Intel Relaxes Netbook Restrictions

A netbook loses most of its appeal when prices soar near or above that of a traditional notebook, and to prevent that from happening, Intel put certain restrictions in place for any manufacturers hoping to score a discounted Atom platform. One of the biggest rules netbook makers had to follow was the 10.1-inch form factor, or at least they used to. According to reports, Intel is rethinking things going forward.

Intel's Next Generation Atom Processors to Use PowerVR Graphics

One thing today's batch of nettop and netbook Atom processors all have in common is that they use Intel graphics technology. That won't be the case with Cedarview, Intel's next generation of "full fat" Atom chips, with the Santa Clara chip maker instead choosing to tap into PowerVR's IP. That means the Atom processors of tomorrow will sport PowerVR's SGX545 graphics core.

VIA Reportedly Working on Quad-Core Chips for Late 2011 Release

Hey, look who's finally joining the quad-core party! It's VIA, who according to reports, is announcing a new chip aptly called "QuadCore." The new part is comprised of two Nano X2 chips slapped onto a single package for a low-cost, low-power processor that will debut sometime in late 2011.

Silvermont is Intel's New Atom Architecture Using 3D Transistors

Intel is reportedly working on a new Atom-based micro-architecture codenamed "Silvermont" set to ship in 2013. The new chip architecture is based on Intel's recently announced 3D transistors and is supposed to enable better integration, performance, and power efficiency. As with all upcoming Atom chips, Silvermont will be a system-on-a-chip (SoC) design.

MSI's CR460 Laptop Comes with Sandy Bridge, "Friendly Price"

There should be an actual rule, not just an unwritten one, that if a manufacturer pitches a new product as a bargain or, in this case, carrying a "friendly price," said company should, oh, maybe disclose that price? We're thinking out loud here, but that seems fair to us. In any event, MSI announced its new generation CR460 notebook, giving us the skinny on the display size, processor, storage, and everything in and around the laptop, that is except the price tag.

New Pentium Chips Punch Ticket on the Sandy Bridge Express

You didn't really think Intel would retire the Pentium brand, did you? Apparently that's just crazy talk, man! Nope, Intel isn't doing away with its aging Pentium nomenclature, and in fact is getting ready to launch a trio of new Pentium chips with Sandy Bridge DNA later this month, and perhaps as early as next week. Hit the jump to find out what you can expect from a modern day Pentium processor.

Ubuntu 11.04 Still Tripping Over Sandy Bridge

Much to the chagrin of Linux users, support for Intel's Sandy Bridge platform has been anything but stellar. Many hoped Canonical's Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" release would improve this rocky relationship between Linux and Intel's latest silicon, but according to reports, these new chips are still giving open-source users fits.

Intel to Launch Three New Core i3 Processors in Third Quarter

For those of you not holding out for Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge-E platform but still wish to upgrade, the Santa Clara chip maker is reportedly prepping a trio of new Core i3 processors for Q3, each one priced so you can pull the trigger without feeling guilty for having overspent. Even the fastest of the bunch -- the Core i3 2130 -- will only set you back $138, making it affordable to cross the Sandy Bridge.

Rumor: Cedar Trail CPUs to Cost Significantly Less Than Current Atom Chips

Intel’s next-generation Atom platform, codenamed “Cedar Trail” and built on a 32nm manufacturing process, will be significantly cheaper when compared to current Atom N4xx and N5xx series CPUs, according to prolific rumormonger Digitimes. The chip maker is expected to begin shipping the next-generation Atom chips during the second half of 2011. Hit the jump for more

Researchers Develop New Techniques to Make Multi-Core Processors More Awesome

Think of all the things you could do with a 100-core processor, or even a 1,000-core processor. Climb the ranks of Maximum PC's Folding@Home team! Encode videos like a boss! Run Crysis! Ah, if only it was as easy as piling on more cores for exponential performance gains. There's more to it than that, and a couple of researchers from North Carolina University say they've developed a pair of techniques that will help maximize the performance of multi-core processors by allowing them to retrieve data more efficiently.

A closer look at laptops with AMD's Fusion processors

AMD’s first Fusion processors–chips that combine both a CPU and graphics–were initially meant to get the company into the netbook game. But the market has changed and these low-power APUs, or Accelerated Processing Units, are finding their way into everything from tablets to 15-inch laptops.

