Core 2 Central processing unit
Codename "Conroe"
Produced:	From 2006
Manufacturer:	Intel
Max CPU clock:	1. 06 GHz to 3. The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. 20 GHz
FSB speeds:	0533 MT/s to 1600 MT/s
Min feature size:	0. The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. Gigatransfer (GT and Megatransfer (MT are terms used in computer technology referring to a number of data transfers (or operations Gigatransfer (GT and Megatransfer (MT are terms used in computer technology referring to a number of data transfers (or operations 065 µm to 0. A micrometre ( American spelling: micrometer; symbol µm) is one millionth of a Metre, or equivalently one thousandth of a Millimetre 045 µm
Instruction set:	x86, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, x86-64, SSE4 (SSE4 is for Penryn and Yorkfield-based processors only)
Microarchitecture:	Intel Core microarchitecture
Cores:	1, 2, or 4 (2x2)
Sockets: Socket T (LGA 775) Socket M (µPGA 478) Socket P (µPGA 478) Micro-FCBGA (µBGA 479)
Core name:	Allendale, Conroe, Merom-2M, Merom, Kentsfield, Wolfdale, Yorkfield, Penryn

The Core 2 brand refers to a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit dual-core and 2x2 MCM quad-core CPUs with the x86-64 instruction set, based on the Intel Core microarchitecture, derived from the 32-bit dual-core Yonah laptop processor. An instruction set is a list of all the instructions and all their variations that a processor can execute See also X86 assembly language The generic term x86 refers to the most commercially successful Instruction set architecture in the history of Personal MMX is a single instruction multiple data (SIMD Instruction set designed by Intel, introduced in 1997 in their Pentium line of S treaming '''S'''IMD E xtensions ( SSE) is a SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data Instruction set extension to the X86 SSE2, Streaming SIMD Extensions 2, is one of the IA-32 SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data Instruction sets SSE2 was first introduced by SSE3, also known by its Intel code name Prescott New Instructions (PNI, is the third iteration of the SSE instruction set for the IA-32 architecture Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extension 3 ( SSSE3) is Intel 's name for the SSE instruction set's fourth iteration x86-64 is a Superset of the x86 instruction set architecture. SSE4 is an Instruction set used in the Intel Core microarchitecture and AMD K10 (K8L. In Computer engineering, microarchitecture (sometime abbreviated to µarch or uarch is a description of the Electrical circuitry of a Computer, Central The Intel Core microarchitecture (previously known as the Intel Next-Generation Micro-Architecture, or NGMA is a multi-core processor A multi-core processor (or chip-level multiprocessor, CMP) combines two or more independent cores into a single package composed of a single Integrated Socket M is a CPU interface introduced by Intel in 2006 for the Intel Core line of mobile processors. The Intel Socket P is the mobile Processor socket replacement for the new Intel Core 2 chips Micro-FCBGA ( Flip Chip Ball Grid Array) is Intel's current BGA mounting method for mobile processors that use a Flip chip binding technology '64-bit' CPUs have existed in Supercomputers since the 1960s and in RISC -based workstations and servers since the early 1990s. A Multi-Chip Module (MCM is a specialized electronic package where multiple Integrated circuits (ICs semiconductor dies or other modules are packaged in such a way as x86-64 is a Superset of the x86 instruction set architecture. The Intel Core microarchitecture (previously known as the Intel Next-Generation Micro-Architecture, or NGMA is a multi-core processor The range of Integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4294967295 or −2147483648 through 2147483647 using Two's complement encoding A multi-core processor (or chip-level multiprocessor, CMP) combines two or more independent cores into a single package composed of a single Integrated The Core brand refers to Intel 's 32-bit mobile Dual-core X86 CPUs that derived from the Pentium M branded processors (Note: The Yonah's silicon chip or die comprised two interconnected cores - each similar to those branded Pentium M). The Core brand refers to Intel 's 32-bit mobile Dual-core X86 CPUs that derived from the Pentium M branded processors Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside A die in the context of Integrated circuits is a small block of semiconducting material on which a given functional circuit is fabricated Overview The Pentium M represented a new and radical departure for Intel as it was not a low-power version of the desktop-oriented Pentium 4, but instead a heavily modified The 2x2 MCM dual-die quad-core^[1] CPU had two separate dual-core dies (CPUs) - next to each other - in one quad-core MCM package. A Multi-Chip Module (MCM is a specialized electronic package where multiple Integrated circuits (ICs semiconductor dies or other modules are packaged in such a way as A Multi-Chip Module (MCM is a specialized electronic package where multiple Integrated circuits (ICs semiconductor dies or other modules are packaged in such a way as The Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to a lower-end market, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines, which previously had been divided into the Pentium 4, D, and M brands. The Pentium brand refers to Intel 's single-core x86 Microprocessor based on the P5 fifth-generation Microarchitecture. The Pentium Dual-Core brand refers to mainstream X86 -architecture Microprocessors from Intel. The Pentium registered Trademark is included in many Brand names of Intel 's single- and Multi-core x86 -compatible Microprocessors The Pentium 4 brand refers to Intel 's line of single- core mainstream desktop and Laptop Central processing units (CPUs introduced The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured Overview The Pentium M represented a new and radical departure for Intel as it was not a low-power version of the desktop-oriented Pentium 4, but instead a heavily modified

The Core microarchitecture returned to lower clock speeds and improved processors' usage of both available clock cycles and power compared with preceding NetBurst of the Pentium 4/D-branded CPUs. The clock rate is the fundamental rate in cycles per second (measured in Hertz) at which a Computer performs its most basic operations such as adding two The Intel NetBurst Microarchitecture, called P68 inside Intel was the successor to the P6 microarchitecture in the X86 family of CPUs The Pentium 4 brand refers to Intel 's line of single- core mainstream desktop and Laptop Central processing units (CPUs introduced The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured ^[2] Core microarchitecture provides more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses, reducing the power consumption of Core 2-branded CPUs, while increasing their processing capacity. In Electrical engineering, power consumption often refers to the Electrical energy over Time supplied to operate an Electrical appliance, although

