Athlon 64
The Athlon 64 is an eighth-generation, AMD64 architecture microprocessor produced by AMD, released on September 23, 2003[1]. It is the third processor to bear the name "Athlon", and the immediate successor to the Athlon XP[2]. The second processor (after the Opteron) to implement AMD64 architecture and the first 64-bit processor targeted at the average consumer[3], it is AMD's primary consumer microprocessor, and competes primarily with Intel's Pentium 4, especially the "Prescott" and "Cedar Mill" core revisions. It is AMD's first K8, eighth-generation processor core for desktop and mobile computers[4]. Despite being natively 64-bit, the AMD64 architecture is backward-compatible with 32-bit x86 instructions[5]. Athlon 64s have been produced for Socket 754, Socket 939, Socket 940 and Socket AM2.
History
All of the 64-bit processors sold by AMD so far have their genesis in the K8 or Hammer project.
The Athlon 64 was originally codenamed ClawHammer by AMD[3], and was referred to as such internally and in press releases. The first Athlon 64 FX was based on the first Opteron core, SledgeHammer. Both cores, produced on a 130 nanometer process, were first introduced on September 23, 2003. The models first available were the FX-51, fitting Socket 940, and the 3200+, fitting Socket 754[6]. Like the Opteron it was based on, the Athlon FX-51 required buffered RAM, increasing the final cost of an upgrade[7]. The week of the Athlon 64's launch, Intel released the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, a CPU designed to compete with the Athlon 64 FX[8]. The Extreme Edition was widely considered a marketing ploy to gain publicity away from AMD, and was quickly nicknamed among some circles the "Emergency Edition"[9]. Despite a very strong demand for the chip, AMD was plagued by early manufacturing difficulties that made it difficult to deliver Athlon 64s in quantity. In the early months of the Athlon 64 lifespan, AMD could only produce one hundred thousand chips per month[10]. However, it was very competitive in terms of performance to the Pentium 4, with magazine PC World calling it the "fastest yet"[11]. "Newcastle" was released soon after ClawHammer, with half the Level 2 cache[12].
On June 1, 2004, AMD released new versions of both the ClawHammer and Newcastle core revisions for the newly-introduced Socket 939, an altered Socket 940 without the need for buffered memory[13]. Socket 939 offered two main improvements over Socket 754: the memory controller was altered with dual-channel architecture[14], doubling peak memory bandwidth, and the HyperTransport bus was increased in speed from 800 MHz to 1000 MHz[15]. Socket 939 also was introduced in the FX series in the form of the FX-55[16]. At the same time, AMD also began to ship the "Winchester" core, based on a 90 nanometer process.
Core revisions "Venice" and "San Diego" succeeded all previous revisions on April 15, 2005. Venice, the lower-end part, was produced for both Sockets 754 and 939, and included 512 KiB of L2 cache[17]. San Diego, the higher-end chip, was produced only for Socket 939 and doubled Venice's L2 cache to one MiB[18]. Both were produced on the 90 nm fab process[19]. Both also included support for the SSE3 instruction set[20], a new feature that had been included in the rival Pentium 4 since the release of the Prescott core in February 2004[21]. In addition, AMD overhauled the memory controller for this revision, resulting in performance improvements as well as support for newer DDR RAM[22].
Dual core Athlon 64s
Main article: Athlon 64 X2
On April 21, 2005, less than a week after the release of Venice and San Diego, AMD announced its next addition to the Athlon 64 line, the Athlon 64 X2[23]. Released on May 31, 2005[24], it too initially had two different core revisions available to the public, Manchester and Toledo, the only appreciable difference between them being the amount of L2 cache[25]. Both were released only for Socket 939[26]. A response to Intel's dual core Pentium D, the Athlon 64 X2 was received very well by reviewers and the general public, with a general consensus emerging that AMD's implementation of multi-core was superior to that of the Pentium D[27][28]. Some felt initially that the X2 would cause market confusion with regard to price points since the new processor was targeted at the same "enthusiast," US$350 and above market[29] already occupied by AMD's existing socket 939 Athlon 64s [30]. AMD's official breakdown of the chips placed the Athlon X2 aimed at a segment they called the "prosumer", along with digital media fans[24]. The Athlon 64 was targeted at the mainstream consumer, and the Athlon FX at gamers. The Sempron budget processor was targeted at value-conscious consumers[31].
