Conroe Processor: grandson of Pentium III, nephew of NetBurst?

A long-awaited event happened the other day — Intel announced at IDF the microarchitecture of IA-32 (x86) processors of the next generation. The new microarchitecture will be the same for all the three classes of processors: mobile, desktop, and server.

The key distinguishing features of the new processors are dual cores, EM64T (x86-64) support, active usage of power saving technologies and introduction of Star Technologies (*Ts), streamlined in the latest versions of Pentium 4 and Pentium M processors. The first versions of the new processors — mobile Merom, desktop Conroe, and server Woodcrest — will appear on sale in the second half of 2006.

What urged Intel to design a new architecture? What is the new architecture based on? And is the new architecture a heir to the old good Pentium III processor, or is it actually a new architecture, even if based on the key principles of P-III? Read on to find out!