AMD plans to release two more dual-core Opterons in order to compete with Intel's latest Xeon processors. Server makers and channel sellers will gain access to the 3GHz(120W) Model 2222 SE and Model 8222 SE chips, which will slot in just above the already shipping 2.8GHz Model 2220 SE and 8220 SE processors. The 2000 Series products cater to servers with two-sockets, while the 8000 Series feed systems with four or more sockets. A similar 95W version of the new 3.0GHz chip for the 1000 Series line should also arrive in a few weeks. AMD has yet to release pricing for the 2222 SE and 8222 SE 3.0GHz models, as it does not plan to formally announce the product for two more weeks. These may be the last Opterons before the four-core Barcelona arrives.

Under a new brand called Intel Centrino Pro processor technology, Intel Corporation today announced it will extend its innovative and popular features designed for desktop business PCs called Intel vPro processor technology into its forthcoming high-performance laptop offering. IT departments will be able to reliably manage both desktops and notebooks and deal with what plagues them most - security threats, cost of ownership, resource allocation, and asset management -- and do so wirelessly.

Four cores running at 2.93GHz on a 1066FSB will be the base for Intel's upcoming Core 2 Extreme QX6800. Advanced cooling will be required in order to get rid of the 150W this beast will most likely dissipate. This CPU was thought to be released later this month but TheInq doesn't say so. Instead this new Intel flagship will be shown world wide on this Easter Monday - at least the NDA will go up by then. Furthermore don't expect them at your local dealers so soon, even big First Tier OEMs won't get it in substantial quantities the sources say. This all sounds like a paper launch without a real threat for Intel to continue their push-strategy. Or is the upcoming K10 architecture so much better performance wise?

Marking the next step in Intel's "tick-tock" product strategy and cadence to deliver a new process technology with an enhanced microarchitecture or entirely new microarchitecture every year, Intel Corporation will begin producing its next-generation Penryn family of processors in the second half of this year. These new processors benefit from enhancements to the Intel Core microarchitecture and also Intel's industry-leading 45nm Hi-k process technology with its hafnium-based high-K + metal gate transistor design, which results in higher performance and more energy-efficient processors.

Penryn is Intels next generation of the Core 2 Duo with 'Conroe'-core. Based on a 45nm process and an improved High-k dielectric together with metal gates the Penryn features the SSE4 instruction set (aka Nehalem New Instructions, NNI), and a 6MB/12MB L2-cache (Core 2 Duo/Core 2 Quad). Power consumption will roughly be the same, 65W TDP for the Duo and 105W for the Quad. The working frequencies will be higher than 3GHz for the top models resulting in around 20% more performance when playing games. Video-trancoding that utilizes the new SSE4 instructions will be around 40% faster Intel says.
The mobile Penryn features an additional 'deep power down'-state where both caches will be deactivated, the core-frequency and -voltage are lowered by a significant amount. Furthermore the chip is able to change both core's frequencies and voltages indepentently from one another. Let's say you are using a single threaded application for a while the second core won't have much to do it will power itself down whereas the other core could power it up to improve the performance.
In late 2008 Intel plans to release the Nehalem architecture which comes with an integrated memory controller. By then the front side bus days will be over, a serial Hypertransport-like interface called 'CSI' (Common System Interface) will replace it.

Update: AnandTech covers the story as well with a whole article dedicated to the Penryn and Nehalem.

Sun Microsystems, today introduced the Netra X4200 M2 server, Sun's first Network Equipment Building Standard (NEBS) Level 3 Certified Rack Server powered by the AMD Opteron processor and offering the industry's broadest operating system (OS) support, including the Solaris 10 OS, Red Hat and SUSE Linux, and Windows. Based on the Sun Fire X4200 M2 server announced in October 2006, the Netra X4200 M2 server is Sun's first Netra rackmount server developed with industry-standard x64 (x86, 64-bit) architecture. The device can be equipped with up to four 146 GB SAS hard drives, up to two Opteron 2214 HE (2.2 GHz, 68W) processors and up to eight DDR2-667 memory modules for a total capacity of 32 GB. The 2-socket version of the Netra X4200 M2 server is available now, with entry-level pricing starting at $9,845. The 1-socket version is scheduled to be available in May with entry-level pricing starting at $6,145. For more information on the Netra X4200 M2, please visit this page.

