CPU roadmap: 2008 and beyond
Published: 22 Apr 2008
How we got here: where we stand today
Desktop CPU recap
The dual-core PC era began in April 2005 when Intel released the Pentium Extreme Edition 840 processor, a 90nm chip running at 3.2GHz. Following this pricey Extreme Edition chip was 'dual-core for the mainstream' in the form of the Pentium D 800 series. Intel's second-generation dual-core chips, the Pentium D 900 series, were released in early 2006 and saw the company move to the 65nm process. During this time, AMD was getting rave reviews with its dual-core, 90nm Athlon 64 X2 line, thanks in large part to its integrated memory controller. While Intel's chips still needed to shuttle data via the slower front-side bus to communicate with system memory, AMD's chips featured a memory controller on the die that operated at the same frequency as the processor itself.
It wasn't until Intel introduced its Core technology in July 2006 that we were able to fully grasp the benefits of dual-core processing. The architecture behind Core 2 Duo chips not only brought about leaps in performance but also improved efficiency. Although they didn't introduce an on-die memory controller, the chips did introduce a host of architectural improvements, the most significant being a unified cache structure. Instead of a separate allotment of Level 2 cache dedicated to each of the two cores as was the case with Intel's previous dual-core chips and AMD's Athlon 64 X2 CPUs, Core 2 Duo chips had one large pool to pull from, which provides greater flexibility in allowing each core to access more cache as needed.
The advantages of multicore processing can be seen when multitasking or running a multithreaded application. While some multithreaded apps such as Photoshop and iTunes are available, there are certainly more programs that will be released in the near future that will be designed to run on multicore processors. Vista was built to run on multicore processors, for example, while XP was primarily a single-threaded operating system.
The way CPUs will continue to advance won't be with increased clock speed, but with more cores. Intel released a quad-core chip, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, in November 2006 and then came out with a mainstream equivalent, the Core 2 Quad Q6600, at CES in January 2007. AMD answered with the Quad FX. As we have moved along in the multicore era, AMD and Intel have each introduced new quad-core processors, Intel with its Core 2 Extreme and Core 2 Quad lines and AMD with its Phenom series. As our recent CPU reviews show, Intel still enjoys a considerable performance edge.
Intel and AMD each continue to manufacture single-core processors for budget PCs. You'll still find low-end systems featuring Intel's Pentium 4 and Celeron D chips alongside those with AMD's Athlon 64 and Sempron parts inside.
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