Posted on Friday, August 03 2007 @ 3:06 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
X-bit Labs
writes we can expect the first 45nm quad-core processors from Intel in the last quarter of this year.
According to documents seen by X-bit labs, Intel will release its new “Intel Core Extreme” processor with four processing engines made using 45nm process technology in Q4 2007. The document states that “launch of the Intel Core Extreme processor pulls into Q4’07,” emphasizing that the actual brand-name of the product is not yet determined. What is highly likely is that the top-of-the range extreme processor will be clocked at 3.33GHz, will use 1333MHz processor system bus and will have 12MB of level-two cache in total.
Contemporary mainboards based on Intel 3-series chipsets already support Intel’s 45nm central processing units, whereas some mainboard makers, namely Asustek Computer, have also enabled support for the new chips on previous-generation motherboards.
Initially there will be only about 2% - 3% of Intel’s desktop chips code-named Yorkfield made using 45nm process technology in the chipmaker’s product mix, however, the share of quad-core 45nm offerings will increase to 5% - 6% in Q2 2008, whereas the volume of 45nm products will get to little less than 30% of the desktop product mix in the second quarter next year.
Initially it was projected that Intel’s new quad-core processors based on improved micro-architecture that is usually referred to as “Penryn” will be launched in the first quarter of 2008, but the company has changed its plans and now such chips will be available already in the fourth quarter of 2007, in time to compete against AMD Phenom processors based on the K10 micro-architecture.