On March 22 1993, Intel shipped the very first Pentium processor, the 60MHz model imaginatively dubbed the 'P60'.

Pentium was the successor to the 486 processor. Intel had originally wanted to call the chip the 586, but couldn't get a trademark on the number. Rather than let AMD use the 586 name too, the company decided to switch to a word. Pentium is obviously based on the Greek pent, which is the word for five (hence pentathalon, pentagram etc).

The brand went through a number of iterations - Pentium II, III and IV, amazingly - before being killed off in favor of the Core brand that came into play in January 2006, after years of mediocre Pentium IV performance.

Way back in October, we posted possible specifications of the new Intel "Bearlake" chipset. Well, Intel has finally confirmed this Bearlake chipset. There will be five variants. These are the X38, the P35, the G35, the G33, and finally the G31.

• The X38 is designed to work with Core 2 Extreme processors, works with Intel's 45nm Penryn, will use PCI Express 2.0 technology, and "performance auto-tuning", which dynamically overclocks...everything. The X38 will run at an FSB of 1333 MHz, and can handle DDR3 RAM clocked similarly.
• The P35 will handle all current generation Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors, but there is no word as to what else this thing can do.
• The G35 is just like the P35, except with integrated DX10 graphics. The integrated graphics have a built in HDCP decoder and HDMI output, so that users can plug in an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drive without worry.
• The G33 is a slightly cut down version of the G35, but still has the impressive DX10 integrated graphics.
• The G31 still has the integrated graphics, but is designed for the budget minded customer.

The P35 and G33 will arrive Q2 of this year, and every other Bearlake chipset will be released in Q3.

Everyone is talking about Barcelona - not the city, the server processor version of AMD's K10 architecture. As Fuad from Fudzilla.com is pointing out, only a fraction of us will invest money in that type of CPUs. So let's talk about the desktop version:
Starting from the Barcelona it sounds very logical that there will be two quad-core desktop versions. The Athlon 64 X4 (2MB shared L3-Cache, codename 'Agena') and the Athlon 64 FX (2MB shared L3, codename 'Agena FX'). There will be a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 ('Kuma'), it's unknown how much cache this will have implemented and last but not least there might be a single-core Athlon 64 ('Rana').
Some of the improvements of the K10 architecture are a faster HyperTransport solution (HT 3.0 up to 4GHz) and improved power saving modes (you don't need a driver anymore for it to work). Both will be supported by the new AM2+ platform. It remains to be seen if the new CPUs will be drop in compatible to existing sockets (losing the HT3 speeds and new Cool'n'Quiet features of course).
Btw.: Fuad is talking about 'Budapest' as well which is a 1xxx Opteron supporting a single socket only.

Update:
After writing this post it came to my attention that there are several more websites knowing something about the K10. In a German forum called Effizienzgurus you will find some more news regarding the whole lineup of processors.

HKEPC has info about upcoming price cuts on Intel's CPUs:One can only wonder what would make Intel cut prices so much, especially on their high end models! This move will truly bring quad-core to the masses. Is Intel scared of what AMD has in store?

The Inquirer has gossip about Intel's future plans concerning mobile phones and portable devices. Paul Otellini, Intel's CEO, would like to swap out current mobile phone CPUs for chips made by Marvell. This should allow them to run their operating systems faster, thereby enabling manufacturers to compete with Apple's upcoming iPhone. Apple has said that its phone will be running a special version of the OS X operating system that powers Mac systems. It may be powered by Marvell Xscale processors.

Interesting news from AMD: It plans to sort of launch it's upcoming K10 CPU on this coming monday if one can trust an interview of two AMD spokesmen at the french website Syndrom-OC.net. In this interview Giuseppe Amato (Technical Director, Sales and Marketing EMEA) and Philip G. Eisler (Senior Vice President, Chipset Division) are talking about the transition of the K8 to it's 65nm version, the K8L (L = Low Power). Furthermore they are explaining the new features AMD implemented into the Barcelona core and prove the rumor that it will come with 2.6 GHz only at the release.

Head on to Syndrom-OC.net to get the whole story.

