Core 2-based Celeron M to arrive early 2007
updated 09:45 am EDT, Thu September 21, 2006
Celeron M 500 in 2007
The Core 2 Duo has already captured the high-end of mobile computing, appearing in systems ranging from portable media centers to slim-profile desktops such as Apple's iMac. Intel is now set to address the increasingly important entry-level with a new line of Celeron M chips based on the Core 2 architecture, writes DailyTech. A roadmap obtained by the site notes that two low-cost processors based on the improved chip design are expected to make their debut in the first quarter of 2007 as the first models in the new Celeron M 500 series. The new models will reduce costs by disabling one of the cores of the existing Core 2 Duo design and reducing the level 2 cache to 1MB. Clock speeds for the two versions will reach 1.6GHz and 1.73GHz respectively and communicate with the rest of the system on a 533MHz bus. The base model is expected to sell for $134 each when bought in bulk by stores and system builders, opening the possibility of truly inexpensive 64-bit laptops.
