Intel Core 2 Extreme / Core Duo Processor Review :: New Core2 / Duo Technology

Core microarchitecture technology is not really all that new of an idea and was introduced way back in the early days of the Pentium lineup and has just evolved over the years into what it is today.

• 65 nanometer process
• 291 million transistors per core
• 2 cores
• 4MB unified L2 Cache
• 32KB L1 cache
• x86, MMX,SSE, SSE2 SSE3, EM64T instructions
• Execute Disable Bit
• Virtualization Technology
• Intel Wide Dynamic Execution
• Intel Smart Cache
• Advanced Digital Media Boost
• Intel Virtualization Technology
• Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology
• Execute Disable Bit

The Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme CPUs are a radical change from the NetBurst architecture in use since the Pentium 4 was first introduced 6 years ago. To take a look at the Core architecture, it's best to take a look at the NetBurst architecture as it has been Intel's microarchitecture for the last 6 years.

Intel's Core 2 architecture is based upon a 65 nanometer process. The first Intel CPU to use the 65 nm process was the Core mobile CPU released in the beginning of the year. Based upon the Pentium M architecture, the Core was faster in many respects than equivalent desktop CPUs in performance. There were two types of Core CPUs, Core Single and Core Duo, with the Core Duo being the world's first low-power Dual-Core CPU (25W). The Core 2 has 291 million transistors.

Core 2 is dual core architecture. That means there are two independent CPU cores on the same die. The first Intel dual core CPU was the Pentium D introduced in spring of 2005. Each core on the Core 2 has independent L1 caches. Early dual-core CPUs had independent L2 caches as well. Core 2 has a unified L2 cache of either 2MB or 4MB. That means when data is required on both cores only one set of data need be passed instead of two on two separate L2 caches.

Core 2 supports all current instruction sets, including the x86 instruction set, the Multimedia eXtensions introduced with the Pentium MMX CPU. Streaming SIMD instructions were introduced with the Pentium 3 CPU. The Core 2 architecture supports SSE2, SSE3 and there are 16 new CPU instructions called SSE4. Intel has also included a new feature called Media Boost which increases the number of 128-bit instructions to one per clock cycle, before it was 2 clock cycles for each 128-bit multimedia instruction. Also supported is Intel's Extended Memory 64 Technology, 64-bit instructions that are equivalent to AMD's instruction set.

Wide Dynamic Execution is Intel's code name for their new execution core. The Core 2 architecture can fetch, display, execute and retire up to four full 128-bit CPU instructions in a clock cycle. Earlier Intel CPUs were limited to 3 full instructions in a clock cycle per core. Wide Dynamic Execution also allows Macro-Fusion, which allows certain common x86 instructions to be combined into a single instruction for execution.

Energy efficiency is important in today's world where gasoline is over $3.00 a gallon. AMD introduced a line of Energy Efficient CPUs with their AM2 platform last month. Intel has coined a term "Intel Intelligent Power Capability" to denote their power-consumption savings initiative. The Intel Core microarchitecture is designed to have excellent energy optimization and efficiency and should provide good power management for their new CPUs.

Intel's Advanced Smart Cache is their trademark for their unified L2 cache. Intel's Smart Cache allocates the full 4MB cache dynamically depending on the workload. That means if one core needs more than the 2MB cache, Smart Cache will allocate more cache to that core. This is the advantage over dual core CPUs that have separate caches as it allows better communication and less cross traffic than a non-unified cache solution does.

One of the big problems with computers today is the Microsoft's environment being weak to viruses. Thousands of viruses a day are released into the computer market, causing all kinds of harmful effects. Intel's Execute Disable Bit allows the computer to disable memory when malicious software attempts to run in non-executable memory. It provides enhanced virus protection when combined with a supporting operating system. Intel's Virtualization technology allows one platform to run several operating systems on "Virtual Partitions". It's perfect for the business user that wants to update his software while another user works on the computer. An IT user can run multiple different "virtual partitions" running different applications. It's a cool concept and one will have to see in action to fully appreciate.