The Core 2 brand was introduced on July 27, 2006^[3] comprising the Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) branches, during 2007. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A multi-core processor (or chip-level multiprocessor, CMP) combines two or more independent cores into a single package composed of a single Integrated A multi-core processor (or chip-level multiprocessor, CMP) combines two or more independent cores into a single package composed of a single Integrated ^[4]

Contents 1 Duo, Quad, and Extreme 2 Processor cores 2.1 Conroe 2.2 Conroe XE 2.3 Conroe L 2.4 Allendale 2.5 Merom 2.6 Merom XE 2.7 Kentsfield 2.8 Kentsfield XE 2.9 Yorkfield XE 2.10 Penryn 2.11 Wolfdale 2.12 Yorkfield 3 Future processors 4 Successors 5 System requirements 5.1 Motherboard compatibility 5.2 Synchronous memory modules 6 Chip bugs 7 Pricing 8 Nomenclature and abbreviations 9 See also 10 References 11 External links 11.1 News reports on the Core 2 product launch 11.2 Reviews

Duo, Quad, and Extreme

The Core 2-branded CPUs include: "Conroe" and "Allendale" (dual-core for higher- and lower-end desktops), "Merom" (dual-core for laptops), "Kentsfield" (quad-core for desktops), and their variants named "Penryn" (dual-core for laptops), "Wolfdale" (dual-core for desktops) and "Yorkfield" (quad-core for desktops). (Note: For the server and workstation "Woodcrest", "Clovertown", and "Tigerton" CPUs see the Xeon brand^[5]. The Xeon brand refers to many families of Intel 's x86 Multiprocessing CPUs – for dual-processor (DP and multi-processor (MP configuration )

The Core 2 branded processors featured the Virtualization Technology (except T52x0, T5300, T54x0, T55x0 with stepping "B2", E2xx0, E4x00 and E8190 models), Execute Disable Bit, and SSE3. x86 virtualization is the method by which X86 -based "guest" operating systems are run under another "host" x86 operating system with little or no modification Stepping is a designation used by Intel and AMD to identify how much the design of a Microprocessor has advanced from the original design The NX bit, which stands for No eXecute, is a technology used in CPUs to segregate areas of memory for use by either storage of processor instructions (or code SSE3, also known by its Intel code name Prescott New Instructions (PNI, is the third iteration of the SSE instruction set for the IA-32 architecture Their Core microarchitecture introduced also SSSE3, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2). The Intel Core microarchitecture (previously known as the Intel Next-Generation Micro-Architecture, or NGMA is a multi-core processor Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extension 3 ( SSSE3) is Intel 's name for the SSE instruction set's fourth iteration Trusted Execution Technology (TET or TXT formerly known as LaGrande Technology is a key component of Intel 's initiative of "safer computing" SpeedStep is a Trademark for a series of technologies (including SpeedStep SpeedStep II and SpeedStep III built into some Intel Intel Active Management Technology (AMT is hardware-based technology for remotely managing and securing PCs Out-of-band. With a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of up to only 65 W, the Core 2 dual-core Conroe consumed only half the power of less capable, but also dual-core Pentium D-branded desktop chips^[6] with a TDP of up to 130 W^[7] (a high TDP requires additional cooling that can be noisy or expensive). The Thermal Design Power (TDP (sometimes called Thermal Design Point) represents the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured

Typical for CPUs, the Core 2 Duo E4000/E6000, Core 2 Quad Q6600, Core 2 Extreme dual-core X6800, and quad-core QX6700 and QX6800 CPUs were affected by minor bugs. The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named ^[8]

Intel Core 2 processor family
Logo	Desktop			Laptop
	Code-named	Core	Date released	Code-named	Core	Date released
	Conroe Allendale Wolfdale	dual (65 nm) dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm)	Aug 2006 Jan 2007 Jan 2008	Merom Penryn	dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm)	Jul 2006 Jan 2008
	Kentsfield Yorkfield	quad (65 nm) quad (45 nm)	Jan 2007 Mar 2008	Penryn	quad (45 nm)	Aug 2008*
	Conroe XE Kentsfield XE Yorkfield XE	dual (65 nm) quad (65 nm) quad (45 nm)	Jul 2006 Nov 2006 Nov 2007	Merom XE Penryn XE Penryn XE	dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm) quad (45 nm)	Jul 2007 Jan 2008 May 2008*
	No desktop version available			Merom Penryn	solo (65 nm) solo (45 nm)	Sep 2007 May 2008*
* Date to be confirmed List of Intel Core 2 microprocessors

Processor cores

Conroe

The first Intel Core 2 Duo branded processor cores, code-named Conroe (Intel product code 80557), were launched on July 27, 2006, at Fragapalooza, a yearly gaming event in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A desktop computer is a Personal computer (PC in a form intended for regular use at a single location as opposed to a mobile Laptop or portable computer A laptop computer, also known as a notebook computer, is a small Personal computer designed for mobile use. The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Fragapalooza is a Video game based gaming festival / LAN party that takes place in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. These processors were fabricated on 300 mm wafers using a 65 nm manufacturing process, and intended for desktop computers, as a replacement for the Pentium 4 and Pentium D branded CPUs. The 65 nanometer (65 nm process is an advanced lithographic node used in volume CMOS Semiconductor fabrication. The Pentium 4 brand refers to Intel 's line of single- core mainstream desktop and Laptop Central processing units (CPUs introduced The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured Intel has claimed that Conroe provides 40% more performance at 40% less power compared to the Pentium D. All Conroe processors are manufactured with 4 MB L2 cache; however, due to manufacturing defects or possibly for marketing purposes, the E6300 and E6400 versions based on this core have half their cache disabled, leaving them with only 2 MB of usable L2 cache. These Conroe-based E6300 and E6400 CPUs have the B2 stepping. Stepping is a designation used by Intel and AMD to identify how much the design of a Microprocessor has advanced from the original design

