| Core 2 Dual/Quad:
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The Core 2 brand refers to a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit dual-core and 2x2 MCM 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. The 2x2 MCM dual-die quad-core 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 lower-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 speeds and improved processors' usage of both available clock cycles and power compared with preceding NetBurst of the Pentium 4/D-branded CPUs. 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. The Core 2 brand was introduced in 2006 comprising the Solo (single-core), Duo (dual-core), Quad (quad-core), and Extreme (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts) branches, during 2007.
The Core 2-branded CPUs include: "Conroe" and "Allendale" (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) and "Yorkfield" (quad-core for desktops). (Note: For the server and workstation "Woodcrest", "Clovertown", and "Tigerton" CPUs see the Xeon brand.) The Core 2 branded processors featured the Virtualization Technology (except T52x0, T5300, T54x0, T5500 with stepping "B2", E2xx0, E4x00 and E8190 models), 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 with a TDP of up to 130 W (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.
| Intel Core 2 processor family |
|
Desktop |
Laptop |
| Code-named |
Core |
Date released |
Code-named |
Core |
Date released |
Conroe
Allendale
Wolfdale |
dual (65 nm)
dual (65 nm)
dual (45 nm) |
Aug 2006
Jan 2007
Jan 2008 |
Merom
Penryn |
dual (65 nm)
dual (45 nm) |
Jul 2006
Jan 2008 |
Kentsfield
Yorkfield |
quad (65 nm)
quad (45 nm) |
Jan 2007
Mar 2008 |
Penryn |
quad (45 nm) |
Aug 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
May 2008* |
| No desktop version available |
Merom
Penryn |
solo (65 nm)
solo (45 nm) |
Sep 2007
May 2008* |
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