DDR2
The Athlon 64 had been maligned by some critics for some time because of its lack of support for DDR2 SDRAM, an emerging technology that had been adopted much earlier by Intel[32]. AMD's official position was that the CAS latency on DDR2 had not progressed to a point where it would be advantageous for the consumer to adopt it[33]. AMD finally remedied this gap with the "Orleans" core revision, the first Athlon 64 to fit Socket AM2, released on May 23, 2006[34]. "Windsor", an Athlon 64 X2 revision for Socket AM2, was released concurrently. Both Orleans and Windsor have either 512KiB or 1MiB of L2 cache per core[35]. The Athlon 64 FX-62 was also released concurrently on the Socket AM2 platform[36]. Socket AM2 also consumes less power than previous platforms, and also supports AMD's virtualization technology[37].
See also: AMD#AMD64 / K8
Features
A Socket 754 AMD Athlon 64
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The image above is believed to be a replaceable fair use image. It will be deleted on 2006-12-21 if not determined to be irreplaceable. If you believe this image is not replaceable, follow the instructions on the image page to dispute this assertion.There are four variants: Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Mobile Athlon 64 (later renamed "Turion 64") and the dual-core Athlon 64 X2[38]. Common among the Athlon 64 line are a variety of instruction sets including MMX, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, and SSE3[39]. All Athlon 64s with the exception of the original ClawHammer release also support the NX bit, a security feature named "Enhanced Virus Protection" by AMD[40]. And as implementations of the AMD64 architecture, all Athlon 64 variants are able to run 16 bit, 32 bit x86, and AMD64 code, through two different modes the processor can run in: "Legacy mode" and "long mode". Legacy mode runs 16-bit and 32-bit programs natively, and long mode runs 64-bit programs natively, but also allows for 32-bit programs running inside a 64-bit operating system[41]. All Athlon 64 processors feature 128 kibibytes of level 1 cache, and at least 512 kibibytes of level 2 cache[39].
The Athlon 64 features an on-die memory controller[5], a feature not previously seen on x86 CPUs. Not only does this mean the controller runs at the same clock rate as the CPU itself, it also means the electrical signals have a shorter physical distance to travel compared to the old northbridge interfaces[42]. The result is a significant reduction in latency (response time) for access requests to main memory[43]. The lower latency is often cited as one of the advantages of the Athlon 64's architecture over those of its competitors[44].
Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLBs) have also been enlarged (40 4k/2M/4M entries in L1 cache, 512 4k entries)[45], with reduced latencies and improved branch prediction, with four times the number of bimodal counters in the global history counter[41]. This and other architectural enhancements, especially as regards SSE implementation, improve instruction per cycle (IPC) performance over the previous Athlon XP generation[41]. To make this easier for consumers to understand, AMD has chosen to market the Athlon 64 using a PR rating (Performance Rating) system, where the numbers roughly map to Pentium 4 performance equivalents, rather than actual clock speed[46].
Athlon 64 CG ("Newcastle") in Socket 754Athlon 64 also features CPU speed throttling technology branded Cool'n'Quiet, a feature similar to Intel's SpeedStep that can throttle the processor's clock speed back to facilitate lower power consumption and heat production[47]. When the user is running undemanding applications and the load on the processor is light, the processor's clock speed and voltage are reduced. This in turn reduces its peak power consumption (max TDP set at 89 W by AMD) to as low as 32 W (stepping C0, clock speed reduced to 800 MHz) or 22W (stepping CG, clock speed reduced to 1 GHz). The Athlon 64 also has an Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) which prevents the CPU core from accidentally being damaged when mounting and unmounting cooling solutions. With prior AMD CPUs a CPU shim could be used by people worried about damaging the core.