Later this year, AMD will release its Llano processor, a more powerful APU with a quad- or even eight-core CPU and better graphics that will replace the aging Phenom IIs and Turion IIs in the laptops and desktops you see at Best Buy. But for now the low-power variants are the only Fusion parts that AMD has to offer. This includes both the C-Series (Ontario), which is designed for netbooks, and the E-Series (Zacate), which is employed in everything from ultra-thin laptops to 15-inch budget notebooks.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing out a number of these Fusion systems. In this post, I’ll cover some of the smaller systems including the Acer Aspire One 522 netbook and two ultra-thin laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e, and the HP Pavilion dm1z. Tomorrow I’ll do a follow-up post on several budget laptops with 15-inch displays including the Acer Aspire 5253, Gateway NV51B Series and Toshiba Satellite C650. Some of these systems have already gotten the full reviews treatment from CNET or others (links below).

Before you consider one of these laptops, it’s important to understand just what you’re getting with these first Fusion chips. In general, these notebooks offer better performance than Atom-based netbooks, but they fall short of the performance of even entry-level laptops with Intel’s Celeron, Pentium and Core i3 processors based on last year’s microarchitecture. They aren’t even in the same ballpark as the second-generation Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, which also combine a multi-core CPU and graphics processor on a single chip. The Llano, or A-Series APUs, will go toe-to-toe with these Sandy Bridge processors.

(The site Xbit Labs posted a roundup that compares the performance of AMD's E-350to intel's entire linup from the dual-core Atom to the Core i3-2100T, an entry-level Sandy Bridge processor.)

Benchmarks are one thing, but what really matters is how systems perform in the real world. In my experience using these Fusion laptops over a few weeks, I found the performance was sufficient for basic productivity tasks, Web browsing, listening to music and watching video, and simple multi-tasking. Much of this is due to the Radeon HD 6310M GPU, which supports DirectX 11 and gives these lightweight laptops better graphics and video performance than some entry-level Intel-based laptops. The AMD graphics also includes a dedicated HD video decoder. None of the Fusion systems had the slightest trouble with Web pages loaded with Adobe Flash content or with 1080p video playback. The Pavilion dm1z I tested even came with an external Blu-ray player (a $129 option), which worked flawlessly.

In addition to decent graphics performance, the Fusion laptops also offer significantly better battery life than their Turion-based brethren. On a torture test, most of these lasted three to four hours, but you could easily get six hours or more from the Pavilion dm1z in real-world usage–a big improvement for AMD laptops though it comes at the expense of application performance.

Acer Aspire One 522
Acer rode the netbook wave all the way to a No. 2 ranking in the world by PC shipments. Lately that strategy has come under pressure and Acer has lost some ground, but it continues to crank out inexpensive netbooks. The Aspire One 522 looks a lot like Acer’s other 10.1-inch netbooks, which are typically based on Atom processors. It is about an inch thick (and only 10.2 inches wide by 7.3 inches deep), weighs less than 3 pounds and has a compact Chiclet-style keyboard (which is a bit tougher to type on than a standard, full-size keyboard), and a decent multi-touch touchpad with separate buttons. The difference is that this Aspire One does not use Atom. Instead, it has AMD’s 1.0GHz C-50 dual-core processor with Radeon HD 6250 integrated graphics driving a 1280-by-720 display.

Don’t confuse the Aspire One 522 with a notebook, it is pure netbook and comes with some limitations. The Fusion APU provides better graphics, but the application performance of the C-50 isn’t much better than a dual-core Atom and well below Intel’s entry-level dual-core processors for laptops. For example, a Monte Carlo simulation in an Excel spreadsheet that finished in 22 seconds on a laptop with a 2.13GHz Core i3-330M dual-core took nearly 2 minutes on the Aspire One 522. An image editing task in Google’s Picasa and a test involving transcoding audio files in iTunes each took about four times as long with the Aspire One 522.

The battery life was better. The 6-cell battery lasted 3 hours 20 minutes on a tough test of continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi with the display set to full brightness. I got around five to six hours in real-world use, which is about what you’d expect from a 10-inch netbook.

