Intel Announces New Brand Name for Chips

Intel will sell its new generation of 65-nanometer desktop and laptop chips under the brand name Core 2 Duo when it launches them this summer, the company says. Intel plans to launch its desktop chip, code-named Conroe, in July and its laptop chip, code-named Merom, in August.

"You could kind of say we're core crazy," company spokesperson Bill Kircos explains. "It's a way of saying 'Hey, this isn't your grandfather's PC'."

Both chips will be built with Intel's new 65-nanometer Core Microarchitecture design. After their launch, Intel will have a common architecture for its consumer, gaming, notebook, and business-desktop lines.

More Cores, More Efficiency

Chip vendors such as Intel and AMD have designed their latest processors with multiple cores in each chip as an energy-efficient way to process more software code without increasing clock speed, heat, and electricity demands. Just like cars, faster chips are generally less efficient.

Under Intel's new marketing plan, both the desktop and laptop chips will be called Core 2 Duo, with each chip distinguished by a following five-part alphanumeric code.

The first element will be a letter connoting the power draw of the chip: "U" for ultralow voltage (below 15 watts); "L" for low voltage (15 to 24 watts); "T" for standard mobile (25 to 55 watts); E for standard desktop (55 to 75 watts); and "X" for extreme (above 75 watts).

The next four elements will be a numeric code, with Conroe chips in the 4000 and 6000 series and Merom chips in the 5000 and 7000 series. Additional numbers will represent other features--for instance, the chips' suitability for Intel platforms such as Centrino for mobile PCs, Viiv for home entertainment, or vPro for business desktops.

Still Room for Extreme CPU

As an example of this nomenclature, a high-end desktop chip might be called the Core 2 Duo E6800. However, Intel will call its high-end gaming desktop processor the Core 2 Extreme.

The new Core 2 Duo nomenclature will supersede the Pentium D dual-core brand for desktops, and eventually take over for future chip designs such as four-core and eight-core processors, Kircos says.