Intel Explore Intel vPro further

Security, multiplied :- The hardware-based capabilities of Intel vPro technology improve network traffic filtering and isolate clients under attack. Automatic security agents’ verification and immediate remote restoration enhance your preventive security efforts. And with reliable remote power-up functionality, you can deploy off-hours patches faster, speeding up patch saturation by up to 56%.³ Additionally, the hardware-assisted antivirus protection of Execute Disable Bit protects your PCs from certain viruses that use buffer overflow attacks.

Protecting virtual environments against rootkit and other attacks, Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT)Filetype/Size: PDF 83.1KB³ offers extra protection on PCs with Intel vPro technology and built in Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT).ξ Including an industry-standard TPM 1.2 which can be used by third-party software to store keys and other protected data, Intel TXT enables the PC to boot software into a truest state and also helps protect the integrity of the virtual machine.

Maximizing manageability :-PCs with Intel vPro technology can help IT professionals diagnose and repair both wired and wireless systems remotely, cut downtime, and reduce the average in-person IT support time. Intel vPro technology helps perform remote asset tracking and checks the presence of management agents virtually anytime. This functionality allows you to conduct hardware and software inventories up to 94% faster than manually per PC.
Energy-efficient performance :-As the multi-core engine in Intel vPro technology, 45nm hafnium-based Intel® Core™2 Duo processors can provide over 90% faster performance when multitasking and over 90% faster performance on compute-intensive apps.φ At the same time, their great energy efficiency enables smaller, quieter systems and delivers great battery life for mobile PCs. These 64-bit PCs◊ offer full support for Windows Vista*, including Intel® Graphics Technology support for the Windows Vista Aero* interface, and the performance for Microsoft Office* 2007 and other next-generation software.

Intel vPro Technology

Notebook and desktop PCs with Intel vPro technology enable IT to take advantage of hardware-assisted security and manageability capabilities that enhance their ability to maintain, manage, and protect their business PCs. And with the latest IT management consoles from Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) with native Intel vPro technology support, IT can now take advantage of enhanced features to manage notebooks over a wired or corporate wireless network- or even outside the corporate firewall through a wired LAN connection.

PCs with Intel vPro technology integrate robust hardware-based security and enhanced maintenance and management capabilities that work seamlessly with ISV consoles.¹ Because these capabilities are built into the hardware, Intel vPro technology provides IT with the industry's first solution for OS-absent manageability and down-the-wire security even when the PC is off, the OS is unresponsive, or software agents are disabled.

Intel - Dual-roar

The Intel Core 2 Duo is actually two processors (cores) engineered onto a single chip — offering virtually twice the computational power of a traditional single processor in the same space. With two cores tightly integrated, increased L2 cache, and a host of engineering breakthroughs, the Intel Core 2 Duo delivers higher performance for all the things you do — from enhancing the family photos to rendering special effects for a feature film..

Intel - Four on the floor

And that means pure creative exhilaration with four 64-bit cores inside the new Mac Pro. The Core-based Intel Xeon is so power efficient, that Apple engineers were able to remove the liquid cooling system from the previous Power-PC based model. Which means you can load up the Mac Pro with more cards, more hard drives, more memory. So you can do more with Final Cut Studio, Aperture, Logic Pro, and the growing number of universal applications for creative professionals..

Intel - The new Mac core

Every Mac uses a chip based on Intel Core technology, the next generation in processor design from the world’s leading chip maker. The result of massive R&D effort involving thousands of engineers. An entire collection of revolutions shrunk into an unimaginably small space, consuming less energy, too. Two cores work together to share resources, and are designed to conserve power when their functions aren’t required. Whether in an ultra-sleek MacBook, or workstation class Mac Pro, Intel Core technology lets you get more power with less power.

Intel Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool

Use this tool to match compatible Intel Processors and Intel Boards.This tool supports Intel Core 2 Duo and later processors and their supported Intel oards. For components not listed in the tool, search on the board support page. Begin at Motherboards.Supported processors in the resources box.For Server boards and processors, begin at Server Configuration Tool.

Due to potential changes in products, BIOS, software, and the like, Intel is unable to warrant that the processor and boards listed above are compatible.Please check with the board and/or barebones PC vendor for current and compatibility information regarding specific product models.

