45nm Technology

Intel just keep stepping things up and up!  They recently released their new Penryn family of processors.  Firstly the new dual cores are known as the "Wolfdale" chips.  These chips use the same conroe architecture but it has being given a die shrink to 45nm.  It is sporting almost twice the cache and uses the latest SSE4 variant, although very few programs support this at present.

The most exciting flavours of this chip are below:

Both these chips are relatively cheap and because their process has been shrunk to a mere 45nm they require a lot less power than previous so therfore produce less heat.  People with these chips have managed to achieve insane clocks such as 4.0GHz on air cooling....air cooling!!!

Intel are currently in the process of releasing the "Yorkfield" range of CPU's from the same Penryn family.  We already have the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 - 3 GHz (2x6 MB L2, 1333 MHz FSB) released but it is mighty expensive.  Sporting a 12MB Cache and an unlocked multiplier allowing for more flexible overclocking; it clearly has the dual core's top trumped.

Not everyone can afford such an expensive bit of kit though, so Intel are soon to release the Core 2 Quad Q9450 - 2.66 GHz (2x6 MB L2, 1333 MHz FSB).  This chip will use the same 45nm technology and will be priced a lot lower, some say this is the direct replacement for the Q6600 which has reigned for so long.  These new Yorkfield chips were rumoured to be released early this year but with AMD falling at the first fence once again, Intel are in no hurry to unleash the beast just yet so to speak.