Intel Launches Power-Efficient Penryn Processors

Bergkamp10 writes "Over the weekend Intel launched its long-awaited new 'Penryn' line of power-efficient microprocessors, designed to deliver better graphics and application performance as well as virtualization capabilities. The processors are the first to use high-k metal-gate transistors, which makes them faster and less leaky compared with earlier processors that have silicon gates. The processor is lead free and by next year Intel is planning to produce chips that are halogen free, making them more environmentally friendly. Penryn processors jump to higher clock rates and feature cache and design improvements that boost the processors' performance compared with earlier 65-nm processors, which should attract the interest of business workstation users and gamers looking for improved system and media performance."

Comments

Re:revolutionary? no, but still noteworthy

[Azuma Hazuki]

I am a dedicated AMD fangirl...every computer I've ever built had an AMD chip in it. But Intel really hit it on the head with the Core 2 arch and I see no sign of them slackening. I am actually looking forward to Nehalem and its shrink (which is probably the next time I'll have the money to spend on anything not college or food/supply-related).

If this is how it ends for AMD, this is how it goes. I'll be sad, and may buy AMD anyway for some other reason (even if it's just stubborn fangirlism) but I respect Intel's design team. Their ethics, no, but their design is top notch this time around.