Intel's latest releases of its 64-bit Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme processors incorporate a number of enhancements, including power-management features targeted at mobile devices. The desktop and server versions incorporate Intel's Advanced Smart Cache for its dual-core chips, which include a shared L2 cache that allows full utilization by a single core if the other core is idle. The mobile versions' Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing feature will flush the cache during periods of inactivity so the chip can lower CPU voltage. The Dynamic Power Coordination support permits independent power management for each core. In addition, the chips add enhanced virtual machine management and digital media acceleration support. Pricing starts at $209 for the mobile 1.66-GHz T5500 Core 2 Duo processor with a 667-MHz front side bus (FSB) and 2 Mbytes of L2 cache. The high-end 2.93-GHz X6800 Core 2 Extreme processor with 4 Mbytes of L2 cache and a 1.066-GHz FSB costs $99.
Intel Corp.
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