Now we have gone over the features of the Core Architecture, it’s time to take a look at the desktop version CPU’s known as Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme Edition.
Intel’s Core 2 series CPU in fact look almost identical to the Pentium 4, Pentium-D and Pentium Extreme Edition CPU’s. This is because they are designed to work in the exact same Socket T or LGA775 sockets. Intel has approved the 975X chipset along with its new P965 chipset for use with Core 2 CPU’s.
From the bottom you see that the same LGA775 pinless design is used, in fact it’s hard to tell the difference between all 3 cores. Let’s start off with the pricing first:
As we mentioned in our early benchmark preview from Taiwan during Computex, Intel will have a complete set of Core 2 series CPU’s designated with a new 4 digit naming series. Today we have the Core 2 Extreme X6800 and the Core 2 Duo E6700 in our labs. In the range Intel has for launch there will be only a single Extreme Edition model, the X6800 and in the Core 2 Duo there is E6700 and E6600. These 3 cores will operate with a 1066MHz FSB (266 Quad Pumped) with a 4MB Smart Cache, EM64T and Executable Bit.
In the lower end of things the Core 2 Duo will come out in E6300 and E6400. These parts will only have a 2MB Smart Cache but will still include EM64T, 1066FSB and XD Bit. On the value end the Core 2 Duo E4200 will come out only with 2MB Smart Cache and run at 800MHz FSB. There is no EM64T or XD Bit, possibly the Celeron version of the Core 2 line? All current Core 2 CPU’s have no Hyper Threading enabled; we aren’t sure if they even have it built into the core. Intel may decide to release a new series down the line with HT technology, but this is not been confirmed as yet.
The motherboard Intel supplied to us for testing is a revised version of the 975X reference board they sent us when we first tested the 975X series chipset. This is because of the lack of P965 boards currently available, even Intel doesn’t have its own P965 board ready yet for the masses.
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