The lower end E6300 (1. 86 GHz) and E6400 (2. 13 GHz), both with a 1066 MT/s FSB, were released on July 27, 2006. Gigatransfer (GT and Megatransfer (MT are terms used in computer technology referring to a number of data transfers (or operations In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Traditionally, CPUs of the same family with less cache simply have the unavailable cache disabled, since this allows parts that fail quality control to be sold at a lower rating. When yields improve, they may be replaced with versions that only have the cache amount needed on the die, to bring down manufacturing cost. At launch time, Intel's prices for the Core 2 Duo E6300 and E6400 processors were US$183 and US$224 each in quantities of 1000. Conroe CPUs have improved capabilities over previous models with similar processor speeds. According to reviews, the larger 4 MB L2 cache vs. the smaller 2 MB L2 cache at the same frequency and FSB can provide a 0–9% performance gain with certain applications and 0–16% performance gain with certain games. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. ^[9][10] The higher end Conroe processors are the E6600 (2. 4 GHz) and E6700 (2. 67 GHz) Core 2 Duo models. The family has a 1066 MT/s front side bus, 4 MB shared L2 cache, and 65 watts TDP. Gigatransfer (GT and Megatransfer (MT are terms used in computer technology referring to a number of data transfers (or operations In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. The Thermal Design Power (TDP (sometimes called Thermal Design Point) represents the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate These processors have been tested against AMD's then-current top performing processors (Athlon 64 FX Series), which were, until this latest Intel release, the fastest CPUs available. The Athlon 64 is an eighth-generation AMD64 architecture Microprocessor produced by AMD, released on Conroe chips also experience much lower heat output compared to their predecessors — a benefit of the new 65 nm technology and the much more efficient microarchitecture. At launch time, Intel's prices for the Core 2 Duo E6600 and E6700 processors were US$316 and US$530, respectively, each in quantities of 1000.

E6320 and E6420 Conroe CPUs at 1. 86 and 2. 13 GHz respectively were launched on April 22, 2007 featuring a full 4 MB of cache and are considered Conroes. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Intel released four additional Core 2 Duo Processors on July 22, 2007. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The release coincided with that of the Intel Bearlake (x3x) chipsets. This is a list of Computer Motherboard Chipsets made by Intel. The new processors are named Core 2 Duo E6540, E6550, E6750, and E6850. Processors with a number ending in "50" have a 1333 MT/s FSB. The processors all have 4 MB of L2 cache. Their clock frequency is similar to that of the already released processors with the same first two digits (E6600, E6700, X6800). ^[11] An additional model, the E6540, was launched with specifications similar to the E6550 but lacking Intel Trusted Execution Technology and vPro support. Relationships between Intel vPro Intel AMT Intel Centrino 2 and Intel Core 2 The numerous Intel brands can be confusing These processors are slated to compete with AMD's Stars processor line and are therefore priced below corresponding processors with a 1066 MT/s FSB. ^[12]

Intel has stated that the E6300 and the E6400 are Conroe CPUs with the cache disabled. Allendale core CPUs are the E4XX0 series of CPUs.

Conroe XE

The Core 2 Extreme was officially released on July 29, 2006. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. However some retailers appeared to have released it on July 13, 2006, though at a higher premium. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The less powerful E6x00 models of Core 2 Duo were scheduled for simultaneous release with the X6800, which are both available at this time. It is powered by the Conroe XE core and replaces the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition processors. The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured Core 2 Extreme has a clock speed of 2. 93 GHz and a 1066 MHz FSB, although it was initially expected to be released with a 3. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. 33 GHz and 1333 MHz. The TDP for this family is 75–80 watts. With SpeedStep enabled, the average temperature of the CPU when idle is essentially that of the ambient atmosphere. SpeedStep is a Trademark for a series of technologies (including SpeedStep SpeedStep II and SpeedStep III built into some Intel ^[13]

At launch time, Intel's price for the Core 2 Extreme X6800 was US$999 each in quantities of 1000. Like the desktop Core 2 Duo, it has 4 MiB of shared L2 cache available. A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. This means that the only major difference between the regular Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme is the clock speed and unlocked multiplier, usual advantages of the "Extreme Edition. " The unlocked upward multiplier is of use to enthusiasts as it allows the user to set the clockspeed higher than shipping frequency without modifying the FSB unlike mainstream Core 2 Duo models which are downward unlocked only. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge.

Conroe L

The Conroe-L Celeron is a single-core processor built on the Intel Core microarchitecture and is clocked much lower than the Cedar Mill Celerons, but still outperforms them. It is based on the 65 nm Conroe-L core,[26] and uses a 400-series model number sequence. [27] The FSB was increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz in this generation, and the TDP was decreased from 65W to 35W. Traditionally with Celerons, it does not have Intel VT-x instruction support or SpeedStep. All Conroe-L models are single-core processors for the value segment of the market, much like the AMD K8-based Sempron. The product line was launched on June 5, 2007.

On October 21, 2007, Intel presented a new processor for its Intel Essential Series. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The full name of the processor is a Celeron 220 and is soldered on the D201GLY2 motherboard. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop With 1. 2 GHz and a 512 KB second level cache it has a TDP of 19 Watt and can be cooled passively. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. The Celeron 220 is the successor of the Celeron 215 which is based on a Yonah core and used on the D201GLY motherboard. This processor is exclusively used on the mini-ITX boards targeted to the sub-value market segment. Mini-ITX is a 17 x 17 cm (or 693 x 693 Inches) low-power Motherboard Form factor developed by VIA Technologies. ^[14]

Allendale

There was contention about the previously available low-end Core 2 Duo desktop processors (E6300, at 1. 86 GHz and E6400, at 2. 13 GHz, both with 2 MiB L2 cache), whether they are specimens of the Allendale core. A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. Prior to Q1 2007, all E6300 and E6400 processors released were Conroe (4 MiB L2 cache) cores with half their L2 cache disabled. The Allendale core, manufactured with 2 MiB L2 cache in total, offers a smaller die size and therefore greater yields.

