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[Sun Microsystems]: Crossbar switches make for fast data exchange between the eight cores in Niagara and the L2 cache.

With six desktop offerings, there's no dearth of quad-core options.  Xeon has embraced quad in a big way, with 19 SKUs.   Core 2 Extreme publicity shot from Intel; the two metal rectangles on the obverse house two dual-core die each, to create one quad-core processor. The chip is covered with an aluminum head spreader (not shown).  Intel has beaten AMD to market with quad core, and will also be first to field 45-nm processors.  A raw die shot from Intel, showing two dual-core Core 2 processors side by side to create a quad.  Intel slide explaining that its first quad-core processor are created by combining two dual cores into a single chip.  Core 2 Extreme slide, explaining the integrated heat spreader and double dual-core design.  Next up on Intel's processor roadmap is the 45-nm Penryn family, which includes quads code-named Yorkfield (desktop) and Harpertown (server).  The Penryn family will have an enhanced version of Intel's Core microarchitecure.  The size of the L2 cache in the upcoming 45-nm quads will increase to 12 MB.  Intel's first 45-nm quad core is expected to reach a clock speed of 3.3 GHz.  Additional SSE, for Streaming SIMD Extensions, instructions will make Penryn even more adept at handling multimedia.  Phenom will be the official product name for AMD's Agena desktop quad core.  Family 10h is AMD's internal designation for the architecture used in Barcelona and Agena.  Along with new processors, AMD's desktop roadmap indicates improvements to its HyperTransport processor I/O technology and to graphics support.  Intel's server roadmap shows aggressive plans for quad core and beyond.  The Barcelona block clearly identifies the functional units of the quad server chip.  This die shot identifies the different functional units of Barcelona, AMD's upcoming quad-core Opteron.  Barcelona boasts numerous improvements aimed at boosting instruction throughput.  The Shanghai quad core, due in 2008, will be the first 45-nm member of AMD's Opteron server processor family.  Nehalem is Intel's code name for the brand new microarchitecture, which will follow Penryn.  Off in the (distant?) future is the 80-core Teraflops processor, which Intel has already demonstrated in prototype form.  [Sun Microsystems]: Silicon of Sun's Niagara 2.  [Sun Microsystems]: Niagara 2 has lots of features aimed at the high end, including cryptographic capabilites.  [Sun Microsystems]: Crossbar switches make for fast data exchange between the eight cores in Niagara and the L2 cache.   The street prices for Intel's quad-core chips have changed since our original chart was posting on July 22.  Intel's standard fan for socket 775 CPUs attaches to the motherboard via spring-loaded clips, which can be difficult to seat properly.  StarTech's socket 775 fan, which at first glance seems like a cheap third-part solution, is actually nicely designed with spring-loaded screws for easy and solid installation.  At $27, the Freezer Pro 7 from Arctic Cooling is a sensible fan-and-heatsink option for Intel socket 775 dual- and quad-core processors.  Asus's PC Probe II utility indicates that the Freezer Pro 7 fan is keeping both my processor and motherboard room-temperature cool.  Barcelona pricing. 

[Sun Microsystems]:Crossbar switches make for fast data exchange between the eight cores in Niagara and the L2 cache.