The guys over at HEXUS.com had the opportunity to set up an interview with AMD's John Fruehe at their online television subsidiary HEXUS.tv. The host of the 'show' is Dan Goldsmith, Technical Director of Armari, a company specialized in high end workstations, servers and clusters. During the 11 minutes Fruehe, being the World Wide Business Development Manager for AMD's Opteron branch, explains the advantages of the upcoming quad-core Opteron like the thermal design, L3 cache. I don't want to spoil too much here - give it a try and be enlighted: HEXUS.tv Interview

As you may have thought already Mr. Fruehe is not allowed to talk about the interesting figures. So to cover that part I would point out the Hong Kong based website HKEPC which spreads the word that these Opterons will start at frequencies of 2.1GHz to 2.3GHz only (2.6GHz in Q2 of 2008). All of them will have 512kb L2 and 2MB L3 cache.

ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference) seems to be packed with interesting stuff this year. Earlier today, we reported how Samsung demonstrated 4 GHz GDDR4 memory modules at the conference, and now, VR-Zone reports that the Cell Broadband Engine is in for a die-shrink. The 'new' 65nm chip will replace the current 90nm units that can be found in PS3s. It is smaller as compared to the 90nm version, thus it is cheaper to produce and emits less heat. Also, the SRAM on the 65nm Cell B.E is improved. Sony engineers managed to run the 65nm Cell B.E. chip at 6GHz with just 1.3V. Sony is expected to continue using Cell B.E. architecture into their next generation PlayStation 4 and there is a possibility that IBM's eDRAM technology will be employed.

Intel has added the Celeron D 365 processors to its Celeron D series for desktops. The Celeron D 365 operates at 3.60GHz and it is the highest model of the series. It uses a 512KB L2 cache and supports a 533MHz FSB. Produced with Intel's 65nm manufacturing process, the Celeron D processor also includes the Execute Disable Bit capability. This feature, combined with a supported operating system, allows memory to be marked as executable or non-executable. For additional information visit this page.

Intel Corp. announced on Wednesday that its server and workstation products made using 45nm process technology are on schedule, and will be available this year.

Kirk Skaugen, the chief of Intel's Xeon group, said during a conference call with analysts that the company plans to introduce low-power quad-core chip with 50W thermal design power in early March, to present code-named Caneland multi-processor server platform in Q3 2007 and to launch the first Xeon DP (dual processor) products made using 45nm process technology in the second half of the year.

The new Intel Xeon 45nm microprocessor for dual-socket applications based on the core that Intel calls Penryn will be drop-in compatible with the company's contemporary Intel 5000-series core-logic sets (code-named Bensley and Glidewell platforms), however, there will be an improved version of the Intel 5000-series chipset aimed at HPC/WS market segments that features 1600MHz processor system bus (PSB) coming in the second half of the year to support higher-performance Xeon "Clovertown" chips with operation at 3GHz.

Alienware, a famous computer manufacturer and system integrator, today announced that the Area-51 7500 desktops will be available with Intel's quad-core Q6600 CPUs.

According to senior vice president Brian Joyce, "…customers will instantly see a performance increase on processor-intensive applications such as gaming, video editing and encoding."

In addition to four computing cores in a single processor package, the unique-looking Alienware-branded 7500 also features Windows Vista, NVIDIA Next Generation Graphics, low-latency DDR 2 memory, nForce 6 SLI x16 Motherboard and HDCP ready graphics.

Primarily aimed at gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, the Area-51 7500 costs around £1,408 inc VAT (approx. $2800) and will be available from 6th March from the Alienware website.

AMD today introduced the new energy-efficient 45-watt AMD Athlon 64 single-core 3500+(2.2GHz, 512KB L2 cache) and 3800+(2.4GHz, 512KB L2 cache) desktop processors. The new energy-efficient AMD Athlon 64 processors 3500+ and 3800+ are based on 65nm technology. Using the reduced line widths enabled by 65nm technology, AMD can produce more processors on a 300mm wafer while manufacturing processors designed for low-power consumption, reinforcing AMD's commitment to energy-efficient computing. And for those who crave high performance, AMD has also introduced the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor 6000+(3.0GHz, 2MB total dedicated L2 cache). These new processors are expected to be immediately available in the channel and from OEMs including Alienware, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Systemax and Voodoo, representing the latest in a succession of innovations based on the award-winning AMD64 processor architecture. Pricing for the 65nm energy-efficient AMD Athlon 64 processors 3500+ and 3800+ are $88 and $93, respectively in 1KU. Pricing for the new AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor 6000+ is $464 in 1KU.