Quoted from The Tech Report:

You'll find plenty of sources that will tell you the code name for these 2 MB Core 2 Duo processors is "Allendale," but Intel says otherwise. The Tech Report is a web site dedicated to covering the latest trends in computer hardware technology and gaming and is regularly linked to by sites such as Slashdot and Digg These CPUs are still code-named "Conroe," which makes sense since they're the same physical chips with half of their L2 cache disabled. Intel may well be cooking up a chip code-named Allendale with 2 MB of L2 cache natively, but this is not that chip. ^[15]

Another difference between the premium E6000 series (Conroe core) and the E4000 series (Allendale core) is the front side bus clock rating. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. The E4000 series are rated to run on a quad-pumped 200 MHz front side bus ("800 MT/s") while the E6000 series are rated to run on a quad-pumped 266 MHz front side bus ("1066 MT/s"). Pumping, when referring to Computer systems is simply how many times per Clock cycle data is being transmitted In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. The E4000 series also lack support for Intel VT-x instructions. x86 virtualization is the method by which X86 -based "guest" operating systems are run under another "host" x86 operating system with little or no modification

The currently available Core 2 Duo E4300^[16] only uses an Allendale core, released on January 21, 2007. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Allendale processors use a smaller mask with only 2 MiB of cache, thereby increasing the number of chips per wafer. Allendale processors are produced in the LGA775 form factor, on the 65 nm process node. E6300 and E6400 CPUs have been made from both the 4 MB Conroe die and the 2 MB L2 Allendale die. The steppings of the chip differs depending on the die used- the Conroe-based E6300 and E6400 are stepping B2 and the Allendale-based E6300 and E6400 are stepping L2. Stepping is a designation used by Intel and AMD to identify how much the design of a Microprocessor has advanced from the original design

Initial list price per processor in quantities of one thousand for the E4300 was US$163. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been A standard OEM price was US$175, or US$189 for a retail package. The price was cut on April 22, 2007,^[17] when the E4400 was released at $133 and the E4300 dropped to $113. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Allendale processors with half their L2 cache disabled were released in mid-June 2007 under the Pentium Dual-Core brand name. The Pentium Dual-Core brand refers to mainstream X86 -architecture Microprocessors from Intel. The working cache memory was reduced by half again when the Allendale core was released under Intel's Celeron brand; the Celeron E1200 has a 512k L2 cache shared between its two cores.

On July 22, 2007, an E4500 Allendale was launched, phasing out the E4300 model. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[12] This was accompanied by a price cut for the E4400 model.

Merom

Merom, the first mobile version of the Core 2, was officially released on July 27, 2006 but quietly began shipping to PC manufacturers in mid-July alongside Conroe. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[18][19] Merom became Intel's premier line of mobile processors, with mostly the same features of Conroe, but with more emphasis on low power consumption to enhance notebook battery life. Merom-based Core 2 Duo provides a slight performance increase associated with 3D rendering and media encoding tasks [1], yet maintains the same battery life as the Yonah-based Core Duo. The Core brand refers to Intel 's 32-bit mobile Dual-core X86 CPUs that derived from the Pentium M branded processors Merom is the first Intel mobile processor to feature Intel 64 architecture. x86-64 is a Superset of the x86 instruction set architecture.

The first version of Merom is "drop-in" compatible with Napa platform for Core Duo, requiring at most a motherboard BIOS update. Centrino is a platform- Marketing initiative from Intel. It is not a mobile CPU - rather the term covers a particular combination of mainboard Chipset It has a similar thermal envelope of 34 W and the same 667 MT/s FSB rate. The Thermal Design Power (TDP (sometimes called Thermal Design Point) represents the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate ^[20] The Merom die features 4 MiB L2 cache, half of which is deactivated in the T5xx0 CPUs. A native 2 MB L2 version of the Merom core, called Merom-2M, was rolled out in early 2007. The Merom-2M core uses the steppings L2 and M0 and the ultra-low-voltage versions of the Core 2 Duo use this core. Stepping is a designation used by Intel and AMD to identify how much the design of a Microprocessor has advanced from the original design

A second wave of Merom processors featuring an 800 MT/s FSB and using the new Socket P was launched on May 9, 2007. The Intel Socket P is the mobile Processor socket replacement for the new Intel Core 2 chips Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[21] These chips are part of Santa Rosa platform. Centrino is a platform- Marketing initiative from Intel. It is not a mobile CPU - rather the term covers a particular combination of mainboard Chipset ^[22] Low voltage versions were also released on May 9, 2007. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

The first Core 2 Solo processors were launched in Q3 2007 and consisted of the U2100 and U2200, which run at 1. 06 and 1. 2 GHz, respectively. They both feature a 533 MHz FSB and are part of Intel's ULW family, running at only 5 W. Like the rest of the Core 2 family, they are 64-bit compatible. They were released with compatibility with the Napa platform rather than the newer Santa Rosa platform due to power consumption concerns. ^[23]

Merom (מרום) is the Hebrew word for a higher plane of existence or a level of heaven, BaMerom (במרום) means "in the heavens". The name was chosen by the Intel team in Haifa, Israel, who designed this processor. Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest City in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country with

See the Merom section of "List of Intel Core 2 microprocessors" for a list of Intel processors. The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named

Merom XE

The Core 2 Extreme Mobile processor, based on the Merom XE core, is a laptop CPU designed for ultra-high end laptops. It was released in two models, the X7900 and the X7800. These feature an 800 MHz FSB. The X7800, introduced on July 16, 2007,^[24] is clocked at 2. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 6 GHz and costs around $851 for OEMs. The processor features a 44 W TDP and requires the new Intel Centrino (Santa Rosa) platform. The X7900, introduced on August 22, 2007, is clocked at 2. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 8 GHz.

