Intel has just revealed more details concerning its next-generation computer processors. The 'Core Microarchitecture' will replace NetBurst based offerings from Intel in the second half of this year trying in an attempt to catch up with AMD, who have undoubtedly won the recent round of chip battles, especially in the area of physical multi-core processors.
“The Intel Core microarchitecture is a milestone in enabling scalable performance and energy efficiency,” said Intel Senior Fellow and chief technology officer John Rattner. “Later this year it will fuel new dual–core processors and quad–core processors in 2007 that we expect to deliver industry leading performance and capabilities per watt. People will see systems that can be faster, smaller and quieter with longer battery life and lower electric bills.”
In his keynote address at this year’s Intel Developer Forum, Rattner showed how the Conroe desktop processor could provide roughly a 40 percent boost in performance and a 40 percent decrease in power as compared to Intel’s current high–performing Intel® Pentium® D 950 processor. Other notable features in this round of chips from Intel include the ability to process 4 instructions per clock cycle as compared to 3 with Core-Duo chips, smarter L2 cache, and improved data pre-fetch algorithms.
Several technology sites have managed to get time in on the new Intel hardware a full four months before they are expected in the marketplace, and the results look promising. Hexus and Anandtech for example, looked at a new 2.6 GHz Intel 'Conroe' desktop processor and compared it to a tweaked dual-core AMD FX-60 processor running at future FX-62 speeds. Obviously Intel trounced the AMD offering in every test Intel allowed them to run, but both sites came to the same conclusion: AMD has something to serious worry about.
View: Intel Press Release | Neowin Forum Discussion View: Hexus.net Benchmarks | Anandtech Benchmarks
EDIT: First post
4 to 5 yrs of pwnage by amd are over
I only hope it won't serve to be a disappointment. Go Conroe!!
Everyone seems to think Intel Core is something entirely new... The whole deal is that Intel is dropping the netburst technology and will go back to a derivative of the P3 architecture.. (Pentium M is a derivative from P3, and Intel Core is the new name of the improved Pentium M architecture).
The hype also includes the suggestions that Intels move to 45nm technology will be on time and without glitches. I have no doubt Intel will produce some fast CPU's, but I seriously doubt they'll leave AMD behind...
Intel must succeed this time, and they're willing to do whatever it takes. I thought the big corporations would've stopped using cheap tactics though...
"Obviously Intel trounced the AMD offering in every test Intel allowed them to run"
Then the tests are useless since the tests have shown to be positive for Intel before Intel let anybody test the CPU's. It's all part of the marketing machine that will try to take back some of the market it has lost. But yes, I believe they will take the #1 place for now. The additions to the Core technologies will see to that (merge 2 instructions into 1 and send it to the decoder, that's almost 50%+ efficiency in that particular area).
"compared it to a tweaked dual-core AMD FX-60"
From what I saw in the test @ anandtech, it was an Athlon64 X2, not a dual core FX. Not that important, the FX wouldn't beat the conroe, just shave some of the performance differences.
edit: sorry, my bad. Anandtech misprinted the AMD cpu under one pictures: "With SMP disabled, Conroe holds a 28% performance advantage over the 2.8GHz Athlon 64 X2."
Last edited by scyphe on 08 Mar 2006 - 23:16
Edit: I am not an AMD fanboy.
Glad to hear it! I've used a variety of processors, and the PIII was the highest quality of the lot — and I include the Pentium D 840 that I'm using right now. Not the fastest, certainly, but the best.
Still, it will go back and forth between Intel and AMD until the end of time. As for me, I'll stay with my AMD. I prefer the underdog.
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