Core 2 Quadro Details

Intel has previously announced that it will advance the release of its first quad-core desktop processors to late 2006. Little else has been revealed about the chip designer's plans since then. New information about the processors and their support have come to light Tuesday, according to DailyTech. Officially titled Core 2 Quadro, the new line of processors will debut in November with a flagship Core 2 Extreme model. The introductory QX6700 will run at 2.66GHz per core; this is lower than the 2.93 GHz of its current dual-core equivalent due to heat issues, but should be faster overall for programs that support more than two processors. It should ship in November at the same $999 price as the dual-core chip it replaces. More important is the mainstream Core 2 Quadro Q6600: while it will launch at 2.4GHz in early 2007, it should also be priced dramatically lower and compare to the $530 price of today's 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo. Both quad-core designs are likely to require new mainboards using Intel's 975X chipset. Users of workstation systems such as the Mac Pro can expect a Xeon equivalent to the QX6700 to arrive before the end of 2006.

By Electronista Staff