Intel on May 28 will launch its 65nm single-core Celeron D processors, based on a Cedar Mill core, and having a power consumption of about 65W, according to unspecified motherboard makers. The launch date will follow right after the scheduled May 23 launch of AMD"s AM2-compatible processors, the makers indicated.
The first 65nm Cedar Mill products, the Celeron D352 and D356 processors, will feature core speeds of 3.2GHz and 3.33GHz, respectively, 512KB of L2 cache memory and a front-side bus (FSB) of 533MHz, according to a November 2005 article, which already hinted that the introduction will come by the end of the second quarter. The Celeron D352 and D356 will be priced US$79 and US$89, respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities, the sources noted.
Intel will launch the 3.46GHz Celeron D 360 in the third quarter, according to the sources. Unit prices of the Celeron D 360 will be US$103, the sources added.
In the third quarter, dual-core Pentium D processors will also account for 47% of Intel"s overall CPU output for desktop OEMs, followed by single-core Pentium 4 processors with 38% and the Conroe segment with 15%, said the sources.
For next year, Intel expects dual-core processors to account for almost 85% of its total CPU shipments to desktop OEMs in the first quarter of 2007, and by the end of next year Pentium 4 CPUs will completely phased out while the Celeron D series will be the mainstream entry-level platform, according to sources familiar with Intel"s plans.
AMD"s upcoming AM2 processors will only be manufactured on a 90nm process technology. A 65nm AM2 version will not appear in the market until December, according to sources at Taiwan motherboard makers.