The No Execute bit (NX bit) supported by Windows XP Service Pack 2[48], Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition, and Linux 2.6.8 and higher is also included, for improved protection from malicious buffer overflow security threats. Hardware-set permission levels make it much more difficult for malicious code to take control of the system. It is intended to make 64-bit computing a more secure environment.
The Athlon 64 CPUs have been produced with 130 nm and 90 nm SOI process technologies.[49] All of the latest chips (Winchester, Venice and San Diego models) are on 90 nm. The Venice and San Diego models also incorporate dual stress liner technology[50] (an amalgam of strained silicon and 'squeezed silicon', the latter of which is not actually a technology) co-developed with IBM.[51]
As the memory controller is integrated onto the CPU die, there is no FSB for the system memory to base its speed upon.[52] Instead, system memory speed is obtained by using the following formula (using the ceiling function):[53]
In simpler terms, the memory is always running at a set fraction of the CPU speed, with the divisor being a whole number. An 'FSB' figure is still used to determine the CPU speed, but the RAM speed is no longer directly related to this 'FSB' figure (known otherwise as the LDT).
To summarize, the Athlon 64 architecture features two buses from the CPU. One is the HT bus to the northbridge connecting the CPU to the chipset and device attachment bus (PCIe, AGP, PCI) and the other is the memory bus which connects the on-board memory controller to the bank of either DDR or DDR2 DRAM.
Athlon 64 FX
The Athlon 64 FX is positioned as a hardware enthusiast product, marketed by AMD especially toward gamers[54]. Unlike the standard Athlon 64, all of the Athlon 64 FX processors have their multipliers completely unlocked[55]. The FX line is now dual-core, starting with the FX-60[56]. The FX always has the highest clock speed of all Athlons at its release[57].
Athlon 64 X2
Main article: Athlon 64 X2
The Athlon 64 X2 is the first dual-core desktop CPU manufactured by AMD.
Mobile Athlon 64
Main article: Turion 64
Sockets
Socket 754: The Athlon 64 value/budget line, 64-bit memory interface (Single-Channel)
Socket 939: Athlon 64 performance line, Athlon 64 X2s, and newer Athlon 64 FXs, Opteron, 128-bit memory interface (Dual-channel)
Socket 940: Opteron and old Athlon 64 FX, 128-bit memory interface - requires registered DDR memory
Socket AM2: Athlon 64/Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64 X2/Sempron, 940 Pins (Not compatible with Socket 940); the first AMD socket to use DDR2 SDRAM.
Socket F: Opteron, 1207 Pins
Socket F (1207 FX): Athlon 64 FX on AMD Quad FX platform - not compatible with Opteron
At the introduction of Athlon 64 in September 2003, only Socket 754 and Socket 940 (Opteron) were ready and available. The onboard memory controller was not capable of running unbuffered (non-registered) memory in dual-channel mode at the time of release; as a stopgap measure, they introduced the Athlon 64 on Socket 754, and brought out a non-multiprocessor version of the Opteron called the Athlon 64 FX, as a multiplier unlocked enthusiast part for Socket 940, comparable to Intel's Pentium 4 Extreme Edition for the high end market.
In June 2004, AMD released Socket 939 as the mainstream Athlon 64 with dual-channel memory interface, leaving Socket 940 solely for the server market (Opterons), and relegating Socket 754 as a value/budget line, for Semprons and slower versions of the Athlon 64. Eventually Socket 754 replaced Socket A for Semprons.
In May 2006, AMD released Socket AM2, which provided support for the DDR2 memory interface. Also, this marked the release of AMD's Virtualization technology.
In August 2006, AMD released Socket F for Opteron server CPU which uses the LGA chip form factor.
