adjustments. "We continue to provide greater value to users over time, as we've been doing for many years," Intel spokesman Dan Snyder said in an email. "Also, 45nm continues to ramp at a rapid pace, with shipment cross over sometime in Q3'08."

Intel's 45-nm fabrication processes theoretically allow the company to produce its processors more cheaply than rival AMD, which that it will begin shipping volume shipments of 45-nm parts this summer, with products appearing in the fall. To maintain its profit margin, AMD has had to play an increasingly complex game of minimizing its manufacturing costs while maintaining as high as selling price as possible, in order to fund future development and manufacturing. Intel also trimmed the price of the Q6600, a 2.40-GHz quad-core chip, from $266 to $224, a difference of 16 percent. The price of both the Q6700 and Q6600 are now even more in the ballpark of AMD's Phenom processor, and the reductions will place even more pressure on AMD's triple-core Phenom offerings.

AMD release new Phenom X4 processors with B3 silicon

The AMD Phenom line of processors got off to a fairly horrible start in life. Buggy silicon and stiff competition from Intel meant that, sadly, it's not a processor family people have taken to in droves. Architecturally, K10 has been overtaken, and the monolithic nature of the quad-core design means AMD are relying rather heavily on yeilds and uptake of the odd tri-core variant.Rather than put the design immediately out to pasture, they're persevering with fixing the silicon and making the product line more attractive to consumers. Pricing is really keen, and it still makes a fine upgrade for AM2 Athlon X2 users looking to add a bit more processing pep to their systems.The Tech Report have had a good look at B3, the stepping that fixes the errate unearthed on launch, and found it to be more than reasonable for those with AM2 sockets."I think we can now say that the Phenom is also a guide-worthy proposition, if not as a primary recommendation, then at least as an alternate."If Intel isn't your bag, you should probably take a look at the new B3-based brains behind Spider, the AMD enthusiast platform. These new Phenoms, when paired with a nice 790FX main board and one or two HD 3xxx Radeons, means that Spider doesn't look half bad for the gamer.

AMD releases triple core processors

AMD has released the world's first triple core processors. The AMD Phenom X3 8000 processors have been designed for high performance with multi-thread applications, at mainstream price levels.
The Phenom X3 8000 and AMD 780 chipset create what AMD describes as the ‘ultimate mainstream desktop platform', promising better performance with multi-thread applications compared to dual-core processors, while also offering advanced features comparable to quad-core processors.
Bob Brewer, corporate vice president, strategic marketing, AMD said: AMD committed to delivering AMD Phenom triple-core processors .And today the company makes good on that promise. AMD understands that today's PC applications are best accelerated with a range of multi-core products from quad- to triple- to dual-core processors, and that's why we now deliver the broadest multi-core desktop lineup in the industry."

Intel Core 2 Duo & Core 2 Extreme Processors, Chipsets And Performance Analysis

For the past few years, Intel's desktop processors have been playing second fiddle to AMD's Athlon 64 in a number of ways. Both single and dual-core variants of the Athlon 64 have been at the top of most benchmark charts essentially since their introduction, and AMD's processors have been more energy efficient as well. Conversely, since the introduction of the Prescott core, Intel's processors have earned a somewhat notorious reputation for running hot and consuming more than their fare share of power.

This scenario has played out since September of 2003, when AMD first released the Athlon 64 FX-51. But it all ends today. A while back Intel announced that they would be abandoning the Netburst microarchitecture, on which all of their current Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors are based, in favor of a new microarchitecture that incorporated the best of Netburst but borrowed heavily from their low-power, high-performance Pentium-M.

The Core microarchitecture as it is now known will be the basis for a whole line of mobile (Merom), desktop (Conroe), and server (Woodcrest) processors. Over the last few months, we've posted some information and performance data regarding Conroe, but up until now we haven't been able to fully evaluate one of these processors ourselves in our own labs. Today we're going to serve up a detailed look at Conroe and hopefully explain how Intel reclaimed the performance crown from their rivals.

Dual Core AMD Processors

AMD has recently announced their new dual core CPUs, lauching solutions for both desktop and server markets. The new Athlon 64 with dual core technology has been baptized Athlon 64 X2, while the new dual core Opteron processors keep the same name, but changing their model
number system to indicate dual core feature.

With two cores the system works as if two independent CPUs were installed on the system. Thus, only multiprocessing operating systems are capable of taking advantage of dual core CPUs – Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and all Unix flavors like Linux, FreeBSD, etc. Also, only users that really need a CPU-intensive machine will sense a real performance boost.

The dual core approach from AMD is slight different from Intel. Since in AMD Athlon 64 and Opteron CPUs the north bridge is embbeded in the processor, the CPU itself can control the multiprocessing , allowing the two cores to communicate directly without the need of going outside the CPU. On Intel approach, if one core wants to talk to the other core, it has to ask permission to the north bridge, which is located outside the CPU and accessed at a lower speed.