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Introduction Overview and Specifications Installation, BIOS and Test Setup Photo Gallery - The Processors Intel D975XBX Motherboard Sandra Pro 2007 & CPU-Z Info Science Mark2 PCMark05, 3DMark 2005/06 Quake 4 and UT2004 AquaMark3 and X3-Reunion FarCry and Serious Sam2 Overclocking Verdict and Conclusion

Intel regains the performance crown with their latest Core 2 Duo processors.

INTRODUCTION

Thanks to Intel (UK & Europe), we finally get our hands on the the most talked about processor of the year ... the Intel Conroe processor aka Core 2 Duo. We'll be asking some interesting questions, and hopefully we'll have some answers too. So, is the Conroe processor really that good? What does it offer, and where does it all fit in Intel's plan? To answer these questions, we will have to take the Conroe processor into our testing labs and get it our special treatment.

 

I'm sure by now, you all know who Intel are ... for those who don't, here's a brief history about Intel ... click HERE. Intel have been producing processors ever since the first microprocessor during the the early days of the 1970's. Today, their processors can be found in a majority of PCs and servers worldwide. What makes them so successful is the fact, that they're at the forefront of pioneering processor technology ... and by example, one of the earliest PCs used Intel processors. One of the most innovative technologies that Intel came up with included dual core processors and hyper-threading technologies. Only at the end of last year, they were the first to produced desktop processors using 65nm technology.

 

But being the first doesn't necessary mean it's all good. Late last year when the Intel released their processors using the Presler Core it was big news. It was based on their latest 65nm technology and offered dual cores and a large 4Mb L2 cache. However, it was received with little enthusiasm and eventually sales of the Presler core processors slumped. There were several reasons for this. According to some reports, the heat produced from these processors were higher than expected, so the chip ran hotter. Other problems included high latency issues with DDR2 ram and the performance factor. At that time, their competitor AMD was producing cheaper and faster processors than the Presler. Oh dear.

 

To tackle this problem, Intel already had something up their sleeves. It was only a matter of time before they introduce the next line of processors ... the Conroe. The Conroe processors still used the same 65nm technology however, it looks like they've mastered and matured this process. Remember, AMD haven't even got any retail processors using 65nm technology yet. This actually shows how far and advanced Intel really are in terms of their R&D and pioneering techniques in processor technology.

 

 

As I've mentioned in my last article on processors, the speed game never ends. There will always be something faster and better in the not so near future. AMD no doubt will not be sitting on the sidelines and do nothing. Their recent aquistion of ATI does give a sign of confidence. They will now have huge resources at their disposal, and will be hot at Intel's heels ... don't discount them just yet, they could surprise us all.

 

Etched on the processors are the words "Intel Confidential" which makes them very mysterious. Both the X6800 Extreme and the E6700 processor share the same codename "Conroe" but the X6800 is unlocked with a multiplier of x11. While the E6700 Core 2 Duo is locked at x10. Both processors have dual cores and run at 266Mhz with a FSB of 1066Mhz, and both contain 4Mb of L2 cache ... 2Mb per core.

Only the newer motherboards based of the 975X and 965 chipsets are compatible with these processors. So unfortunately, a complete motherboard upgrade is required if you want to go for it.

 

Thanks to INTEL for supplying the press review kit ... which includes:

 - Intel X6800 Core 2 Extreme Processor @ 2.93GHz (socket 775 LGA)
 - Intel E6700 Core 2 Duo Processor @ 2.66GHz (socket 775 LGA)
 - Intel D975XBX motherboard

 

Additional hardware used:

 - Thermaltake Tower 102 Heatsink and fan with heatpipe cooling
 - Corsair XMS2 PC2-8500 DDR2 ram 1Gb Kit

 

So, are we expecting something special from Intel's Conroe? Let's not waste anymore time and see what we've got in store for us ...

 

 

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Introduction Overview and Specifications Installation, BIOS and Test Setup Photo Gallery - The Processors Intel D975XBX Motherboard Sandra Pro 2007 & CPU-Z Info Science Mark2 PCMark05, 3DMark 2005/06 Quake 4 and UT2004 AquaMark3 and X3-Reunion FarCry and Serious Sam2 Overclocking Verdict and Conclusion