Intel speed-bumps mid-range desktop CPUs

Core 2 Duo and Pentium Dual-Core lines targetted

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in Developer, 15th August 2007 02:01 GMT

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Intel will extend its Pentium Dual-Core line-up - its series of new Core-based CPUs using the old brand name, launched in June - later this month. In October, it will do the same with the Core 2 Duo desktop family.

The 2.0GHz Pentium E2180, which incorporates just 1MB of L2 cache shared between the two cores and connects over an 800MHz frontside bus, is due to appear on 26 August, Intel documentation seen by Register Hardware reveals. It's likely to come in at $84, with the current line leader, the 1.8GHz E2160, falling in price to $71, what Intel currently charges for the 1.6GHz E2140.

The Core 2 Duo E4x00 line are likewise designed to run on an an 800MHz FSB. The current top-of-the-line model, the 2.2GHz E4500 is due to be superseded on 21 October by the 2.4GHz E2160. Both chips have 2MB of L2 cache on board.

We'd guess the E4600 will come in at $133, pushing the E4500 down to $113, the same price Intel currently charges for the slower E4400 and E4300 - the latter could be phased out, but there's no explicit indication of that in the information we've seen.

The E4600 appeared on Intel roadmaps back in June, with only Q4 down as the launch window.

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