Intel Announces Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme

[hyperpasta]

Intel has announced that the Merom and Conroe chips that are almost definitely going to power Apple's second-generation Intel Macs will be called "Core 2" processors.

So we can expect to have Core 2 Solo and Core 2 Duo Macs by the end of the year.

In my opinion, this is great news. If Intel chips would be called simply "Core" forever, then system requirements would have to say:

*Core chips introduced from January 2006-August 2006: 1.83 GHz
*Core chips introduced from August 2006-June 2007: 1.67 GHz

Etcetera forever.


Link.

[zap2]

Well here is to a Apple line up of Core Solo/Duo and Core 2 Solo/Duo!

[Benjamindaines]

My Opinions:

1. "Core 2" is an absolute crap name, it's just Intel being lazy and not wanting to come up with a new name so they mooch (if you will) off of a name they already made.

2. I don't want to see the Intel PowerMacs with regular desktop PC processors in them. The last thing I want to do is pay $3000 or more for a Mac with a chip that I can get in a PC for half the price.

3. The Core 2 chip should go into the next generation of iMacs and Apple should use the "Woodroe" (or what ever it's called) chip in the PowerMacs

Yes, obviously what ever Apple does there will be PCs with the same chip but the Core 2 chip is just a replacement to the Pentium chip.

[Chaszmyr]

Originally Posted by Benjamindaines

Apple should use the "Woodroe" (or what ever it's called) chip

Woodcrest

[hyperpasta]

Originally Posted by zap2

Well here is to a Apple line up of Core Solo/Duo and Core 2 Solo/Duo!

This leaves a few questions unanswered. Will Intel keep older Core chips available after Core 2 chips debut? Will Apple use the older Cores if Intel makes them availible? How fast will Apple transition its line? Will the iMac use Conroe or Woodcrest chips?

I would guess that we'll see new Macs in this order:

MacBook with Core Solo/Duo - Very soon
Mac Pro with Dual Core 2 Duo chips - August
MacBook Pro with Core 2 Duo chips - September
iMac with Core 2 Duo chips - October

By the end of the year, I would also expect that the MacBook and Mac mini get faster Cores and get price-dropped, but stay on Core 1, assuming Intel keeps making it.

[dmw007]

Originally Posted by hyperpasta

So we can expect to have Core 2 Solo and Core 2 Duo Macs by the end of the year. In my opinion, this is great news.

Great news indeed.


Not sure how much I like the name Core 2 though...

[munckee]

Originally Posted by Benjamindaines

My Opinions:

1. "Core 2" is an absolute crap name, it's just Intel being lazy and not wanting to come up with a new name so they mooch (if you will) off of a name they already made.

You're seriously going to complain about the name of the chip used in your computer?

[Benjamindaines]

Originally Posted by munckee

You're seriously going to complain about the name of the chip used in your computer?

No no no, just the lazyness It's basically a synonym of Core Duo

[hyperpasta]

Originally Posted by Benjamindaines

"Core 2" is an absolute crap name, it's just Intel being lazy and not wanting to come up with a new name so they mooch (if you will) off of a name they already made.

What would you call it?


I would call it Core 64, since its major new feature (besides being faster) is that it's a 64-bit chip. But simply numbering them makes it easy to see which chip is superior. Everyone can see that a "G5" is superior to a "G4".

[iGary]

Like I said, "Core Duo" already sounds like a candy bar.

[thebassist]

I agree about using a woodcrest in the powermacs and here's why...

When the G5 came out Apple was comparing it to a Xeon, which is (I believe) going to be replaced by the WoodCrest chip. So, Apple has already put the powermac in the league with the Xeon, and soon to be WoodCrest.
Cornroe and Morem are meant to replace the P4 which is a consumer level chip, and should be left with the consumer level computers (Imac). If Apple put a consumer level chip in the powermac, they'd be pulling it down to the level of IMac.

I don't think Intel is "Lazzy" with the naming, it's marketing. Just like the "Pentium" name, they want consumers to have a catch phrase in their heads when they go into a store. Same with Centrino, or however it's spelt.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by thebassist

If Apple put a consumer level chip in the powermac, they'd be pulling it down to the level of IMac.

Speed is speed, isn't it? If the PM successor uses Core Duo, but has two of them, keeping the Quad Core thing going, isn't it going to be fairly fast?

I understand your argument, but in the end, is this about props or performance? I think Apple should do whatever it takes to get the performance of the computer where it needs to be at the lowest cost....