The Aspire One 522 is also stuck with the Starter Edition of Windows 7, which means it is missing some features such as the Aero interface, Windows Media Center and Windows XP compatibility mode. Out of the box it couldn’t complete a video encoding test because it was missing the codecs that come with full versions of Windows 7 (though you can always download codecs).

The model I tested, the Aspire One 522-BZ897, costs $329.99 with 1GB of memory and a 250GB hard drive. That puts it in a very particular niche. It isn’t the cheapest netbook out there. The Aspire One 255, for example, has the same basic design but starts at $249.99 with the Atom N455 single-core, 1GB and a 250GB hard drive. On the other hand, the Aspire One 522 still falls short of the performance and features of an entry-level laptop. Essentially what you’re buying here is better graphics performance. The Aspire One 522 is worth a look if you want a netbook with features such as a 720p display, HDMI-out and the ability to smoothly handle HD video.

HP Pavilion dm1z
The first Fusion laptop, the HP Pavilion dm1z is neither netbook nor notebook. Rather it falls somewhere in between in terms of its price, size and weight, features and performance. Most “tweener” products are not very successful, but the dm1z has defied the odds. It has generally received very good reviews (here’s CNET’s take) and both Computer Shopper and LaptopMag gave it an Editors’ Choice.

Based on an 11.6-inch display (133×768) the dm1z weighs about 3.5 pounds and measures 11.4 inches wide by 8.4 inches deep. The tapered case is 1.2 inches thick at the back but only 0.8 inches at the front making it appear even smaller and lighter than it is. While the cylindrical 6-cell battery sticks out from the back, it is integrated into the display hinge so it feels like part of the design. The tapered design and rounded hinge make the dm1z comfortable to carry in your hand with the display closed. The design and materials are not in the same class as pricier ultraportables such as the Apple MacBook Air or Samsung Series 9, but the dm1z has a clean, professional look and feels reasonably solid and sturdy.

The dm1z officially starts at $449.99 direct with the 1.6GHz E-350 dual-core processor with Radeon HD 6310M graphics, 3GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive, but you can easily find that configuration online for as low as $429. There aren’t a whole lot of configuration options, but you can get it with a larger hard drive or a 128GB solid-state disk. As you’d expect in a laptop this small, there’s no internal optical drive though as I mentioned above you can get an external Blu-ray player/DVD writer for $129.

Though I generally prefer traditional keyboards, the dm1z has one of the better island-style Chiclet keyboards. The soft, rubberized keys are full-size and have lots of space between them. (One minor annoyance: the Page Up, Page Down, Home and End function keys are not labeled, but you eventually get used to the Function key combinations.) Overall I prefer the ThinkPad X120e’s keyboard, which has slightly curved keys for better tactile feedback, but I could easily live with the dm1z’s design.

The performance of laptops with the E-350 is certainly better than that of netbooks saddled with the C-Series, but it is still well short of notebooks with Intel dual-cores. The Monte Carlo simulation in Excel that took 22 seconds on a laptop with a Core i3-330M dual-core processor took nearly a minute more on the dm1z. The Fusion laptop took more than twice as long to convert a batch of MP3s to the AAC format in iTunes and it took nearly 41 minutes to transcode a video in Windows Movie Maker into a format for use on a smartphone. The same video transcoding task took 10 minutes 35 seconds on the Core i3-based mainstream laptop. The ThinkPad X120e, which has virtually identical specs, posted similar scores. These are certainly a step up from netbooks using either Atom or AMD’s own C-Series, but not in the same class as larger laptops.

Battery life is a different story. The dm1z’s 6-cell battery lasted more than four hours on my torture test but many reviewers have reported test scores in excess of six hours. In normal usage you can expect to get anywhere from six to seven hours putting it in the same range as netbooks with slower processors and smaller displays. That’s pretty impressive.

It’s easy to see why the dm1z has received glowing reviews. The performance doesn’t come close to premium ultraportables but it is good enough for most, and at $429 you can buy three of them for about the same price as the cheapest 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro. Throw in an attractive design and long battery life and the dm1z is a great budget ultraportable.