In November 2006, AMD released a specialized version of Socket F, called 1207 FX, for dual-socket, dual-core Athlon FX processors on the Quad FX platform. While Socket F Opterons already allowed for four processor cores, Quad FX allowed unbuffered RAM and expanded CPU/chipset configuration in the BIOS. Consequentially, Socket F and F 1207 FX are incompatible and require different processors, chipsets, and motherboards.
Athlon 64 FX models
Sledgehammer (130 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: C0, CG
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
Socket 940, 800 MHz HyperTransport (HT800)
Registered DDR-SDRAM required
VCore: 1.50/1.55 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 89 Watt max
First Release: September 23, 2003
Clockrate: 2200 MHz (FX-51, C0), 2400 MHz (FX-53, C0 and CG)
Clawhammer (130 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: CG
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.50 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 89 Watt (FX-55:104 Watt)
First Release: June 1, 2004
Clockrate: 2400 MHz (FX-53), 2600 MHz (FX-55)
San Diego (90 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: E4, E6
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.35 V or 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 104 Watt max
First Release: April 15, 2005
Clockrate: 2600 MHz (FX-55), 2800 MHz (FX-57)
Toledo (90 nm SOI)
Dual-core CPU
CPU-Stepping: E6
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions), per core
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB fullspeed, per core
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.30 V - 1.35 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 110 Watt max
First Release: January 10, 2006
Clockrate: 2600 MHz (FX-60)
Windsor (90 nm SOI)
Dual-core CPU
CPU-Stepping: F2
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions), per core
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB fullspeed, per core
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit, AMD Virtualization
Socket AM2, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.30 V - 1.35 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 125 Watt max
First Release: May 23, 2006
Clockrate: 2800MHz (FX-62)
Windsor (90 nm SOI) - Quad FX platform
Dual-core, dual CPUs (four cores total)
CPU-Stepping: F3
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions), per core
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB fullspeed, per core
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit, AMD Virtualization
Socket F (1207 FX), 2000 MHz HyperTransport (HT2000)
VCore: 1.35 V - 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 125 Watt max per CPU
First Release: November 30, 2006
Clockrate: 2600MHz (FX-70), 2800MHz (FX-72), 3000MHz (FX-74)
Athlon 64 models
Clawhammer (130 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: C0, CG
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit (only CG)
Socket 754, 800 MHz HyperTransport (HT800)
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.50 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 89 Watt max
First Release: September 23, 2003
Clockrate: 2000 - 2600 MHz
Newcastle (130 nm SOI)
Also possible: ClawHammer-512 (Clawhammer with partially disabled L2-Cache)
CPU-Stepping: CG
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 512 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 754, 800 MHz HyperTransport (HT800)
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.50 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 89 Watt max
First Release: 2004
Clockrate: 1800 - 2400 MHz
Winchester (90 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: D0
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 512 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 67 Watt max
First Release: 2004
Clockrate: 1800 - 2200 MHz
Venice (90 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: E3, E6
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 512 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 754, 800 MHz HyperTransport (HT800)
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.35 V or 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 67 Watt max
First Release: April 4, 2005
Clockrate: 1800 - 2400 MHz
San Diego (90 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: E4, E6
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 1024 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit
Socket 939, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.35 V or 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 89 Watt max
First Release: April 15, 2005
Clockrate: 2200 - 2600 MHz
Orleans (90 nm SOI)
CPU-Stepping: F2
L1-Cache: 64 + 64 KiB (Data + Instructions)
L2-Cache: 512 KiB, fullspeed
MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX Bit, AMD Virtualization
Socket AM2, 1000 MHz HyperTransport (HT1000)
VCore: 1.35 V or 1.40 V
Power Consumption (TDP): 62 Watt max
First Release: May 23, 2006
Clockrate: 2000 - 2400 MHz
Intel Core 2
Core 2
Central processing unit
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 "Conroe"
Produced: 2006 -
Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speeds: 1.60 GHz to 2.93 GHz
FSB Speeds: 667 MT/s to 1333 MT/s
Process:
(MOSFET channel length) 0.065 µm
Instruction Set: EM64T
Microarchitecture: Intel Core microarchitecture (Intel P6 derivative)
Sockets:
Socket T
Socket M
Cores:
Allendale
Conroe
Merom
Kentsfield
Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor produced by Intel and based on the Intel Core microarchitecture. Core 2 also marks the retirement of Intel's Pentium brand name that had been used since 1993, and the reunion of Intel's notebook and desktop product lines since Pentium M was released apart from Pentium 4 in 2003.
