Intel announced that its quad-core Core 2 Quad Q6600 desktop processor as well as the Xeon X3220 and the X3210 server processors have been transitioned to a new stepping which will lower the power consumption from a max of 105W to 95W:
According to a product change notification released on Friday, the three processors were transitioned from the B-3 to the G-0 processor stepping and can now run not only on 105 watt performance FMBs, but on 95 watt mainstream FMBs as well.
The new CPUs, which can be identified by the CPUID “06FB” (B-3 processors were labeled “06F7”), also increase the Tcase, a value that describes the maximum temperature a CPU can sustain, by 11 degrees Celsius. According to Intel, this change will allow system builders to scale back cooling requirements and achieve lower system noise levels overall.
The first samples are expected on May 11 while general availability is slated for July 16. This new stepping will require a BIOS update.
