Intel to ship Conroe processors by July

Intel has given firmer release dates for its next generation of processors, with server CPU Woodcrest to launch this quarter and Conroe in July. 

In a meeting with financial analysts, Paul Otellini, Intel chief executive, said that the firm is moving rapidly to a next-generation design.

This will include a threefold performance per watt boost for its three new CPUs - Merom (mobile), Conroe (desktop) and Woodcrest (server).

Desktop processor Conroe will ship in July and Merom in August, to coincide with the natural notebook refresh. 

Intel will transform three-quarters of the Xeon DP product line to Woodcrest by the end of the year, writes sister title The Inquirer.

Intel couldn't go any further with the existing architecture, and has large teams working on the next two microarchitectures, he said. Every two years Intel will bring out a new microarchitecture.

Intel is shipping 65nanometre processors now. Presler, Dempsey and Yonah are shrinks of 90nm technology. Intel wanted to ramp quickly on that technology.

The new CPUs this year will use 65nm but Intel will move quickly to 45nm using the Nehalem technology.

All future processors will be optimised for performance per watt, and will leapfrog on existing designs.

The chipset designs will be offset by half a generation. Intel made this change several years ago.

The object is for Intel to have sustained leadership in microprocessor technology.

Future handhelds will be always on - with the ultimate handheld devices having CE device price points, said Otellini.

By the end of this decade Intel handhelds will consume only half a watt. Over 1,000 people at Intel are working on this project.

Prices of dual-core processors will come down by the end of next year, Intel said, meaning their average will be the same as unicore.

So powerful dual-core-based PCs should drop further in price, plus the CPU will become more attractive to casual upgraders.

The company also said that the quad-core that follows Kentsfield will be converged – or a real quad-core processor will be built rather than the two chips on a CPU of Kentsfield.

It is likely to be built on a 45nm process, and with a faster bus, mainly due to it being one chip, not two. This should address all the weaknesses of Kentsfield.