Core 2 Duo

.

Produced	From 2006 to present
Common manufacturer(s)	Intel
Max CPU clock	1.06 GHz to 3.33 GHz
FSB speeds	0533 MT/s to 1600 MT/s
Instruction set	x86, MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, x86-64, SSE4.1 (SSE4.1 is for Penryn, Wolfdale, and Yorkfield-based processors only)
Microarchitecture	Intel Core microarchitecture
Cores	1, 2, or 4 (2x2)
Socket(s)	Socket T (LGA 775) Socket M (µPGA 478) Socket P (µPGA 478) Micro-FCBGA (µBGA 479)
Core name(s)	Allendale, Conroe, Merom-2M, Merom, Kentsfield, Wolfdale, Yorkfield, Penryn

Intel Core 2

The Core 2 brand refers to a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit single- and dual-core and 2x2 MCM (Multi-Chip Module) quad-core CPUs with the x86-64 instruction set, based on the Intel Core microarchitecture, derived from the 32-bit dual-core Yonah laptop processor. (Note: The Yonah's silicon chip or die comprised two interconnected cores, each similar to those branded Pentium M). The 2x2 MCM dual-die quad-core^[1] CPU had two separate dual-core dies (CPUs)—next to each other—in one quad-core MCM package. The Core 2 relegated the Pentium brand to a mid-end market, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines, which previously had been divided into the Pentium 4, D, and M brands.

The Core microarchitecture returned to lower clock rate and improved processors' usage of both available clock cycles and power compared with preceding NetBurst of the Pentium 4/D-branded CPUs.^[2] Core microarchitecture provides more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses, reducing the power consumption of Core 2-branded CPUs, while increasing their processing capacity. Intel's CPUs have varied very wildly in power consumption according to clock rate, architecture and semiconductor process, shown in the CPU power dissipation tables.

The Core 2 brand was introduced on July 27, 2006,^[3] comprising the Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and in 2007, the Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) version.^[4] Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches.^[5]

The brand became immediately successful. The processors were introduced into Apple's popular MacBook series of notebooks, at the time Apple CEO Steve Jobs justified the entire switch to Intel from IBM's PowerPC processors by the Core 2 series' ability to provide high performance at low power consumption, renaming the "PowerBook" series to MacBook to note their lowered power consumption.^[6] The series of processors reasserted Intel's role in the processor market after a period in which AMD processors began significantly encroaching on Intel's market share. The processor series became so successful that AnandTech Senior Editor Gary Kay coined the phrase "Conroe" as a verb to describe the releasing of a product that eclipses the competition in a previously hotly contested market.^[7]

Contents [hide] 1 Duo, Quad, and Extreme 2 Processor cores 2.1 Conroe 2.2 Conroe XE 2.3 Conroe L 2.4 Allendale 2.5 Merom 2.6 Merom XE 2.7 Kentsfield 2.8 Kentsfield XE 2.9 Penryn 2.10 Wolfdale 2.11 Yorkfield 2.12 Yorkfield XE 3 Future processors 4 Successors 5 System requirements 5.1 Motherboard compatibility 5.2 Synchronous memory modules 6 Chip bugs 7 Pricing 8 Nomenclature and abbreviations 9 See also 10 References 11 External links 11.1 News reports on the Core 2 product launch 11.2 Reviews

[edit] Duo, Quad, and Extreme

The Core 2-branded CPUs include: "Conroe" (dual-core for higher- and lower-end desktops), "Merom" (dual-core for laptops), "Kentsfield" (quad-core for desktops), and their variants named "Penryn" (dual-core for laptops), "Wolfdale" (dual-core for desktops, low-end dual-core for desktops) and "Yorkfield" (quad-core for desktops). (Note: For the server and workstation "Woodcrest", "Clovertown", and "Tigerton" CPUs see the Xeon brand^[8].)

The Core 2 branded processors featured the Virtualization Technology (with some exceptions), Execute Disable Bit, and SSE3. Their Core microarchitecture introduced also SSSE3, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2). With a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of up to only 65 W, the Core 2 dual-core Conroe consumed only half the power of less capable, but also dual-core Pentium D-branded desktop chips^[9] with a TDP of up to 130 W^[10] (a high TDP requires additional cooling that can be noisy or expensive).

Typical for CPUs, the Core 2 Duo E4000/E6000, Core 2 Quad Q6600, Core 2 Extreme dual-core X6800, and quad-core QX6700 and QX6800 CPUs were affected by minor bugs.[11