The X7900 processor was used in the top-end iMacs released in August 7 2007. The iMac is a desktop Macintosh computer designed and built by Apple Inc

Kentsfield

The Kentsfield released on November 2, 2006, was the first Intel desktop quad core^[25] CPU branded Core 2 (and Xeon for lower-end servers and workstations). Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A multi-core processor (or chip-level multiprocessor, CMP) combines two or more independent cores into a single package composed of a single Integrated The Xeon brand refers to many families of Intel 's x86 Multiprocessing CPUs – for dual-processor (DP and multi-processor (MP configuration The top-of-the-line Kentsfields were Core 2 Extreme models numbered QX6xx0, while the mainstream ones branded Core 2 Quad were numbered Q6xx0. All of them featured two 4 MB L2 caches. In Computer science, a cache (kæʃ like "cash") is a collection of data duplicating original The mainstream Core 2 Quad Q6600, clocked at 2. 4 GHz, was launched on January 8, 2007 at US$851 (reduced to US$530 on April 7, 2007). Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. July 22, 2007 marked the release of the Q6700, and Extreme QX6850 Kentsfields at US$530 and US$999 respectively along with a further price reduction of the Q6600 to US$266. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[26]

Analagous to the Pentium D branded CPUs, the Kentsfields comprise two separate silicon dies (each equivalent to a single Core 2 duo) on one MCM^[27]. The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured A Multi-Chip Module (MCM is a specialized electronic package where multiple Integrated circuits (ICs semiconductor dies or other modules are packaged in such a way as This results in lower costs but lesser share of the bandwidth from each of the CPUs to the northbridge than if the dies were each to sit in separate sockets as is the case for example with the AMD Quad FX platform^[28]. The northbridge, also known as the memory controller hub ( MCH) in Intel systems (AMD VIA SiS and others usually use 'northbridge' is traditionally one The AMD Quad FX platform is an AMD platform targeted at enthusiasts which allows users to plug two Socket F Athlon 64 FX or 2-way Opteron Also, as might be predicted from the two-die MCM configuration, the max power consumption (TDP) of the Kentsfield (QX6800 - 130 watts, ^[29] QX6700 - 130 W, ^[30] Q6600 - 95 W ^[31]) has been found to be double that of its similarly clocked Core 2 Duo counterpart. The Thermal Design Power (TDP (sometimes called Thermal Design Point) represents the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second.

The multiple cores of the Kentsfield most benefit applications that can easily be broken into a small number of parallel threads (such as audio and video transcoding, data compression, video editing, 3D rendering and ray-tracing). A thread in Computer science is short for a thread of execution. See also Lossy data conversion Transcoding is the direct digital-to-digital conversion of one encoding to another Video editing software is Application software which handles the editing of video sequences on a computer Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model, by means of computer programs In Computer graphics, ray tracing is a technique for generating an image by tracing the path of Light through pixels in an Image plane To take a specific example, multi-threaded games such as Crysis and Gears of War which must perform multiple simultaneous tasks such as AI, audio and physics benefit from the quad-core CPUs^[32]. CRYSIS is an acronym for CRY ogenic S tockholm I on S ource CRYSIS is an Ion source of EBIS type and is located in Stockholm Gears of War is a tactical Third-person shooter Video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. In such cases, the processing speed may increase relative to that of a single-CPU system by a factor approaching the number of CPUs. This should however be considered an upper limit as it presupposes the user-level software is well-threaded. To return to the above example, some tests have demonstrated that Crysis fails to take advantage of more than two cores at any given time ^[33]. On the other hand, the impact of this issue on broader system performance can be significantly reduced on systems which frequently handle numerous unrelated simultaneous tasks such as multi-user environments or desktops which execute background processes while the user is active. There is still however some overhead involved in coordinating execution of multiple processes or threads and scheduling them on multiple CPUs which scales with the number of threads/CPUs. Finally, on the hardware level there exists the possibility of bottlenecks arising from the sharing of memory and/or I/O bandwidth between processors.

Kentsfield XE

The first Kentsfield XE, named Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (product code 80562) and clocked at 2. 67 GHz, was released on November 2, 2006 at US$999. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^{[34][35][36][37][38]} January 4, 2008 marks its discontinuation. Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[39] It featured the Kentsfield XE core, and complemented the Core 2 Extreme X6800 dual-core processor based on the Conroe XE core. Like their dual core Extreme predecessors, CPUs with the Kentsfield XE core had unlocked multipliers.

The Core 2 Extreme QX6800 clocked at 2. 93 GHz was released on April 8, 2007 at US$1,199. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It had a 130 W TDP thermal envelope, and was intended for high end OEM-only systems. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. The Thermal Design Power (TDP (sometimes called Thermal Design Point) represents the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate ^[40]

The Core 2 Extreme QX6850 clocked at 3. 0 GHz was launched on July 22, 2007 at US$999. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It featured a faster 1333 MHz FSB. In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. Simultaneously, the previously available Extreme QX6700 was reduced in price.

Yorkfield XE

On November 11, 2007, Intel released the first Yorkfield XE processor, Core 2 Extreme QX9650. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It is the first Intel desktop processor to use 45 nm technology and high-k metal gates. Per the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors the 45 nm technology node should refer to the average half-pitch of a memory cell manufactured at around the 2007-2008 time Yorkfield features a dual-die quad core design with two unified level-two (L2) caches, with a total of 12 MiB (2 × 6 MiB) of L2 cache. A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB. It also features a 1333 MHz FSB and clock speed of 3 GHz. The processor incorporates SSE4.1 instructions and has total of 820 million transistors on 2x107 mm² dies. SSE4 is an Instruction set used in the Intel Core microarchitecture and AMD K10 (K8L.

Penryn

The successor to the Merom core currently used for the Core 2 Duo T5000/T7000 series mobile processors, code-named Penryn, debuted on the 45 nanometer process. Per the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors the 45 nm technology node should refer to the average half-pitch of a memory cell manufactured at around the 2007-2008 time Many details about Penryn appeared at the April 2007 Intel Developer Forum. Intel Developer Forum (IDF is a gathering of technologists to discuss Intel products and products based around Intel products Its successor is expected to be Nehalem.