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e
A direct competitor to HP’s Pavilion dm1z, the ThinkPad X120e is also based on an 11.6-inch display (1366×768) and AMD’s E-Series processor. Not surprisingly the performance and features are very similar, and the ThinkPad X120e has received solid reviews as well (here’s CNET’s hands-on), though it hasn’t quite matched the ratings of the dm1z.

The design of the ThinkPad X120e is identical to the X100e, which used an older AMD processor. It doesn’t break any new ground, but if you like the matte-black looks of ThinkPads, you’ll like the X120e. At about one inch thick and with a weight of 3.4 pounds, the X120e is highly portable. Some reviewers have complained about how the battery juts out from the back panel, but this is really a matter of aesthetics. The fact is at 8.3 inches deep, the X120e is actually a bit shorter than the dm1z–it’s just that the latter’s hinge design makes the battery appear to be part of the overall design while the X120e’s feels like an afterthought.

ThinkPads are known for their excellent keyboards. The larger–and much higher-priced–X220 and T-Series have what I consider to be the best keyboards in the business. The one on the X120e isn’t nearly as good, but it is still one of the best Chiclet-style keyboards around with large, well-spaced keys that have plenty of travel. I also prefer the red TrackPoint to a touchpad–the multi-touch gestures don’t do much for me–and there aren’t many laptops at this size and price range that offer a pointing stick. If you like working with a touchpad, however, you should be aware that the one on the X120e feels cramped and is recessed below the wrist-rest making it a bit awkward to use.

The ThinkPad X120e starts at $399 but that model comes with the slower 1.5GHz E-240, 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive. The one I tested had the faster E-350 processors and 4GB of memory bumping the price up to $529 direct (lenovo.com). That’s less than the Sony VAIO Y Series–another 11.6-inch laptop with AMD’s Fusion processor–which starts at $549 with the E-350, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. But it is notably more than the Pavilion dm1z, which is $479.99 direct with the same specs as the X120e I tested, and you can push it down to as low as $429 with 3GB of memory.

The price of the X120e (and Sony VAIO Y Series) bumps up against that of mainstream laptops that offer better performance and features. For example, you can get the ThinkPad Edge with a 14-inch display, Athlon II X2 P340 dual-core, 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive for $549.

The X120e’s application performance was virtually identical to the dm1z on my tests. Neither one is going to win any races–except when competing against only Atom-based netbooks–but in normal usage the X120e easily handled basic productivity tasks and simple multi-tasking. And thanks to the Radeon HD 6310M graphics, the X120e had no trouble with basic games, Adobe Flash content or HD video. The battery life wasn’t as good as that of the dm1z on my tests, but it was still a big step up from the previous version, the X100e. Lenovo rates it at 7.5 hours, but I got anywhere from 5 to 6 hours in general use and it lasted slightly more than 3 hours on my extreme battery test.

Overall I’d give a slight edge to the Pavilion dm1z because it has a more interesting design, longer battery life and lower price tag. But if you are a fan of laptops with a little red TrackPoint–and there are lots of you out there–the X120e is the closest thing to a ThinkPad ultraportable on a netbook budget.

AMD goes where Intel isn't: Mobile phone processors

AMD is doing something Intel can't do: compete in the massive mobile phone market. AMD processors and mobile graphics technology were disclosed at the 2008 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.

AMD Imageon chip and concept device

(Credit: AMD)

The Imageon A250 applications processor is used for video recording/playback and photo imaging, among other applications, and can be programmed for multimedia and high-level graphics, referred to as vector graphics.

The Imageon D160 mobile TV solution is a hardware and software package that allows mobile phone makers to receive over-the-air broadcast TV signals in a USB-powered device. The chipmaker also introduced the Imageon M210 audio processor for high-definition audio.

AMD is also offering graphics technology separately. The company's Z460 3D graphics taps into the same patented AMD Unified Shader Architecture that provides a graphics platform for the Microsoft Xbox 360 video game system, AMD said. Shaders are used for rendering 3D objects. AMD Z180 graphics technology is targeted at navigational systems and portable devices designed to handle animation, mapping, and Flash-style content. The Z180 features a native hardware-accelerated vector graphics solution, designed to render graphics between 20 and 40 times faster than software-based solutions.