The board and/or barebones PC vendor remains solely responsible for the design, sale and functionality of its product, including, without limitation, any liability arising from product infringement or product warranty.Please refer to the Legal Information below for additional disclaimers

Intel Big Things In Small Packages

The overall theme of 45nm is efficiency. Thanks to the smaller process, benefits should include better thermal properties, better power efficiency, faster performance at equal frequencies and for the enthusiasts, potentially better overclocking. Add to the fact that 45nm has gone lead-free, the new transistors seem like a win / win.

But just how small is 45nm? Go grab a metre stick and divide it into one billion equal sections. One of those pieces is a nanometre. If that feels like too much work, just consider the fact that you could fit 2,000 45nm transistors across the span of a single human hair. Or for an even more mind-boggling comparison... 30 million on the head of a pin. Dual-Core Penryn chips will include 410 million of these transistors, while Yorkfield will be double this number.

There's more to these transistors than just being small though. Intel has been talking about High-k Metal Gate transistors all year, and according to co-founder Gordon Moore, this new implementation "marks the biggest change in transistor technology since the introduction of poly-silicon gate MOS transistors in the late 1960s.

Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 - The 45nm Era Begins

The past two years have been exciting for fans of the processor world, with Intel doing their job well to keep the momentum going. Since Conroe's launch last July, Intel has successfully kept their foot atop AMD by offering products that not only outperform theirs by a significant margin, but are also offered at such low prices that only hardcore AMD fans would ponder purchasing a non-C2D product.Everyone had hoped that AMD's Barcelona architecture would bring them back to the competitive table, but not unlike the current-gen ATI vs. NVIDIA battle, there wasn't a mark to be left. While AMD undoubtedly needs to release a product that prove to people that they haven't completely lost their grip on things, consumers have been benefiting either way.

Today, it would be a challenge to purchase a processor that didn't perform exceptionally... at any price range. Quad-Cores can be had for under $300 and both Intel and AMD have superb dual-core processors that retail for under $200. Without question, it is a great time to build a new machine or for being in the mood to upgrade.
True to the tick tock model, Intel today is unveiling their first 45nm processor. For those unaware, the tick tock model is Intel's term for describing their product cycle, with tick referring to the initial launch of a new microarchitecture and tock denoting it's successor. In today's case, tick is Penryn, while tock is Nehalem, which we've taken a look at earlier this year and also learned more about at last months IDF.

Also at last month’s IDF, we were told the official launch date for Penryn: November 12. This date still holds true, with the first and only model being offered on that day being the QX9650. Intel hasn't stated pricing yet, but previous leaks have stated the usual $999 in shipments of 1,000. Once the QX9650 hits your favorite retailer or e-tailer, prices you pay will be greater than this, around $1,300 at a guess.

Intel's Brand-New i7's Closer Look

The i7-950 and i7-975 are more evolutionary than revolutionary, or as many like to call them... "speed bumps", meaning that the architecture is the same, but the clocks experience a boost. Although Intel hasn't been entirely open about any other changes made, it's been rumored that minor changes have also been made to the chip to help improve overclocking, but we'll have to wait and see what overclockers can accomplish before we settle on that.

As you can see in the chart below, Intel currently has a huge line-up of CPUs (excluding Dual-Core), with five Core i7 total. Core i5 will soon be added to this list, but not until around late August/early September when the chips start to flow to the market. As it stands though, the top two models are the only to use a 6.4GT/s QPI, while the others use 4.8GT/s, although the real-world differences between the two are difficult to pinpoint. While we don't have an i7-950 on-hand, we do have an i7-975 Extreme Edition. So, let's see how it compares to our entire line-up of processors, including its predecessor, the i7-965.

Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition

It's been a good seven months since the launch of the original Core i7 processors, so isn't it about time we got to see some new models? Don't fret, as Intel has just announced their i7-950 3.06GHz mid-range and i7-975 3.33GHz high-end models. We're taking a look at the latter today, so let's see how it compares to its predecessor.Where has the time gone? It feels like (to me, at least), that Intel just dropped their Core i7 launch processors, but in reality, it happened a full seven months ago. That's a long time in CPU years, so what about a follow-up? Don't fret... Intel is delivering just that today, although exact availability is yet to be seen. To quickly recap, in November of 2008, Intel kick-started their i7 line-up with the mainstream i7-920 ($284), the mid-range i7-940 ($562) and also the high-end i7-965 Extreme Edition. Since then, nothing else Core i7 has launched, although a few Core 2 Quad's have, such as the S series (power-efficient) and also some budget Quad-Core.