Important advances^[41] include the addition of new instructions including SSE4 (also known as Penryn New Instructions) and new fabrication materials; most significantly a hafnium-based high-k dielectric. SSE4 is an Instruction set used in the Intel Core microarchitecture and AMD K10 (K8L. Hafnium (ˈhæfniəm is a Chemical element that has the symbol Hf and Atomic number 72 The term high-κ Dielectric refers to a material with a high Dielectric constant (κ (as compared to Silicon dioxide) used in semiconductor manufacturing

Penryn is paired with the 2007 desktop chipset series, Bearlake,^[42] some of whose models include an increase in bus speed (connection to the northbridge, etc. This is a list of Computer Motherboard Chipsets made by Intel. ) to 1333 MHz and support for DDR3 SDRAM. In Electronic engineering, DDR3 SDRAM or double-data-rate three Synchronous dynamic random access memory is a Random access memory In notebooks and other mobile equipment, Penryn pairs with the mobile chipset series Crestline, which does not support DDR3, although Intel believes^[43] future DDR3 support will benefit mobile equipment's power- and heat-constrained environments. This is a list of Computer Motherboard Chipsets made by Intel.

Intel's new 45 nm Penryn-based Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors were released on January 6, 2008. The new processors launch exclusively within a 35W thermal envelope. Penryn has also been released for notebooks with companies such as HP beginning to offer the first model, the T9500, from late January 2008. ^[44] The T9500 offers a 2. 6 GHz clockspeed, faster than all but the Extreme Edition of the Merom range, and 6 MiB (rather than 4 MiB) of Level 2 Cache. A mebibyte (a contraction of me ga bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, abbreviated MiB.

Intel released an Apple only chip on April 28, 2008 that increased the clockspeed to 3. 06 GHz as well as increasing the Front Side Bus to 1066 MHz, and changed the Cache to 6 MB shared L2.

The entry level Penryn is the T8xxx-Series with only 3 MB Level 2 Cache and beginning with the T8100 at a clock speed of 2. 1 GHz.

Wolfdale

Wolfdale is the codename for the E7000 and E8000 series of Core 2 Duo desktop processors, which are similar to the Penryn and Yorkfield XE dies and succeed the Conroe dies. Released on January 20, 2008, the chips are manufactured using a 45-nanometer process and feature two processor cores. The E7200 model, operating at 2. 53 GHz, has 3MB of L2 cache and a 1066MHz FSB; the other models, operating at 2. 66 GHz, 3. 0 GHz, and 3. 16 GHz, each have 6 MB of shared L2 cache and a 1333MHz FSB. The processor includes the SSE4.1 media extensions. SSE4 is an Instruction set used in the Intel Core microarchitecture and AMD K10 (K8L.

Yorkfield

Yorkfield (codename for the Q9000 and QX9000 series) features a dual-die quad core design with two unified 6 MiB L2 caches resulting in a total amount of 12 MiB L2-Cache. They also feature 1333 MHz FSB and are compatible with the Bearlake chipset. ^[45] These processors were released in late March 2008 beginning with the Q9300 and Q9450.

Yorkfield CPUs were expected to be released in January 2008. However, the release of Yorkfield was delayed to March 15 2008. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Initially this delay was attributed to an error found in the Yorkfield chip,^[46] but later reports claimed that the delay was necessary in order to ensure compatibility with the 4-layer print-circuit boards utilized by many mainstream motherboards. ^[47] At the Intel Developer Forum 2007, a Yorkfield processor was compared with a Kentsfield processor. ^[48][49]

Future processors

Main article: List of future Intel Core 2 microprocessors

Successors

The successor to Penryn, based on a new post-Core microarchitecture which features the return of hyperthreading, is Nehalem; it was discussed at the September 2007 IDF meeting, though the release date is not until the end of 2008. The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 64-bit Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named Intel Hyper-threading (officially termed Hyper-Threading Technology or HTT) is an Intel-proprietary technology

The 32 nm shrink of Nehalem is called Westmere; provided that Intel stays on target with its roadmap, Sandy Bridge will be released at 32 nm with a newer microarchitecture around 2010. ^[50] In 2011, Intel will launch its first processor based on a 22 nm process. The 22 nanometer (22 nm node is the CMOS process step following 32 nm. Based on Intel's cycle alternating new architectures and die shrinks every two years, it is currently assumed that this will be a shrink of Sandy Bridge. ^[51]

System requirements

Motherboard compatibility

Conroe, Conroe XE and Allendale all use Socket LGA775; however, not every motherboard is compatible with these processors. A motherboard is the central or primary Printed circuit board (PCB making up a complex electronic system such as a modern Computer or Laptop

Supporting chipsets are:

• Intel: 865PE/G/GV/G, 945P/PL/G/GZ/GC, 965P/G, 975X, P/G/Q965, Q963, 946GZ/PL, P3x, G3x, Q3x, X38, X48
• NVIDIA: nForce4 Ultra/SLI X16 for Intel, nForce 570/590 SLI for Intel, nForce 650i Ultra/650i SLI/680i LT SLI/680i SLI and nForce 750i SLI/780i SLI/790i SLI/790i Ultra SLI. A chipset is a group of Integrated circuits or chips that are designed to work together and are usually marketed as a single product The multinational NVIDIA Corporation ( (ɪnˈvɪdiə specializes in the manufacture of graphics-processor technologies for Workstations Models nForce4/nForce4-4x nForce4 is the second evolutional MCP and incorporates both Northbridge and Southbridge on a single die Specifications Support for NVIDIA SLI technology including Quad SLI (enabling the simultaneous use of four GPUs and SLI LinkBoost developments AMD Chipsets nForce 680a SLI Specially made for the AMD Quad FX platform proposed by AMD providing a total of two CPUs and multiple graphic cards configuation AMD CPUs nForce 780a Codenamed MCP72XE motherboard GPU (mGPU DirectX 10 compliant
• VIA: P4M800, P4M800PRO, P4M890, P4M900, PT880 Pro/Ultra, PT890. VIA Technologies ( is a Taiwanese manufacturer of Integrated circuits mainly Motherboard Chipsets CPUs, and memory, and
• SiS: 662, 671, 671fx, 672, 672fx
• ATI: Radeon Xpress 200 and CrossFire Xpress 3200 for Intel