The Imageon technology announced in Barcelona is a refresh of technology announced about a year ago, said AMD spokesperson Jo Albers, and came to AMD when it purchased ATI Technology back in 2006. AMD's strategy in this respect has differed dramatically from Intel's. The latter offloaded its handheld processor business to Marvell Technology around the same time that AMD purchased ATI. Intel is now trying to get back into the ultramobile game with Silverthorne (due later this year) but that processor, though small and relatively power efficient, is too power-hungry for compact mobile phones (though conceivably Silverthorne could be used in ip.

New details on AMD, Intel chips for back-to-school PCs

Summer isn’t even here yet, but chipmakers AMD and Intel are already gearing up for back-to-school.

After some manufacturing delays, AMD is set to release its Llano processor for mainstream laptops and desktops. I expect them to make it official at the Computex tradeshow in Taiwan next week, but some technology sites in Asia are already reporting details of these new processors. It is probably no coincidence that Intel has just updated its processor list to include Sandy Bridge chips at lower prices, which will compete directly with Llano.

Rather than CPU, AMD uses the term APU, or Accelerated Processor Unit, to describe chips like Llano that include both CPU cores and a graphics processor. It took longer than expected for AMD’s manufacturing partner, GlobalFoundries, to work out the kinks with its 32nm process using new materials (a high-k dielectric and metal gates), so in the interim AMD released low-power C-Series (Ontario) and E-Series (Zacate) APUs manufactured by a different foundry, TSMC, using a more conventional 40nm technology. But the Llano APUs, most of which will be branded as the A-Series, are critical because they are designed for mainstream laptops and desktops, an area where AMD has been relatively strong.

Llano will be available in dual- and quad-core versions, according to a report from DigiTimes. The dual-core desktop processors, the E2-3250 ($70) and A4-3350P ($80), will compete with Pentium-branded processors. The quad-core A6 ($110-130) will compete with the Core i3 dual-core desktop processors and the eight-core A8 ($150-170) will compete with Intel’s mid-range Core i5-2300, which has four cores and four threads. For desktops, AMD will have a different processor, code-named Zambezi, which is a traditional CPU with separate graphics to compete with the higher Core i5-2500 (four cores, four threads)and Core i7-2600 (four cores, eight threads). The first Zambezi chips will reportedly include the quad-core FX-4110 ($220), six-core FX-6110 ($250) and eight-core FX-8130 and 8130P ($290-$320). These will also be manufactured on GlobalFoundries’ 32nm process and will be available later this year.

This is consistent with everything we’ve heard about Llano: core-for-core, the CPU likely won’t match the performance of Intel’s Sandy Bridge. To compensate for this, AMD will offer more physical cores for about the same price. Llano’s on-die Radeon graphics should also offer better 3D graphics performance than Intel’s HD 2000/HD 3000 integrated graphics. At the high-end, AMD doesn’t have graphics advantage since both AMD’s FX Zambezi processor and Intel’s Core i7 will generally be used in high-performance desktops with discrete graphics from AMD or Nvidia. Though these are all desktop processors, the match-ups should be similar on the mobile side except that Intel only offers the HD 3000 graphics n laptops and AMD will not mobile version of Zambezi.

Over the weekend, Intel updated its processor price list to include seven new Sandy Bridge desktop chips most of which compete directly with Llano. In the mid-range, this includes the 3.10GHz dual-core Core i3-2105 ($134) and the 2.90GHz quad-core Core i5-2310 ($177), plus a low-power Core i5. Intel also introduced four Pentium dual-cores ranging from 2.20GHz to 2.90GHz at prices from $64 to $86. These are Intel’s first Pentium-branded chips using the new microarchitecture, but they do not include several features of Sandy Bridge including hyper-threading, Turbo Boost 2.0, and hardware-accelerated HD video encoding and decoding.

AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core Processor Price

AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core Prices in India – All prices are in Indian Rupee (INR):-

AMD Phenom X4 Quad Core features true quad-core design with AMD64 technology and Direct Connect Architecture. Quad core phenom processors offers ultimate multitasking and extreme performance for most demanding processing application, including advanced multitasking, critical business productivity, advanced visual design and modeling, serious gaming, and visually stunning digital media and entertainment.