Intel today launches two models that are set to replace two already launched. The main focus from the company is the i7-975, an Extreme Edition, which boosts the i7-965's clock speed from 3.2GHz to 3.33GHz. It's a sure thing that the i7-975 will eventually replace the i7-965 wholly, but when that will happen is unknown. Also new is the i7-950, a 3.06GHz part that bumps the clock speeds of the i7-940 from 2.93. Like the i7-975, this model is likely to entirely replace the i7-940. It's important to note that speculated pricing for these two new models put them a little more expensive than the previous parts, but it's highly doubtful that they will stay at such prices for long.

Welcome to Intel's Lynnfield

The good news is that Lynnfield is different in almost all regards. With the introduction of the Core i5-750, we finally have a ~$200 option. We're avoiding ultra-expensive motherboards this time around also, as companies such as ASUS and Gigabyte are prepping to release boards that range anywhere from $140 - $300. And because Lynnfield drops us back to a dual-channel memory controller, memory kits are plentiful, and affordable.

During the Nehalem launch, one major complaint I had was that it was near impossible to find a Core i7 CPU cooler at launch. There just weren't any. I'm not sure who's fault that was, but it doesn't matter, because this is another bad situation that we're avoiding. For the past six months, companies have boasted their LGA1156 CPU coolers and mounts, so you can expect a wide-variety of models to become immediately available

Intel Core i7-870 & i5-750 - Nehalem for the Mainstream

The wait for Intel's Lynnfield has been long, but it's safe to say that it's been well worth it. They may be considered "mainstream" models, but the new Core i5 and i7 processors are powerful. Expect faster performance, improved power consumption and greater efficiency. With the i5-750 set to sell for $199, the time to build that new PC is now.

Welcome to Lynnfield, also known as the worst-kept secret in history. Where technology is concerned, it's not uncommon to see details released (rather, leaked) about a product long before its launch, but with Lynnfield, the months leading up to this day have been something else. The question lately hasn't been so much, "What do we know, but rather, "What don't we know?" I have to admit, that because of this, publishing this article that we put so much time and effort into doesn't feel quite as rewarding as it should. This is thanks in part not only to the flood of leaks of month's past, but more because certain e-tailers don't seem to mind breaking embargo by actually selling Lynnfield processors and P55 motherboards long before the launch.

While I wish some of the above events never occurred, the fact that Lynnfield was such an exciting product to test pretty-well overshadows them. Yes, I'm going to jump into the conclusion early... Lynnfield is amazing, and in many ways, I consider this launch to be much more important than Nehalem's last fall. Why? As Intel puts it, this is "Core i for the mainstream". That quote is spot-on, because that's just what Lynnfield is. When Nehalem launched last fall, Intel introduced a brand-new processor architecture that instantly became the best we'd ever seen.

The processors were faster than the previous Penryn models, and with the addition of Hyper Threading, a triple-channel memory controller and L3 Cache, Nehalem didn't just push the bar higher, it jumped while doing it.
But, there were a few sizable caveats that prevented as much adoption as there could have been. First was the pricing, with the least-expensive model, the Core i7-920, selling for near $300. That of course would have been easy to stomach if the motherboards didn't start out at $250. Couple those factors along with the limited availability of LGA1366 CPU coolers and (at the time) expensive DDR3 triple-channel kits, and the rough economy... it's no wonder most consumers decided to settle for Core 2.

Intel Westmere Bullet-Points

1. Intel's first 32nm processor micro architecture.
2. Pairs up both a CPU and GPU into a single processor chip.
3. Integrated GPU accelerates Blu-ray and other HD content (includes Blu-ray dual decode).
   Utilizes a dual-channel memory controller.
4. Features Turbo technology (automated clock-boosts).
5. Clarkdale chips feature 4MB of L3 Cache, except for Pentium, which features 3MB.
6. Arrondale chips feature 4MB of Cache for Core i7, and 3MB for Core i3 and i5.
7. All Westmere-based chips include the AES-NI instruction set.
8. Clarkdale focuses on the mATX form-factor.
9. One of the biggest and most notable features of Westmere is that it's built on Intel's 32nm process, which makes it the first of its kind in a desktop processor.
10. Intel was also first with 45nm, which we saw in the form of Penryn just a little over two years ago (oh, how the time flies). If Intel successfully sticks to its tick/tock cadence, we should be seeing a 22nm launch at some point during 2011.