See also: List of Intel chipsets

The currently released Yorkfield XE model QX9650 (45 nm with 1333fsb) currently has limited chipset compatibility - with only X38, P35 and some high-performance 975X and P965 motherboards being compatible. Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS Traditional Chinese: 矽統科技) is a company that manufactures among other things motherboard chipsets The Radeon Xpress 200 is a computer Chipset released by ATI. The chipset supports AMD 64-bit processors ( Socket 939 and 754) as well This is a list of Computer Motherboard Chipsets made by Intel. BIOS updates are gradually being released to provide support for the new Penryn technology.

Although a motherboard may have the required chipset to support Conroe, some motherboards based on the above mentioned chipsets do not support Conroe. This is because all Conroe-based processors require a new power delivery feature set specified in Voltage Regulator-Down (VRD) 11.0. This requirement is a result of Conroe's significantly lower power consumption, compared to the Pentium 4/D CPUs it is replacing. A motherboard that has both a supporting chipset and VRD 11 supports Conroe processors, but even then some boards will need an updated BIOS to recognize Conroe's FID (Frequency ID) and VID (Voltage ID). In Computing, the BIOS (ˈbaɪoʊs

Synchronous memory modules

Unlike the previous Pentium 4 and Pentium D design, the Core 2 technology sees a greater benefit from memory running synchronously with the Front Side Bus (FSB). The Pentium 4 brand refers to Intel 's line of single- core mainstream desktop and Laptop Central processing units (CPUs introduced The Pentium D brand refers to two series of Dual-core 64-bit X86 processors with the NetBurst Microarchitecture manufactured In Personal computers the Front Side Bus ( FSB) is the bus that carries data between the CPU and the northbridge. This means that for the Conroe CPUs with FSB of 1066 MT/s, the ideal memory speed for DDR2 is PC2-4200 or PC2-8500 (twice the speed of PC2-4200). In a few configurations, using PC2-5300 can actually decrease performance. Only when going to PC2-6400 is there a significant performance increase. While expensive DDR2 memory models with tighter timings do improve performance, the difference in real world games and applications is often negligible. ^[52]

Optimally, the memory bandwidth afforded should match the bandwidth of the FSB closely. The AGTL+ PSB used by all NetBurst processors as well as current and medium-term (pre-QuickPath) Core 2 processors provide a 64-bit data path. The Intel NetBurst Microarchitecture, called P68 inside Intel was the successor to the P6 microarchitecture in the X86 family of CPUs The Intel QuickPath Interconnect or simply " QuickPath " (the official legal name for Common System Interface or " CSI " is a point-to-point Current chipsets provide for a couple of either DDR or DDR2 channels.

Matched processor and RAM ratings

Processor Model	Front Side Bus	Matched memory and maximum bandwidth single channel / dual channel
		DDR1	DDR2	DDR3
mobile: T5200, T5300, U2n00, U7n00	533 MT/s	PC-2100 (DDR-266) 2. DDR SDRAM ( double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory) is a class of memory Integrated circuit used in Computers It achieves nearly twice In Electronic engineering, DDR3 SDRAM or double-data-rate three Synchronous dynamic random access memory is a Random access memory Gigatransfer (GT and Megatransfer (MT are terms used in computer technology referring to a number of data transfers (or operations 133 GB/s / 4. 267 GB/s	PC2-4200 (DDR2-533) 4. 264 GB/s / 8. 528 GB/s PC2-8500 (DDR2-1066) 8. 500 GB/s / 17. 000 GB/s	PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066) 8. 53 GB/s / 17. 06 GB/s
desktop: E6n00, E6n20, X6n00, E7n00, Q6n00 and QX6n00	1066 MT/s
mobile: T5n00, T5n50, T7n00, L7200, L7400	667 MT/s	PC-2700 (DDR-333) 2. 667 GB/s / 5. 334 GB/s	PC2-5300 (DDR2-667) 5. 336 GB/s / 10. 672 GB/s	PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333) 10. 67 GB/s / 21. 34 GB/s
desktop: E6n40, E6n50, E8nn0, Q9nn0, QX6n50, QX9650	1333 MT/s
mobile: T5n70, T7n00 (Socket P), L7300, L7500, X7n00 desktop: E4n00, Pentium E2nn0, Celeron 4n0	800 MT/s	PC-1600 (DDR-200) 1. 600 GB/s / 3. 200 GB/s PC-3200 (DDR-400) 3. 200 GB/s / 6. 400 GB/s	PC2-3200 (DDR2-400) 3. 200 GB/s / 6. 400 GB/s PC2-6400 (DDR2-800) 6. 400 GB/s / 12. 800 GB/s	PC3-6400 (DDR3-800) 6. 40 GB/s / 12. 80 GB/s PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600) 12. 80 GB/s / 25. 6 GB/s
desktop: QX9770, QX9775	1600 MT/s

On jobs requiring large amounts of memory access, the quad-core Core 2 processors can benefit significantly^[53] from using a PC2-8500 memory, which runs exactly twice as fast as the FSB; this is not an officially supported configuration, but a number of motherboards offer it.

The Core 2 processor does not require the use of DDR2. While the Intel 975X and P965 chipsets require this memory, some motherboards and chipsets support both the Core 2 and DDR memory. A chipset is a group of Integrated circuits or chips that are designed to work together and are usually marketed as a single product DDR SDRAM ( double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory) is a class of memory Integrated circuit used in Computers It achieves nearly twice When using DDR memory, performance may be reduced because of the lower available memory bandwidth.