The first wave of Core 2 processors was officially released on July 27, 2006. Like the Intel Core brand that it supersedes, Core 2 currently offers Duo (dual-core) processors, but also Quad (four-core) models, with an Extreme (high-end) model. The base processors are code-named "Conroe" (for desktop use) and "Merom" (for portable use); their variants have code names such as "Kentsfield" (quad-core Conroe) and "Penryn" (45 nm Merom). Although the "Woodcrest" server CPUs are also based on Core microarchitecture, they are marketed under the Xeon brand rather than Core 2.[citation needed] As of December 2006, all Core 2 Duo processors are fabricated on 300 mm wafers in Fab 12 in Arizona in the US and Fab 24-2 in County Kildare in Ireland.[citation needed] The 65 nm manufacturing process was developed at Intel's Oregon D1D facility.[citation needed]
Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 does not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements in the processor's usage of both available clock cycles and power. This translates into more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses, as well as many other factors. The CPU-family may also have more than one core on a single chip. The power consumption of these processors is much lower than the Pentium desktop line of products. With a TDP of only 65 W, Core 2 features a significantly reduced power consumption compared to its predecessor desktop chip, the Pentium 4 Prescott with a TDP of 130 W.[citation needed]
Intel Core 2 processors feature Intel64, Virtualization Technology (not T5200, T5500 and Alendale), Execute Disable Bit, and SSE3. Core 2 also introduced LaGrande Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep Technology, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2).
Current processor cores
This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality.
Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page.
Core 2 Duo brand logo
Core 2 Quad brand logo
Core 2 Extreme brand logo
Conroe
The first Intel Core 2 Duo processor cores, code-named Conroe and given the Intel product code 80557, were launched on July 27, 2006 at Fragapalooza. These processors are built on a 65 nm process and are intended for desktops, replacing the Pentium 4 and Pentium D. 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 MiB L2 cache; however, for marketing purposes, the E6300 and E6400 versions have half their cache disabled, leaving them with only 2 MiB of usable L2 cache.
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. 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. 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 an enormous value with their overclocking capabilities — the 1.86 GHz model has been shown to overclock to over 3.0 GHz with a good motherboard supporting high FSB speeds. In these reports, an overclocked Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz was shown to eclipse the Core 2 Extreme in certain benchmarks. According to reviews, the E6300 and E6400 only suffers on average 3.5% because of the smaller L2 cache size[citation needed]. With the higher overclock of the two processors, end-users can make up the 3.5% percent by overclocking further than its higher end Conroe cousins. However, the low multiplier on these two lower-end chips requires a high FSB to reach high speeds, which few motherboards support.
The higher end Conroe processors are labeled as the E6600 and E6700 Core 2 Duo models, with the E6600 clocked at 2.4 GHz and the E6700 clocked at 2.67 GHz. The family has a 1066 MT/s front side bus, 4 MiB shared L2 cache, and 65 watts TDP. These processors have been tested against AMD's current top performing processors (Athlon 64 FX Series), which were, until this latest Intel release, the fastest CPUs available, and the vanilla Conroe boasts much faster performance.[1] Overclocking results show that the E6700 and E6600 are stable when overclocked to 4 GHz with air cooling and to 5.4 GHz with liquid nitrogen cooling, despite having locked multipliers.[2]
At launch time, Intel's prices for the Core 2 Duo E6600 and E6700 processors were US$316 and US$530 each in quantities of 1000.