• AMD Phenom X4 9650 – Rs.6,550/-
• AMD Phenom X4 9850 Quad-Core Black Edition – Rs.8,050/-
• AMD Phenom X4 9950 Quad-Core Black Edition – Rs.8,200/-

Discontinued AMD Phenom X4 Processor

• AMD Phenom X4 9550
  
• AMD Phenom X4 9750

AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core Processor Price

AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core Prices in India
Price updated on 28 june 2009
AMD Phenom X3 triple-core designed for better performance at affordable price in comparison to dual core processors. AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core comes with 512K L2 cache per core, up to 2MB of L3 cache shared by up to 3 cores.

• AMD Phenom X3 8650 Price – 4,200/-

Discontinued AMD Phenom X3 Processor

• AMD Phenom X3 8450

AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core Processor Price

AMD Athlon X2 Dual Core Prices in India Price Updated on 28 June 2009 AMD Athlon™ X2 dual-core processors offers power of two core technology on the desktop. AMD Athlon™ X2 processors contain two processing cores on one chip and it increases efficiency and speed while running multiple programs and the multi-threaded software. With Athlon™ X2 you can feel significant increase in response and performance when running multiple applications simultaneously.

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Price – 2,950/-
• Athlon 64 X2 7750+ Price – 3,525/-
• Athlon 64 X2 7750+ Black Edition Price – 3,750/-
• AMD Athlon II X2 250 Price – 4,550/-
• AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition – 5600/-

Discontinued AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processors

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Price – 3000/-
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Price – 3200/-
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Price – 3700/-
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Price – 4825/-
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Price – 5000/-
• AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Price – 6550/-

AMD's Latest Processor Price List Reflects Big Time Cuts

AMD hasn't made a big deal about its new processor pricing list released earlier this week, but some of the price cuts do, in fact, represent big deals. We're not talking about just one or two processors either. AMD took its pricing gun and shot down the sticker on more than two dozen CPUs, including several double digit percentage price cuts. AMD's Phenom X4 905e, for example, has been reduced to a single C-note, down from $165, or 39.4 percent.

Some of the bigger price cuts include:

• Phenom X3 405e: $72, down from $97 (25.8 percent)
• Athlon X4 605e: $98, down from $122 (19.7 percent)
• Phenom X4 910e: $143, down from $175 (18.3 percent)
• Phenom Black Edition II X6 1100T: $205, down from $239 (14.2 percent)
• Phenom X4 955: $117, down from $135 (13.3 percent)
• Phenom X4 965 Black Edition: $135, down from $155 (12.9 percent)

There are several others that have been reduced by more than 10 percent, all of which you can view here. Keep in mind that prices reflect thousand-tray quantities, so you'll likely find your favorite online vendor(s) charging a bit more, but the percentage of savings should be about the same.

AMD developing eight-core Bulldozer-based CPU for 2011 release

AMD’s new chip architecture, dubbed Bulldozer, is being highly anticipated next year as the company prepares to match Intel’s forthcoming Sandy Bridge processors. Included in AMD’s plans, according to Fudzilla, is an eight-core CPU that will be aimed at the server market, but that will no doubt be of interest to performance desktop buyers as well.

The new 32nm design promises to confuse the very notion of cores, however, with AMD referring to the chip’s building blocks as modules. Each module will feature a pair of 128-bit floating point units and share L1 cache and other resources — essentially allowing a module to function as a dual-core unit while making the overall chip more efficient. AMD can place four modules on the code-named Orochi chip to provide an octa-core design — which is a different approach than, say, Mac Pros pulling together a pair of quad-core Intel processors.

Whether you need to have eight cores in your desktop is an open question, since many apps aren’t designed to make use of the processing power from multiple cores. Still, Bulldozer promises a noticeable jump in performance from today’s processors; that, along with the bragging-rights appeal of owning the chip with the most possible cores among enthusiasts should help AMD shed a bit of its reputation for just offering good performance for bargain prices.

Then again, if Bulldozer arrives at the same time as the Sandy Bridge eight-core chip, then AMD will find itself in an octa-core war with Intel, which should really test how well its radical re-design can stand up to Chipzilla’s latest technology.

