Intel Core 2 is the processor family encompassing a range of

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 ser ...

's consumer

64-bit In computer architecture, 64-bit integers, memory addresses, or other data units are those that are 64 bits wide. Also, 64-bit CPUs and ALUs are those that are based on processor registers, address buses, or data buses of that size. A ...

x86-64 x86-64 (also known as x64, x86_64, AMD64, and Intel 64) is a 64-bit version of the x86 instruction set, first released in 1999. It introduced two new modes of operation, 64-bit mode and compatibility mode, along with a new 4-level paging ...

single-, dual-, and quad-core

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circ ...

s based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-

die Die, as a verb, refers to death, the cessation of life. Die may also refer to: Games * Die, singular of dice, small throwable objects used for producing random numbers Manufacturing * Die (integrated circuit), a rectangular piece of a semicondu ...

, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a

multi-chip module A multi-chip module (MCM) is generically an electronic assembly (such as a package with a number of conductor terminals or "pins") where multiple integrated circuits (ICs or "chips"), semiconductor dies and/or other discrete components are in ...

. The Core 2 range was the last flagship range of Intel desktop processors to use a front-side bus. The introduction of Core 2 relegated the

Pentium Pentium is a brand used for a series of x86 architecture-compatible microprocessors produced by Intel. The original Pentium processor from which the brand took its name was first released on March 22, 1993. After that, the Pentium II and P ...

brand to the mid-range market, and reunified laptop and desktop CPU lines for marketing purposes under the same product name, which were formerly divided into the

Pentium 4 Pentium 4 is a series of single-core CPUs for desktops, laptops and entry-level servers manufactured by Intel. The processors were shipped from November 20, 2000 until August 8, 2008. The production of Netburst processors was active from 2000 ...

Pentium D Pentium D is a range of desktop 64-bit x86-64 processors based on the NetBurst microarchitecture, which is the dual-core variant of the Pentium 4 manufactured by Intel. Each CPU comprised two dies, each containing a single core, residing next to ...

, and

Pentium M The Pentium M is a family of mobile 32-bit single-core x86 microprocessors (with the modified Intel P6 microarchitecture) introduced in March 2003 and forming a part of the Intel Carmel notebook platform under the then new Centrino brand. The ...

brands. The ''Core 2'' processor line was introduced on July 27, 2006, comprising the ''Duo'' (

dual-core A multi-core processor is a microprocessor on a single integrated circuit with two or more separate processing units, called cores, each of which reads and executes program instructions. The instructions are ordinary CPU instructions (such ...

) and ''Extreme'' (dual- or quad-core CPUs for enthusiasts), and in 2007, the ''Quad'' ( quad-core) and ''Solo'' ( single-core) sub-brands. Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technology (designed for businesses) include the dual-core and quad-core branches. Although Woodcrest processors are also based on the Core architecture, they are available under the

Xeon Xeon ( ) is a brand of x86 microprocessors designed, manufactured, and marketed by Intel, targeted at the non-consumer workstation, server, and embedded system markets. It was introduced in June 1998. Xeon processors are based on the same ar ...

brand. From December 2006, all Core 2 Duo processors were manufactured from 300 millimeter plates at Fab 12 factory in Arizona and at Fab 24-2 in County Kildare, Ireland.

Virtual machine or virtualization abilities

''Core 2'' and other LGA 775 processors can support

virtualization In computing, virtualization or virtualisation (sometimes abbreviated v12n, a numeronym) is the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something at the same abstraction level, including virtual computer hardware platforms, stor ...

if the

virtual machine In computing, a virtual machine (VM) is the virtualization/ emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on computer architectures and provide functionality of a physical computer. Their implementations may involve specialized h ...

(VM) software supports those processors, e.g. if the processor supports VT-x. Newer versions of VM software do not support processors older than Nehalem (Core 2 and older) because they lack support for Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also called Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).

Models

The ''Core 2''-branded CPUs include: ''Conroe''/''Allendale'' (dual-core for desktops), ''Merom'' (dual-core for laptops), ''Merom-L'' (single-core for laptops), ''Kentsfield'' (quad-core for desktops), and the updated variants named ''Wolfdale'' (dual-core for desktops), ''Penryn'' (dual-core for laptops) and ''Yorkfield'' (quad-core for desktops). The Core 2-branded processors feature

Virtualization Technology Hardware virtualization is the virtualization of computers as complete hardware platforms, certain logical abstractions of their componentry, or only the functionality required to run various operating systems. Virtualization hides the physic ...

without EPT (with some exceptions), the

NX bit The NX bit (no-execute) is a technology used in CPUs to segregate areas of memory for use by either storage of processor instructions or for storage of data, a feature normally only found in Harvard architecture processors. However, the NX bit is ...

and

SSE3 SSE3, Streaming SIMD Extensions 3, also known by its Intel code name Prescott New Instructions (PNI), is the third iteration of the SSE instruction set for the IA-32 (x86) architecture. Intel introduced SSE3 in early 2004 with the Prescott revis ...

. The Core microarchitecture introduced

SSSE3 Supplemental Streaming SIMD Extensions 3 (SSSE3 or SSE3S) is a SIMD instruction set created by Intel and is the fourth iteration of the SSE technology. History SSSE3 was first introduced with Intel processors based on the Core microarchitectu ...

, Trusted Execution Technology, Enhanced

SpeedStep Enhanced SpeedStep is a series of dynamic frequency scaling technologies (codenamed Geyserville and including SpeedStep, SpeedStep II, and SpeedStep III) built into some Intel microprocessors that allow the clock speed of the processor to be dyna ...

and

Active Management Technology Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) is hardware and firmware for remote out-of-band management of select business computers, running on the Intel Management Engine, a microprocessor subsystem not exposed to the user, intended for monitor ...

(iAMT2). The Penryn microarchitecture, a shrink of the former, introduced SSE4.1. With a maximum thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W, the Core 2 Duo Conroe dissipates half the power of the less capable contemporary

-branded desktop chips that have a max TDP of 130 W.

Known marks

With the release of the Core 2 processor, the abbreviation ''C2'' has come into common use, with its variants ''C2D'' (the present Core 2 Duo), and ''C2Q'', ''C2E'' to refer to the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors respectively. ''C2QX'' stands for the Extreme-Editions of the Quad (QX6700, QX6800, QX6850). The successors to the Core 2 brand are a set of

Nehalem microarchitecture Nehalem is the List of Intel codenames, codename for Intel's 45 nm process, 45 nm microarchitecture released in November 2008. It was used in the first-generation of the Intel Core Core i5, i5 and Intel Core i7, i7 processors, and succeeds the ...

based processors called

Core i3 Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber * Core, the central ...

, i5, and i7. The Core i7 was officially launched on November 17, 2008 as a family of three quad-core processor desktop models; further models started appearing throughout 2009. The last processor of the family to be released was the Core 2 Quad Q9500 in January 2010. The Core 2 processor line was removed from the official price lists in July 2011, and the last processors were discontinued in June 2012.

Notes

References

External links

1st public demonstration
Anandtech discovers Core 2 Duo performance under the supervision of Francois Piednoel

Intel Penryn Architecture and Performance Preview

Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology papers

Intel Core Microarchitecture
* {{Intel processors, core Computer-related introductions in 2006

Core 2 Intel Core 2 is the processor family encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit x86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessors based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-co ...