Conroe XE
The top-of-the-line Core 2 Extreme was officially released on July 29 2006. However some retailers appear to have released it on July 13 2006, albeit at a high premium. 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 Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition processors. Core 2 Extreme has a clock speed of 2.93 GHz and a 1066 MT/s FSB, although it was initially expected to achieve 3.33 GHz and 1333 MT/s. The TDP for this family is 75–80 watts. At full load the X6800 does not exceed 45 °C (113 °F), and with SpeedStep enabled the average temperature of the CPU when idle is essentially that of the ambient atmosphere. [3]
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. This means that the only major difference between the regular Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme is the clock speed, which is unusual for the "Extreme Edition." It does come with an unlocked multiplier, however, allowing it to basically simulate any E6x00 with 4 MiB of L2 cache. This also allows it to gain a better overclocking ability than the other Core 2 processors, with up to an 11 times multiplier. Intel's previous Extreme Editions all included a unique feature, such as an increased FSB, more L2 cache, or addition of L3 cache.
Overclocking proves more promising, as Intel allows the user to change the multiplier number. The X6800 has shown the ability to be overclocked to 3.6 GHz on Intel's stock cooler with no increase in voltage to the system components, 4.1 GHz with good air cooling and increased voltage, and 5.7 GHz with liquid nitrogen cooling.[4]
Allendale
For a very long time, it was considered that stripped down versions of the Conroe processors were code-named Allendale. In actuality, Allendale is a code name for a different processor. Many suggest that E6300 and E6400 are actually code-named Allendale, however, the E6300 (1.86 GHz) and E6400 (2.13 GHz) processors are not code-named Allendale because they physically have 4 MiB cache, same as their big brothers E6600 and E6700 — it is just that half of their physical memory is disabled. Traditionally, CPUs of the same family with less cache simply have the unavailable cache disabled which allows parts that fail quality control to be sold at a lower rating. The fact that E6300 and E6400 are not code-named Allendale and actually code-named Conroe has been confirmed by Intel themselves. Another fundamental difference between the senior E6000 series of Conroe-core and the E4000 series of Allendale-core is the difference in Front Side Bus. The E4000 series has a quad-pumped 200 MHz front side bus ("800 FSB") while the E6000 series has a quad-pumped 266 MHz front side bus ("1066 FSB"). The reduced front side bus makes for an easier overclock attempt. Currently, the DDR2 RAM is quite expensive. Large overclocks are generally made by more expensive RAM; with the E4000 series, less-expensive RAM is required.
Quoted from The Tech Report:
You'll find plenty of sources that will tell you the code name for these 2 MiB Core 2 Duo processors is "Allendale," but Intel says otherwise. 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 MiB of L2 cache natively, but this is not that chip.[5]
The real Allendale processors will be released during first quarter 2007, with the E4300 available now. The real Allendale processors use a smaller mask with only 2 MiB of cache, thereby increasing the number of chips per wafer. Allendale processors are LGA775, 65 nm chips which have 800 MT/s (200 MHz × 4) FSB rather than Conroe's 1066 MT/s FSB (266 MHz × 4), and lack Intel's Virtualization Technology.
Current matchups for RAM to Front Side Bus on Intel processors is as follows:
E4200/E4300/E4400 at 800FSB - DDR2 400
E6300/E6400/E6600/E6700/X6800 at 1066FSB - DDR2 533
E6650/E6750/X6850 at 1333FSB - DDR2 667
T5500/T5600/T7200/T7400/T7600 at 667FSB - DD2 667
T5200 at 533FSB - DD2 533
The real Allendale processors have been released on January 21st, 2007. Price per thousand is $163 USD. Standard OEM price is $175 USD, or $189 USD for retail packages.
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.[6][7] Merom is Intel's premier line of mobile processors, with largely the same features as Conroe but with more emphasis on low power consumption to enhance notebook battery life. Merom provides 20% more performance yet maintains the same battery life as the Yonah-based Core Duo. Merom is the first Intel mobile processor to feature the EM64T 64-bit architecture.
