Intel Core 2
Encyclopedia
Core 2 is a brand encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit
x86-64
single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessor
s based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die
, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a multi-chip module
. The introduction of Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to the mid-range market
, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines, which previously had been divided into the Pentium 4
, Pentium D
, and Pentium M
brands.
The Core 2 brand was introduced on July 27, 2006, comprising the Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and in 2007, the Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) subbrands. Intel Core 2 processors with vPro
technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches.
brand.)
The Core 2 branded processors feature Virtualization Technology
(with some exceptions), Execute Disable Bit
, and SSE3
. Their Core microarchitecture introduced SSSE3
, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep
, and Active Management Technology
(iAMT2). With a maximum thermal design power
(TDP) of 65W
, the Core 2 Duo Conroe dissipates half the power of the less capable contemporary Pentium D
-branded desktop chips that have a max TDP of 130W.
With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviation C2 has come into common use, with its variants C2D (the present Core 2 Duo), and C2Q, C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively. C2QX stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad (QX6700, QX6800, QX6850).
The successors to the Core 2 brand are a set of Nehalem microarchitecture based processors called Core i3, i5, and i7. Core i7 was officially launched on November 17, 2008 as a family of three quad-core processor desktop models, further models started appearing throughout 2009. The last Core 2 processors to be released was the Core 2 Quad Q9500 in January 2010, and the Core 2 processor line was removed from the official price lists in July 2011.
64-bit
64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
x86-64
X86-64
x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
s based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die
Die (integrated circuit)
A die in the context of integrated circuits is a small block of semiconducting material, on which a given functional circuit is fabricated.Typically, integrated circuits are produced in large batches on a single wafer of electronic-grade silicon or other semiconductor through processes such as...
, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a multi-chip module
Multi-Chip Module
A multi-chip module is a specialized electronic package where multiple integrated circuits , semiconductor dies or other discrete components are packaged onto a unifying substrate, facilitating their use as a single component...
. The introduction of Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to the mid-range market
Intel Pentium Dual-Core
The Pentium Dual-Core brand was used for mainstream x86-architecture microprocessors from Intel from 2006 to 2009 when it was renamed to Pentium...
, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines, which previously had been divided into the Pentium 4
Pentium 4
Pentium 4 was a line of single-core desktop and laptop central processing units , introduced by Intel on November 20, 2000 and shipped through August 8, 2008. They had a 7th-generation x86 microarchitecture, called NetBurst, which was the company's first all-new design since the introduction of the...
, Pentium D
Pentium D
The Pentium D brand refers to two series of desktop dual-core 64-bit x86-64 microprocessors with the NetBurst microarchitecture manufactured by Intel. Each CPU comprised two dies, each containing a single core, residing next to each other on a multi-chip module package. The brand's first processor,...
, and Pentium M
Pentium M
The Pentium M brand refers to a family of mobile single-core x86 microprocessors introduced in March 2003 , and forming a part of the Intel Carmel notebook platform under the then new Centrino brand...
brands.
The Core 2 brand was introduced on July 27, 2006, comprising the Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and in 2007, the Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) subbrands. Intel Core 2 processors with vPro
Intel vPro
Intel vPro technology is computer hardware technology to allow remote access to the PC independent of the state of the operating system or power state of the PC. It consists of a set of features built into a PC's motherboard and other hardware...
technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches.
Models
The Core 2-branded CPUs include: "Conroe"/"Allendale" (dual-core for desktops), "Merom" (dual-core for laptops), "Merom-L" (single-core for laptops), "Kentsfield" (quad-core for desktops), and the updated variants named "Wolfdale" (dual-core for desktops), "Penryn" (dual-core for laptops), and "Yorkfield" (quad-core for desktops). (Note: For the server and workstation "Woodcrest", "Tigerton", "Harpertown" and "Dunnington" CPUs see the XeonXeon
The Xeon is a brand of multiprocessing- or multi-socket-capable x86 microprocessors from Intel Corporation targeted at the non-consumer server, workstation and embedded system markets.-Overview:...
brand.)
The Core 2 branded processors feature Virtualization Technology
X86 virtualization
In computing, x86 virtualization is the facility that allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share x86 processor resources in a safe and efficient manner, a facility generically known as hardware virtualization...
