Intel has cleared the deck for dual-core desktop silicon production with
plans to deliver two separate dual-core products for its Extreme Edition and
Pentium processor-class families during the second quarter of 2005.
Initial production runs of the dual-core processors is under way, while
Intel’s multi-core plans for customers are on the table. The
multi-core plans are a signal of a new era for PCs, when they will
essentially come with not one but two more processing “brains” inside,
Intel said.
Intel said the two separate dual-core products and dual-core-enabled
chipsets for its Pentium processor-class lines are slated to appear in the
second quarter, along with Intel’s Pentium Processor Extreme Edition, which
will feature Intel’s Hyper-Threading (HT) technology, providing the ability to
process four software “threads” simultaneously.
Robert Crooke, a vice president in Intel’s desktop platforms group, said
in addition to the products, the company is prepping the industry for the shift
to multi-core computing platforms.
“We accelerated this effort with the
introduction of Hyper-Threading technology three years ago, and we’re
extending it by building multi-core processors,” said Crooke. “Platforms based on Intel multi-core technology will provide the performance and responsiveness
consumers and businesses need to get the most enjoyment and productivity
from their applications.”
The dual- and multi-core products are created by the inclusion of two or
more full CPU cores within a single processor, officials noted, which enables the simultaneous managing of activities during a computing session.
Combined with Intel’s HT technology, the innovation means the Pentium
Processor Extreme Edition product can process four software threads
simultaneously by more efficiently using resources that otherwise may sit
idle, officials added.
The update on its dual- and multi-core plans is seen giving Intel an edge
against rivals that are also racing to get their next-generation chips
into the market and upcoming computing devices.
As internetnews.com has previously reported, part of
the reason Intel and AMD began shifting to multi-core strategies is because
the single-core megahertz race of the last 10 years is about to hit the wall
on performance because of heat.