The first version of Merom is drop-in compatible with the prior Core Duo platform, requiring at most a BIOS update. It has the same thermal envelope and the same 667 MT/s bus rate.[8]
The Merom processors are labeled as the "T5x00" and "T7x00" Core 2 Duo models, with the T5200 clocked at 1.60 GHz, the T5500 clocked at 1.66 GHz, the T5600 clocked at 1.83 GHz, the T7200 clocked at 2.0 GHz, the T7400 clocked at 2.16 GHz, and the T7600 clocked at 2.33 GHz. The T5x00 models come with 2 MiB of shared L2 cache, and the T7x00 models come with 4 MiB of shared L2 cache. Both have the Intel product code 80537.
Kentsfield
Kentsfield is the code name for the first quad-core version of the Core 2 processor. The first model of Kentsfield, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (product code 80562), was released on November 2, 2006, and became available from manufacturers such as Dell and Gateway on November 14. The processor features four cores, with a clock speed of 2.67 GHz, and two 4 MiB L2 caches. The new processor retails for a price of US$999, the same as the Core 2 Extreme X6800.[9][10][11][12][13]
Initial samples of the processor had substantially higher power consumption than their Core 2 Duo counterparts (approx. 130 watts), however the retail version is expected to have a thermal envelope of 80 W.[14] The top-of-the-line Kentsfield CPU, the first Kentsfield to be released, is branded a Core 2 Extreme processor, while the mainstream version is called Core 2 Quad Q6600 and launched at 2.4 GHz in Jan 2007. Unlike AMD's 4x4 (which refers to two dual-core processors on one motherboard), Kentsfield is a one socket solution; for example, the QX6700 is actually two X6800 underclocked chips connected together by a 1066 MT/s FSB on one MCM, resulting in lower costs but less bandwidth to the northbridge. What this also means is that it will be easy for Core 2 Duo early adopters to upgrade their LGA775 platform by just dropping in a quad-core Kentsfield.
As can be expected, four cores scale very well in multi-threaded applications, such as video editing, ray-tracing, or rendering, where the performance doubles compared to an equally clocked Core 2 Duo. However single or dual-threaded applications, for example most games, will not benefit from the additional cores. For single threaded applications, initial performance reports indicate that this relatively small increase in FSB and processor speed does not dramatically increase overall performance alone; however, it does leave more room for high-speed, low latency RAM to significantly boost the numbers. Nevertheless, multitasking several processor-demanding single threads will see a dramatic overall performance boost; gamers may yet want to look at Kentsfield for the potential to run several instances of their favorite game or games without noticeable performance lag in each, as each instance (up to four) could be running on a different processor.
Future processors
This section contains information about scheduled or expected future products.
It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the product.
Conroe
In October 2006, leaked Intel roadmaps unveiled that Intel plans to release four additional Core 2 Duo Processors. The release in 2007 will coincide with that of the Intel Bearlake chipset. The new processors will be the Core 2 Duo E6650, E6750, E6800, and E6850. Processors with a number ending in "50" will have a 1333 MT/s FSB. The processors will all have 4 MiB of L2 cache. Their clock frequency will be similar to that of the already released processors with the same first two digits (E6600, E6700, X6800).[15] E6320 and E6420 Conroe CPUs at 1.86 and 2.13 GHz respectively will also launch in Q2 07 featuring 4 MiB of cache.
Kentsfield
A Q6400 2.13 GHz part is also rumored to be on the cards
Penryn
The successor to the Merom, code-named Penryn will most likely debut the 45 nanometer process that will also be used for the Kentsfield sequel, Yorkfield. Announcements about Penryn are expected by 2008. Its successor should be Nehalem.