[thebassist]

pardon me for not keeping up with the Intel products, but I just thought of this. can you put 2 Conroe or 2 Morem chips in the same motherboard, (duel processors). I ask because currently all the powermacs have 2 chips in them, even the quad actually has 2 physical chips. I'm not sure if that's possible with the Morem or Cornroe. It might very well be possible, but it's not possible with todays P4, but it is with the Xeon. maybe that's another tick mark for using Woodcrest. Powermacs have had the option for 2 processors for an awfully long time. I'd expect them to continue the trend, even given the multiple core trend going on in the industry.
I believe there is a quad core in the works as well, is that a Morem core, or a Woodcrest? also what will it be called "Core Quadro", "Core Quortet" that sounds pretty good actually. and if you put 2 of them in a system will it be a "core Octo"?

[hyperpasta]

>can you put 2 Conroe or 2 Morem chips in the same motherboard, (duel processors).

Probably.

> I ask because currently all the powermacs have 2 chips in them, even the quad actually has 2 physical chips.

Not quite. All PowerMacs have dual-core chips, the quad has TWO dual-core chips (total: four cores)

> I believe there is a quad core in the works as well, is that a Morem core, or a Woodcrest?

Neither, the first Quad-core chip will be called "Kentsfield", I beleive.

[t^3]

As far as I know, the current Core Duos don't support dual socket configurations, because Sossaman (Xeon LV) is mentioned as being similar to the Core Duo but supporting dual socket, or a total of 4 cores. This is why the G5's were compared to Xeons instead of P4's because there's no support for dual P4's. I think this lends further evidence that the PowerMac replacement will indeed have next-generation Xeons (Woodcrest).

[isgoed]

As I already encountered in this thread, this will result in mis-communication. How should one interpretet sentences like: "I have 2 core 2 duo dualcore processors in my system."

The core 2 will actually just identify the processorgroup of all intels 64-bit core-processors. The processors themselves will get a serial number. As your link points out the Conroe will for example fall in the 4000 or 6000 serie.

And the codenames woodcrest, conroe, etc will not be used for sale-products, just because they don't sound like computer products. And for the record: Merom and Conroe can't be set up in a dual socket configuration.

[hyperpasta]

Yup, Kentsfield, expected in 2007.

[hyperpasta]

Originally Posted by isgoed

As I already encountered in this thread, this will result in mis-communication. How should one interpretet sentences like: "I have 2 core 2 duo dualcore processors in my system."

The core 2 will actually just identify the processorgroup of all intels 64-bit core-processors. The processors themselves will get a serial number. As your link points out the Conroe will for example fall in the 4000 or 6000 serie.

And the codenames woodcrest, conroe, etc will not be used for sale-products, just because they don't sound like computer products. And for the record: Merom and Conroe can't be set up in a dual socket configuration.

Yes, it is confusing. But I highly doubt Apple will use model numbers; they haven't so far with Yonah chips...

[hyperpasta]

Oh, and I heard that there will be no Core 2 Solo... only Duo. Is that right?

[Catfish_Man]

Originally Posted by hyperpasta

Oh, and I heard that there will be no Core 2 Solo... only Duo. Is that right?

Hard to say; on the one hand, dual-core is in these days. On the other hand... why not sell a Core 2 Solo?

I'm also curious as to whether Intel will continue its tradition of differentiating between server and desktop chips based on whether SMP is turned on or off. My guess is that they will, so Apple will have to either go dual core (may or may not be fast enough to be practical) or use woodcrest.

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

News.com reports on the new name for the next generation of Core Duo processors, now known as the Core 2 Duo.

The Core 2 Duo will be the new name for the upcoming Merom (mobile) and Conroe (desktop) processors which are now expected as early as July/August. Meanwhile, "Core 2 Extreme" will be Intel's name for the high end desktop processor.

Merom and Conroe processors are distinguished by their model numbers - 4000 and 6000 series for Conroe and 5000 and 7000 series for Merom.

Conveniently, the Conroe numbers match up well with the model numbers used by Advanced Micro Devices on its current generation of dual-core Athlon 64 X2 desktop processors

[The Tuck]

Apple will probably wait until this August to update the portable Macs again and the PowerMac intel version will probably be announced at WWDC.

My 2 cents.

[GFLPraxis]

Awesome, but the names are terrible.

"Core 2 Duo"? Doesn't Duo mean 2?

[Fiveos22]

I agree, the naming here is not nearly as sexy as the G series

[yankeefan24]

Originally Posted by GFLPraxis

Awesome, but the names are terrible.

"Core 2 Duo"? Doesn't Duo mean 2?

I agree. Its very redundant. Translation, Core two two. Or a Two-Two Cores. Doesn't make sense. I think they could come up with a better name.