(with some exceptions), Execute Disable Bit
NX bit
The NX bit, which stands for No eXecute, is a technology used in CPUs to segregate areas of memory for use by either storage of processor instructions or for storage of data, a feature normally only found in Harvard architecture processors...
, and SSE3
SSE3
SSE3, Streaming SIMD Extensions 3, also known by its Intel code name Prescott New Instructions , is the third iteration of the SSE instruction set for the IA-32 architecture. Intel introduced SSE3 in early 2004 with the Prescott revision of their Pentium 4 CPU...
. Their Core microarchitecture introduced SSSE3
SSSE3
Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 is a SIMD instruction set created by Intel and is the fourth iteration of the SSE technology.- History :...
, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep
SpeedStep
SpeedStep is a trademark for a series of dynamic frequency scaling technologies built into some Intel microprocessors that allow the clock speed of the processor to be dynamically changed by software...
, and Active Management Technology
Intel Active Management Technology
Intel Active Management Technology is hardware-based technology for remotely managing and securing PCs out-of-band.Currently, Intel AMT is available in desktop PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with Intel vPro technology and available in laptop PCs with Centrino or Centrino 2 platform with vPro...
(iAMT2). With a maximum thermal design power
Thermal Design Power
The thermal design power , sometimes called thermal design point, refers to the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate. For example, a laptop's CPU cooling system may be designed for a 20 watt TDP, which means that it can dissipate up to 20 watts of heat...
(TDP) of 65W
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
, the Core 2 Duo Conroe dissipates half the power of the less capable contemporary Pentium D
Pentium D
The Pentium D brand refers to two series of desktop dual-core 64-bit x86-64 microprocessors with the NetBurst microarchitecture manufactured by Intel. Each CPU comprised two dies, each containing a single core, residing next to each other on a multi-chip module package. The brand's first processor,...
-branded desktop chips that have a max TDP of 130W.
| Intel Core 2 processor family | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original logo * |
New logo |
Desktop Desktop computer A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright... |
Laptop Laptop A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit... |
||||
| Code-named | Core | Date released | Code-named | Core | Date released | ||
| Conroe Allendale Wolfdale Wolfdale (microprocessor) Wolfdale is the code name for a processor from Intel that is sold in varying configurations as Core 2 Duo, Celeron, Pentium and Xeon. In Intel's Tick-Tock cycle, the 2007/2008 "Tick" was Penryn microarchitecture, the shrink of the Core microarchitecture to 45 nanometers as CPUID model 23... |
dual (65 nm) dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm) |
Aug 2006 Jan 2007 Jan 2008 |
Merom Merom (microprocessor) Merom is the code name for various Intel processors that are sold as Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Solo, Pentium Dual-Core and Celeron. It was the first mobile processor to be based on the Core microarchitecture, replacing the Enhanced Pentium M based Yonah processor. Merom has product code 80537, which is... Penryn Penryn (microprocessor) Penryn is the code name of a processor from Intel that is sold in varying configurations as Core 2 Solo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Pentium and Celeron.... |
dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm) |
Jul 2006 Jan 2008 |
||
| Conroe XE Kentsfield XE Yorkfield XE |
dual (65 nm) quad (65 nm) quad (45 nm) |
Jul 2006 Nov 2006 Nov 2007 |
Merom XE Penryn XE Penryn XE |
dual (65 nm) dual (45 nm) quad (45 nm) |
Jul 2007 Jan 2008 Aug 2008 |
||
| Kentsfield Kentsfield (microprocessor) Kentsfield is the code name of the first Intel desktop quad core CPU branded Core 2 , released on November 2, 2006. The top-of-the-line Kentsfields were Core 2 Extreme models numbered QX6xx0, while the mainstream ones branded Core 2 Quad were numbered Q6xx0. All of them featured two 4 MB L2... Yorkfield Yorkfield (microprocessor) Yorkfield is the code name for some Intel processors sold as Core 2 Quad and Xeon.In Intel's Tick-Tock cycle, the 2007/2008 "Tick" was Penryn microarchitecture, the shrink of the Core microarchitecture to 45 nanometers as CPUID model 23, replacing Kentsfield, the previous model.Like its... |
quad (65 nm) quad (45 nm) |
Jan 2007 Mar 2008 |
Penryn Penryn (microprocessor) Penryn is the code name of a processor from Intel that is sold in varying configurations as Core 2 Solo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Pentium and Celeron.... |
quad (45 nm) | Aug 2008 | ||
| Merom-L Penryn-L |
Single (65 nm) Single (45 nm) |
Sep 2007 May 2008 |
|||||
| * Sort by initial date released List of Intel Core 2 microprocessors |
|||||||
With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviation C2 has come into common use, with its variants C2D (the present Core 2 Duo), and C2Q, C2E to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively. C2QX stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad (QX6700, QX6800, QX6850).