Yorkfield
Earliest media reports suggested Yorkfield to be an octa-core (eight-core) processor consisting of 2 dies with four cores each. However the latest rumors indicate that Yorkfield will be the quad-core successor to the Kentsfield processor[16]. It will have a 45 nanometer process, and a two-die design like the Kentsfield, which has been compared to basically two separate Conroe cores in one socket. This allows for better production efficiency. Other important advances[17] include the addition of new instructions (including SSE4) and new fabrication materials (most significantly a hafnium-based dielectric). The Yorkfield will have 12 MB of L2 cache, split into two sectors each shared by a pair of cores, i.e. each pair will share 6MB (the Kentsfield has two separate 4 MB L2 caches, shared separately by each pair of processors). The introduction of Yorkfield will come with the introduction of a new chipset, Bearlake, which will include an increase in bus speed (connection to the northbridge, etc.) to 1333 MT/s. Yorkfield is also expected to be released supporting DDR3 memory (1333 MHz DDR3).
Allendale
An E4400 Allendale (2.0 GHz, 800 MT/s FSB and 2 MiB cache) will be available in the second quarter of 2007. As with the E4300, it will not have Virtualization Technology.
The Pentium E2xxx series, based on the Allendale core, will be released in Q3 2007. These CPUs will be dual core, have 800 MHz FSB, and 1MiB shared L2 cache (half that of other Allendale CPUs).
Merom
A second wave of Merom processors featuring an 800 MT/s FSB and using the new Socket P is expected to launch in April 2007.[18] These chips will be part of the platform code-named Santa Rosa.[19] Low voltage versions are also planned for release in the same time frame.
Conroe-L
The Conroe-L is a low-cost single core CPU based on the Core 2 microarchitecture. These processors will be titled Celeron D 4xx series, and will support the 800 MHz FSB and have 512 KB L2 cache.
Merom XE
Merom XE is a laptop CPU designed for ultra-high end laptops. It will be released in two models, the X7900 and the X7800. These will feature an 800 MHz FSB. The X7800 will be clocked at 2.6 GHz and will cost around $795. The X7900 will be clocked at 2.8 GHz, but its cost is unknown.
Successors
Even farther, the latest known codenames for future processors (maybe not Core 2-based) are Nehalem and Gesher, and very little information is known about either of them. It is speculated that Nehalem will be a 45 nm process debuting in 2008, followed by a 32 nm shrink, and Gesher will be 22 nm debuting in 2010.
System requirements
Motherboard compatibility
Conroe, Conroe XE and Allendale all use Socket LGA775; however, not every motherboard is compatible with these processors.
Supporting chipsets are:
Intel: 865PE, 945P/PL/G, 955X, 975X, P/G/Q965, Q963, 946GZ/PL;
ATi: ATI's Radeon Xpress 200, RD600 and RS600
nVidia: nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition, nForce 570/590 Intel Edition and nForce 680i/650i.
VIA: P4M800PRO, PT880/PT880 Ultra, PT890, PM880 and PM890.
SiS: SiS662
See also: List of Intel chipsets
Although a motherboard may have the required chipset to support Conroe, many 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 [1]. 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 (Family ID) and VID (Voltage ID).
DDR2 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). This means that for the Conroe CPUs with FSB of 1066 MT/s, the ideal memory speed is PC2-4200. In some 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 negligible.[20]
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. When using DDR memory, performance may be reduced because of the lower available memory bandwidth.
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. It should be noted that these prices are what it costs system builders such as Dell and HP to stock Core 2 processors. 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 as well as supply and demand.
Nomenclature and abbreviations
A set of abbreviations has, over time, come into common use for Intel Pentium processors. Standard abbreviations include P1 (Pentium), P2 (Pentium II), P3 (Pentium III),P3-M (Pentium III-Mobile), P4, PM, P4-M, and so on, though it does conflict with the code names P5, 'P6', and so on.
With the release of the new Core 2 processor, the abbreviation C2 is often used, as well variants C2D (the present Core 2 Duo), and C2Q, C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively.
For me is intel core 2 duo.Then u think it after you read it.