Intel Delivers Quad-Core Processors
11.14.2006—Intel today began shipping new quad-core processors in its Xeon and Core 2 Extreme chip series. The new chips, available in a variety of configurations, are tailored for high-end servers and workstations but should make their way into the mainstream by the first quarter of next year.
Included in the lineup is the new Xeon 5300 series, which utilizes four CPU cores on a single chip. Intel says this new chip delivers a 50 percent performance improvement over the Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100, which began shipping about five months ago. And it comes in at the same price as its predecessor. Four versions of the Xeon 5300 began shipping today at clock speeds ranging from 1.6 GHz to 2.66 GHz with frontside bus speeds ranging from 1,066 MHz to 1,333 MHz. Dell, HP and IBM have all announced new systems that integrate the Xeon 5300.
On the mobile and desktop front, Intel also introduced its long-anticipated quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme chip. Dual-core Intel Core 2 chips are presently being used by a variety of system manufacturers, from Apple to Dell, in notebook and desktop systems. The quad-core version QX6700 offers up to 80 percent faster performance, according to Intel. The QX6700 is available at 2.66 GHz with a 1,066 MHz frontside bus. It runs on Intel's current 975X Express chipset family.
This chip is expected to make its way into computers from mainstream manufacturers this year. But Intel says it won't begin shipping what it considers to be its mainstream version of the quad-core Core 2 Extreme until the first quarter of next year. It will be branded under the name Core 2 Quad.
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About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at [email protected].
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