Can AMDs Three Cores Outshine Intels 45 Nanometers?
The hardware enthusiast market has been waiting for a low-priced 45-nanometer Penryn since the successor to Intel’s 65-nanometer “Merom” core was announced in November 2007. Sure, the 45nm quad-core Extreme processors may get the headlines, but their $1,000-plus prices ensure they’ll never affect the mass market. The dual-core Wolfdale is the real key, as it provides excellent performance for $300 or less. The 3.0GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 was the first Wolfdale to hit retail shelves — and to be snatched up swiftly by the teeming hordes, leading to out-of-stock notices at most major online vendors. Intel followed through by introducing the Core 2 Duo E8500, with the same basic specifications but a higher 3.16GHz clock speed. These CPUs run on a 1333MHz front-side bus and sport a full 6MB of SmartCache, 2MB more than the 65nm Core 2 Duos. The E8000 series’ 45-nanometer architecture also means it can overclock like a demon, and enthusiasts are having a lot of fun discovering its limits. The 4