Intel's Westmere Micro architecture

Before we dive deep into Westmere, let's take a moment to clear up all of the codenames that are floating around. Westmere, first and foremost, is the latest microarchitecture out of Intel, and is not the name of the processors which use it. Rather, those names are Clarkdale (Desktop) and Arrandale (Mobile). The former isn't to be confused with Clarksfield, which is Intel's mobile Nehalem (45nm). On the chipset side, all LGA1156 models thus far (P55, H55, et cetera) are classified as Ibex Peak. Future six-core Westmere's (which will not include an IGP) use the Gulftown codename. Finally, Westmere's IGP is codenamed Ironlake.

To help confuse things further, Westmere is ultimately based on Lynnfield, which was derived from Nehalem. That means that the same Nehalem features that were shaved off for Lynnfield are also gone from Westmere. This is putting it all simply, however, as Westmere features a few things Lynnfield processors do not, such as the AES-NI instruction set. We'll tackle this and more throughout the article.

Intel's 32nm Clarkdale - Nehalem for Everyone

To help kick 2010 off right, Intel has filled out the rest of its current-gen processor line-up with the help of Westmere. We're taking a look at the desktop variant here, which brings a lot to the table compared to the previous generation. For those who've been holding out for that next affordable PC upgrade, the wait has been worth it. This past September, Intel released a follow-up to its successful Nehalem architecture, called Lynnfield. Throughout its launch campaign, Intel touted Lynnfield as being "Nehalem for the mainstream", hence the title of our launch article. That title was appropriate, because Nehalem, for the first year of its life, was the only choice for those who wanted in on the company's latest architecture, but thanks to the $300+ price tag, many held off and waited for more budget-conscious models to come along.

Lynnfield improved the situation, because its lowest-priced model, the Core i5-750, came in at around $200. Aside from its lack of HyperThreading, that particular model had everything that made Nehalem so great. In fact, it even improved on certain aspects, such as with its more effective Turbo feature. In the end, the entire Lynnfield line-up proved to be packed full of winners, as we discovered in our launch article. However, even at $200 for the lowest-priced chip, there are many who are missing out on what Nehalem and its sub-microarchitectures bring to the table, and that's where Westmere comes into play, with its dual-core models set to sell for between $100 - $284. At the low-end, the prices finally allow virtually anyone to take advantage of Intel's latest architecture, and with a few extra benefits tossed in.

At its heart, Westmere is based on Lynnfield, which was derived from Nehalem. That means that these Westmere chips share the equally-impressive Turbo multipliers of Lynnfield, along with the removal of the Northbridge. Compared to Core 2 processors, Westmere has other benefits as well, such as HyperThreading, the AES-NI instruction set, and of course, improved power efficiency. Oh, and not to mention integrated graphics for its dual-core models.

Intel Pentium Dual-Core E5200

Intel's Core i7 processors have now been available for close to a month-and-a-half, but for those looking to spend as little as possible for a new rig, i7 shouldn't be the first choice for reasons we laid out in our launch article early last month. Though i7 offers stellar performance, it requires a new motherboard, RAM and CPU cooler. While most people who pick up the E5200 might be in the same situation, the parts are much more affordable all-around. While browsing an e-tailer a few weeks ago, I stumbled on Intel's Pentium E5200, a dual-core offering that I had forgotten all about. It was launched this past August to virtually no fanfare, and thanks to a few things that were going on at the time (IDF, NVISION), I never thought about it since. I did want to get one in though, because although it carries a few caveats, it's still a Wolf dale chip, and at under $100, I figured it might very-well be a steal.

Intel currently offers two Pentium models based on the 45nm process, the E5300 and E5200. The differences between them are a mere $2 (per 1,000) and 100MHz. We chose to bring the E5200 in for the simple fact that it's the least expensive model out there from Intel, at least of which uses their latest technologies, such as 45nm.

The Pentium Dual-Core chips do have two primary drawbacks, though, which include 2MB of L2 Cache and absolutely no part of Intel's SSE4.x instruction set. What that means is that more expensive chips (even the E7200), will have the ability to recode video that utilizes these instructions much, much faster. For those who don't encode video all-too-often, the loss won't be noticed.