Intel Core i7 930 Quad-Core Processor

The new Intel Core i7 930 processor Quad-Core Processor is expected to be available by the first quarter of 2010.Its clock speed will be 2.8GHz.It will replace the Intel core i7 920 processor.The Intel Core i7 930 quad core processor will feature 8MB L2 cache and hyper-threading technology.

Price:The expected price of the new Intel Core i7 930 Processor in India is Rs.15,000 (same as the current Intel core i7 920 processor’s price).

Intel Core i5-760 – 2.8GHz Quad Core Desktop Processor

intel Core i5-760

The new Intel Core i5-760 is a 2.8GHz Quad Core Desktop Processor .The new Intel Core i5-760 is the successor of the Intel Core i5-750 processor and differs only in frequency (Intel Core i5-750 is 2.67GHz).

Intel Core i5-760 processor specs and features :

• Frequency (MHz):2800
• Quad-Core “Lynnfield”
• TDP: 95W
• Manufacturing: 32nm manufacturing process technology and 45nm graphics core
• L2 Cache: 4x 256kB
• L3 Cache: 8MB shared
• Stepping: B1
• Memory Controller: Dual Channel PC3-10667U (DDR3-1333)
• EM64T technology
• Virtualization technology (VT-x)
• Execute Disable bit
• Turbo Boost technology
• Hyperthreading (HT)
• Low power features:Enhanced SpeedStep technology
• On-chip peripherals
• Integrated dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM Memory controller
• Direct Media Interface
• PCI-Express graphics

Intel Core i5-760 Price

Intel Core i5-760 Price in India : The new Intel Core i5-760 Quad Core desktop processor price will be around Rs.10,000

Intel Core i7 960 Processor- Price,Specs

Intel is expected to launch a new Core i7 processor in the fourth quarter of this year.The new processor will be the Intel Core i7 960.The Core i7 960 inherits a part of its specifications from the Core i7 965 Extreme Edition, which is now replaced by the 975 Extreme Edition.The new i7 960 will be clocked at 3.2GHz, same as the Core i7 965 Extreme Edition, have a locked multiplier capped at 24x,8MB of L3 cache, an integrated triple channel DDR3 memory controller and a TDP of 130W.Also it will use a 4.8 GT/s QPI
interface.



Price: The new Intel Core i7 960 Processor will cost around Rs.US $562,and will displace the Core i7 950 from its range.

Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Edition Processor

The Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Edition is an upcoming processor manufactured on Intel’s latest 32nm process, it features 6 processing cores with 12 threads (HyperThreading Technology), triple-channel DDR3 memory with its integrated memory controller, 6.4 GT/s QPI link to the Intel X58 Express chipset, 12 MB of L3 cache, compatibility to platforms that support the Core i7 9xx processors, and 130W TDP. The Core i7 980X Extreme Edition comes with a clock speed of 3.33 GHz.

Intel Core i5 Processor Price List – Quad Core processor:-

Intel Core i5-750 processor – Rs.10,600

Intel Core i3 Processor Price List India:-

• Intel Core i3-530 processor price - Rs.6500
  

Intel Quad Core Processor Price – Intel Core 2 Quad Price list in India:-

• Intel Q9450 Core 2 Quad Processor – 15490/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Q9400 Core 2 Quad Processor – 10000/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Q8200 Core 2 Quad Processor – 8290/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Q8400 Core 2 Quad Processor – 8590/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Q9550 Core 2 Quad Processor – 11490/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Q9650 Core 2 Quad Processor – 16500/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Quad Core Q9505 (2.83 GHz,6MB L2 cache,1333MHz FSB) – Rs.11,400

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Price List India:-

• Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo Processor – 8800/- Indian Rupee
• Intel E8500 Core 2 Duo Processor – 8200/- Indian Rupee
• Intel E7500 Core 2 Duo Processor – 5800/- Indian Rupee
• Intel E7400 Core 2 Duo Processor – 6100/- Indian Rupee

Intel Dual Core Price list in India:-

• Intel Dual-Core E5200 Processor – 3300/- Indian Rupee
• Intel Dual-Core E5300 Processor – 3400/- Indian rupee
• Intel Dual-Core E2200 Processor – 3100/- Indian rupee

Intel Dual Celeron Price list in India:-

• Intel Celeron 430 Processor – 1990/- Indian Rupee