What's New: Intel Launches Dual-Core CPUs

Today Intel launched the Pentium D series of CPUs which brings the price of dual-core CPUs down to a more reasonable level. Previously only the Pentium Extreme Edition had been available in a dual-core configuration.

Multi-core processors have more than one CPU "brain" incorporated in a single unit, so that multiple simultaneous tasks can run far more efficiently than on current PCs. With the general consensus that Intel and AMD cannot increase clock speed much further due to power and heat concerns, adding multiple CPU cores is the next step, and we expect more to come from both vendors later this year.

Intel released new chipsets to go with the new Pentium D CPUs, implying new motherboards will be necessary. AMD plans to have their dual-core Athlon64 CPUs work in the latest generation of motherboards, implying the CPUs can be simply swapped out for an instant upgrade.

Thursday, May 26, 2005 06:34 pm CDT

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