Chip bugs

The Core 2 memory management unit (MMU) in X6800, E6000 and E4000 processors does not operate to previous specifications or implemented in previous generations of x86 hardware. A memory management unit ( MMU) sometimes called paged memory management unit ( PMMU) is a Computer hardware component responsible for handling Implementation is the realization of an application or execution of a Plan, idea Model, Design, Specification, standard, Algorithm See also X86 assembly language The generic term x86 refers to the most commercially successful Instruction set architecture in the history of Personal This may cause problems, many of them serious security and stability issues, with existing operating system software. An operating system (commonly abbreviated OS and O/S) is the software component of a Computer system that is responsible for the management and coordination Intel's documentation states that their programming manuals will be updated "in the coming months" with information on recommended methods of managing the Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) for Core 2 to avoid issues, and admits that, "in rare instances, improper TLB invalidation may result in unpredictable system behavior, such as hangs or incorrect data. A Translation lookaside buffer ( TLB) is a CPU cache that is used by memory management hardware to improve the speed of Virtual address "^[54]

Among the issues noted:

• Write-protect or non-execute bit for a page table entry is ignored. The NX bit, which stands for No eXecute, is a technology used in CPUs to segregate areas of memory for use by either storage of processor instructions (or code
• Floating point instruction non-coherencies.
• Allowed memory corruptions outside of the range of permitted writing for a process by running common instruction sequences.

Intel errata Ax39, Ax43, Ax65, Ax79, Ax90, Ax99 are said to be particularly serious. Erratum or corrigendum (plurals errata, corrigenda) is a correction of a book ^[55] 39, 43, 79, which can cause unpredictable behavior or system hang, have been fixed in recent steppings. Stepping is a designation used by Intel and AMD to identify how much the design of a Microprocessor has advanced from the original design

Among those who have noted the errata to be particularly serious are OpenBSD's Theo de Raadt^[56] and DragonFly BSD's Matthew Dillon. OpenBSD is a Unix-like computer Operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD a Unix derivative developed at the Theo de Raadt, (ˈθiːoʊ dεˈrɔːt born May 19, 1968 in Pretoria, South Africa, is a Software engineer who lives in DragonFly BSD is a free Unix-like operating system created as a fork of FreeBSD 4 ^[57] Taking a contrasting view was Linus Torvalds, calling the TLB issue "totally insignificant", adding, "The biggest problem is that Intel should just have documented the TLB behavior better. Linus Benedict Torvalds ( ˈtuːrvalds born December 28 1969 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish software engineer "^[58]

Microsoft has issued update KB936357 to address the errata by microcode update,^[59] with no performance penalty. Microprogramming (ie writing microcode) is a method that can be employed to implement Machine instructions in a CPU relatively easily often using less BIOS updates are also available to fix the issue.

Pricing

The pricing for various models of Core 2, in lots of 1000 to OEMs, at the time the processors were released, can be found in the list of Intel Core 2 microprocessors. An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM is typically a company that uses a component made by a second company in its own product or sells the product of the second company The Core 2 brand refers to Intel 's X86 / X86-64 Microprocessors (with the eighth-generation Microarchitecture, named It should be noted that these prices are what it costs system builders like Dell and HP to stock Core 2 processors. The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products There are no set MSRPs for Core 2 CPUs in the retail channel — prices at retailers are usually very close to the aforementioned prices, but are dependent on what the supplier is charging to stock these CPUs and on supply and demand too. The ( manufacturer's) suggested retail price ( MSRP or SRP) list price or recommended retail price ( RRP) (originally

Nomenclature and abbreviations

With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviation C2 has come into common use, with its variants C2D (the present Core 2 Duo), and C2Q, C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively. C2QX stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad (QX6700, QX6800, QX6850).

See also

• Comparison of Intel processors
• List of Intel Core 2 microprocessors
• List of future Intel Core 2 microprocessors
• Intel Core
• Centrino

References

External links

• Intel Core 2 Processor Performance Comparison Guide
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Numbers
• Intel Penryn Architecture and Performance Preview
• Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology papers
• How to Over Clock Intel Core 2 Duo
• Core 2 Duo Overclocking Guide

News reports on the Core 2 product launch

• Intel Core Microarchitecture
• Intel's press release announcing Core 2
• Intel's Core 2 page
• Intel Officially Launches 45nm Penryn Family
• Leaked Intel 45 nm Core 2 Desktop Processor Pre-Launch Update
• Announcing Intel Core 2 Duo
• The second coming of Intel's Core Duo
• Intel to launch nine 45nm CPUs in November

Reviews

• Meet Intel Wolfdale: Core 2 Duo E8500, E8400 and E8200 Processors Review
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 - Yorkfield Has Landed - Review
• Second Iteration of Core Micro-Architecture (Penryn): Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 CPU Review
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core CPU review
• Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield) Quad Core CPU Review
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Quad Core - Launch Review
• Review of E6700 model with info for Linux and BSD users
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Quad Core
• Core 2 Duo & Core 2 Extreme
• Intel's Core 2 Duo processors
• Core 2 Duo: A Changing of the Guards
• Contemporary Dual-Core Desktop Processors Shootout – X-bit Labs Core 2 Duo review
• Core 2 Duo & Extreme Processors Performance Analysis – Hot Hardware Core 2 Duo review
• Intel Core 2 Performance, Overclocking, Power Usage
• Core 2 Gaming Performance
• Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors
• Intel's Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo: The Empire Strikes Back
• Intel Conroe Core 2 Duo/Extreme Processors
• Game Over? Core 2 Duo Knocks Out Athlon 64 – Tom's Hardware Core 2 Duo review
• Intel Core 2 Duo - Test
• Intel Core 2 Duo- Which Offers the Best Bang for the Buck?
• Intel's Core 2 Quadro Kentsfield: Four Cores on a Rampage – Tom's Hardware Core 2 Quad review
• Core 2 Quad Q6600 Review

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