Sony knows just as well as any of us do that $600 for a console is simply too much, especially when compared to a $250 Wii and a $400 Xbox360. And so, Sony is looking for ways to lower the price. The best one so far is to find a way to cut chip spending, and to do this, they need to outsource Cell production. This isn't as desperate as it may sound. Sony has been making their own chips since the birth of the PS1, but costs have been becoming quite steep as of late. Sony has spent $3.8 Billion USD since April 2004 on chips alone. The only thing preventing them from getting another company to develop these chips for them at a lower price was a lack of said companies. Now, there are several options for Sony, and Sony will likely outsource Cell production to bring their costs down.

AMD today unveiled more industry-defining architectural features for its upcoming native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors (codenamed "Barcelona") during a presentation to the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). In addition to the estimated 40-percent performance advantage native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors can offer over the competition in benchmark testing, AMD's redesigned microarchitecture will enable new power- and thermal-management techniques, strengthening the industry-leading performance-per-watt AMD Opteron processors currently deliver today. Among the new features are enhancements to AMD PowerNow! technology for dynamic adjustment of individual core frequencies.

Delivering on its commitment to industry-leading datacenter performance and performance-per-watt, AMD today announced availability of new AMD Opteron processor models in both highly efficient (68 watt) and mainstream (95 watt) thermal envelopes.

AMD has released some information about its Shanghai processors - the next generation of server CPUs after the Barcelona cores. The Shanghai processors will be the company's first 45nm chips, which should bring power consumption and heat benefits over 90nm and 65nm equivilents. They will also have 6MB of L3 cache and use the socket 1207 interface, so should be able to work with current Socket F motherboards providing BIOS updates are released. The Shanghai is likely to compete with Intel's 45nm offering, known as Penryn.

Intel expects to introduce its high-end Core 2 Extreme branding to notebooks in Q3'2007 according to the latest roadmap. The upcoming Core 2 Extreme X7800 uses the same Merom core used by the Core 2 Duo mobile family of processors. Intel's Core 2 Extreme X7800 will arrive clocked at 2.6GHz with 800MHz FSB and 4MB of L2 cache like the rest of the Core 2 Duo family. Intel technologies such as VT, EIST, EM64T and XD/NX bit are also supported, though Intel has removed support for Intel Dynamic Acceleration. The Core 2 Extreme X7800 for mobile will remain at the top of Intel's chain of mobile processors until the upcoming Core 2 Extreme X7900(2.8GHz 4MB L2) dethrones it in Q4'2007. The price of Core 2 Duo Extreme X7800 for notebooks in Q3'2007 is expected to be $795 per-unit in 1,000-unit quantities.

Although the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ wasn't expected until the 20th of February, the company's last X2 high-end processor before it begins to use its next generation architecture is out now. The processor uses a 90nm process and runs at 3.0GHz, with 1MB of L2 cache. It is essentially the socket AM2 equivalent to the FX-74, although this is slightly more expensive at the moment. Newegg is selling the processor for $599 and it is in stock at present, whilst Buy.com has set a price of $685.99 but it is sold out at the moment.

The Intel Core 2 Duo series is about to embark on a die shrink, from 65nm to 45nm. The new Core 2 Duo's, codenamed "Penryn", will have a slew of new features. The Penryn's will support a new set of SSE instructions, have higher clock speeds while maintaining the same power draw, and have a larger L2 Cache. The dual core Penryn will have 410 million transistors, and the quad core Penryn will have 820 million. All of the Penryn's will be on a 300mm package. Like with the current generation quad core offerings, the quad core Penryn's will have two dual core processors on one package. The Penryn series will have the same power requirements as the Conroe, which translates to 35W laptop chips, 65W dual-core desktop chips, and 80W quad-core desktop chips. Intel has successfully tested the Penryn's on several operating systems for stability, and we should see something commercially available around Q2 2007.