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Intel readies Penryn processors

Colin Barker ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 23 Aug 2007 14:22 BST

Intel is readying 11 new 45-nanometre Penryn processors for launch in the first quarter, according to industry reports.

Intel started talking in detail about Penryn in November last year, and it demonstrated the processors in January. Penryn is the code name for a family of desktop, notebook and server chips based on Intel's Core microarchitecture, and systems with the chips will be available at the end of the year. The server version of the processor will be available in November.

Penryn is Intel's first processor to be built on its 45nm technology, and will arrive a few months after AMD's first quad-core server chip launches in September.

There will be five processors in the original launch of Penryn in the first quarter of next year, according to Taiwan-based computing website DigiTimes, which will be followed by six for Montevina, the fifth generation of the Centrino platform in the second quarter.

The five Penryn processors will have Core frequencies of 2.8GHz, 2.6GHz, 2.5GHz, 2.4GHz and 2.1GHz and the L2 cache will be 6MB for the 2.8-2.5GHz versions and 3MB for 2.4-2.1GHz versions, according to the sources.

Intel will also launch three processors along with Montevina in the second quarter with 35-watt power consumption, 1066MHz FSB, 6MB L2 cache and core frequencies of 3.06GHz, 2.8GHz and 2.53GHz. Other new processors will target the mid-range market.

DigiTimes' source said that Penryn processors will account for 53 percent of Intel's total notebook CPU shipments in the second quarter of 2008.

Intel declined to comment on the reports.