The successors to the Core 2 brand are a set of Nehalem microarchitecture based processors called Core i3, i5, and i7. Core i7 was officially launched on November 17, 2008 as a family of three quad-core processor desktop models, further models started appearing throughout 2009. The last Core 2 processors to be released was the Core 2 Quad Q9500 in January 2010, and the Core 2 processor line was removed from the official price lists in July 2011.
See also
- Comparison of Intel processorsComparison of Intel processors- See also :*Intel Corporation*List of Intel microprocessors*List of Intel Pentium microprocessors*List of future Intel microprocessors*List of Intel CPU microarchitectures*List of AMD microprocessors*List of AMD CPU microarchitectures...
- List of Intel Core 2 microprocessors
- Intel CoreIntel CoreYonah was the code name for Intel's first generation of 65 nm process mobile microprocessors, based on the Banias/Dothan-core Pentium M microarchitecture. SIMD performance has been improved through the addition of SSE3 instructions and improvements to SSE and SSE2 implementations, while integer...
- CPU power dissipationCPU power dissipationCentral processing unit power dissipation or CPU power dissipation is the process in which central processing units consume electrical energy, and dissipate this energy both by the action of the switching devices contained in the CPU and by the energy lost in the form of heat due to the impedance...
- CentrinoCentrinoThe Centrino brand represents Intel Wi-Fi and WiMAX adapters. It was formerly a platform-marketing initiative from Intel until January 7, 2010....
- Multi-core
External links
- Intel Core 2 Duo and intel dual core differences
- Intel Penryn Architecture and Performance Preview
- Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology papers
- Core 2 Duo Overclocking Guide
News reports on the Core 2 product launch
- Intel Core Microarchitecture
- Intel's Core 2 page
- Intel Officially Launches 45nm Penryn Family
- Leaked Intel 45 nm Core 2 Desktop Processor Pre-Launch Update
- Announcing Intel Core 2 Duo
- The second coming of Intel's Core Duo
- Intel to launch nine 45nm CPUs in November
Reviews
- Core 2 Duo E8500 Review Comparing the similarly priced E8500 (Wolfdale) and the E6750 (Conroe) it replaces
- Meet Intel Wolfdale: Core 2 Duo E8500, E8400 and E8200 Processors Review
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 - Yorkfield Has Landed - Review
- Second Iteration of Core Micro-Architecture (Penryn): Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 CPU Review
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core CPU review
- Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield) Quad Core CPU Review
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Quad Core - Launch Review
- Review of E6700 model with info for Linux and BSD users
- Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Quad Core
- Core 2 Duo & Core 2 Extreme
- Intel's Core 2 Duo processors
- Core 2 Duo: A Changing of the Guards
- Contemporary Dual-Core Desktop Processors Shootout – X-bit Labs Core 2 Duo review
- Core 2 Duo & Extreme Processors Performance Analysis – Hot Hardware Core 2 Duo review
- Intel Core 2 Performance, Overclocking, Power Usage
- Core 2 Gaming Performance
- Intel's Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors
- Intel's Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo: The Empire Strikes Back
- Intel Conroe Core 2 Duo/Extreme Processors
- Game Over? Core 2 Duo Knocks Out Athlon 64 – Tom's Hardware Core 2 Duo review
- Intel Core 2 Duo - Test
- Intel's Core 2 Quadro Kentsfield: Four Cores on a Rampage – Tom's Hardware Core 2 Quad review
- Core 2 Quad Q6600 Review