Intel Core 2 Duo
2. Core 2 Duo Line
- Conroe
The first Intel Core 2 Duo processor cores, code-named Conroe, are built on a 65 nm process and are intended for replacing Pentium 4 and Pentium D series. Intel claims that the Conroe series provides 40% more performance at 40% less power, compared to the Pentium D. The Conroe processors are labeled as the E6600 and E6700 Core 2 Duo models, with the E6600 clocked at 2.4 GHz and the E6700 clocked at 2.67 GHz. The family has a 1066 MT/s front side bus, 4 MB shared L2 cache, and 65 watts TDP. The E6600 and E6700 have 4MB L2 cache, while the E6300 and E6400 versions have 2MB L2 cache.
- Conroe XE
This is currently, the top-of-the-line for Intel's CPU product line. It replaces the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition and the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition processors. Core 2 Extreme has a clock speed of 2.93 GHz and a 1066 MT/s FSB. The TDP for this family is 75-80 watts. According to Intel, at full load the XE6800 does not exceed 45 °C (113 °F), and with SpeedStep enabled, the average temperature of the CPU when idle is 25 °C.
Like the desktop Core 2 Duo, it has 4 MB of shared L2 cache available. This means that the only major difference between the regular Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme is the clock speed. The good thing is that it comes with an unlocked multiplier, allowing good overclocking abilities and of course, underclocking to reduce overall temperature.
- Allendale
Allendale is a codename for the stripped down versions of the Conroe processors with only 2 MB of L2 cache. The E6300 (1.86 GHz) and E6400 (2.13 GHz), both have a 1066MT/s FSB.
Below you will find a table with all the Core2Duo CPU line and its main specs:
Intel Core2 Duo Processor XE6800 |
Intel Core2 Duo Processor E6700 |
Intel Core2 Duo Processor E6600 |
Intel Core2 Duo Processor E6400 |
Intel Core2 Duo Processor E6300 |
|
Processor Number |
XE6800 |
E6700 |
E6600 |
E6400 |
E6300 |
Architecture |
65 nanometer technology |
||||
L2 Cache |
4M |
4M |
4M |
2M |
2M |
L3 Cache |
N/A |
||||
Multiplier |
11x |
10x |
9x |
8x |
7x |
Clock Speed |
2.93 GHz |
2.66 GHz |
2.40 GHz |
2.13 GHz |
1.86 GHz |
Front Side Bus Speed |
1066 MHz |
||||
Other Intel Technologies |
Intel EM64,
VTΒ,
Execute Disable BitΒ,
dual-core,
EIST |
||||
Thermal Design |
75W |
65W |
|||
Package |
FC-LGA |
||||
Chipset |
Intel 975X Intel P965 |
Intel 975X Intel P965 Intel 946PL Intel 946GZ Intel Q965 Intel Q963 Intel G965 |
|||
Slot/Socket Type |
LGA775 |
||||
Pin Count |
775-land |
||||
sSpec Number |
SL9S5 |
SL9S7 |
SL9S8 |
SL9S9 |
SL9SA |
- Compatibility
As the above table shows, all Core2Duo series are the Socket LGA775. However, not every motherboard is compatible. Supporting chipsets besides Intel's (975X, P/G/Q965, Q963, 946GZ/PL) are:
- ATI's Radeon Xpress 200, RD600 and RS600
- NVidia's nForce 4 SLI Intel Edition and nForce 570/590 Intel Edition
- VIA's PT880/PT880 Ultra, PT890, PM880 and PM890.
Keep in mind that older motherboards may not support the Conroe due to the fact that it requires a newer voltage regulator module (VRM), the VRM 11.